Football *Spoilers* 8th-9th March

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Saturday, 08 March 2008
Barclays Premier League
Blackburn v Fulham, 15:00
Liverpool v Newcastle, 15:00
Reading v Man City, 15:00

The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Barnsley v Chelsea, Sixth Round, 17:30
Man Utd v Portsmouth, Sixth Round, 12:45

Sunday, 09 March 2008
Barclays Premier League
Sunderland v Everton, 15:00
Tottenham v West Ham, 15:00
Wigan v Arsenal, 16:00

The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
Bristol Rovers v West Brom, Sixth Round, 18:00
Middlesbrough v Cardiff, Sixth Round, 14:00



First game kicks off in half hour. United lineup as following:

VDS
Brown-Ferdinand-Vidic-Evra
Ronaldo-Scholes-Hargreaves-Nani
Rooney-Tevez

Bench: PIG, O'Shea, Carrick, Anderson, Saha
 
Pompey line up:

David James
Glen Johnson
Sol Campbell
Sylvain Distin
Hermann Hreidarsson
John Utaka
Papa Bouba Diop
Lassandra Diarra
Sulley Muntari
Niko Kranjcar
Kanu

Probably their strongest team bar Defoe.
 
Dire half? I think its been great. We havn't played that well but we're still all over Portsmouth. At least we've got a game on our hands second half which isn't often the case. Tevez and Rooney need to wake up.

If we don't score soon I can see Pompey getting lucky and nicking it.
 
Good game for the neutral, thought we'd score eventually but it wasn't to be. Goal wouldn't have happened if Rooney used his noddle and didn't join Anderson chasing after the ball, schoolboy error, its not as if he couldn't see Anderson already going after him either.

I think we relied too much on crossing the ball today, Nani especially, rather than knocking it about more. Ronaldo didn't get in the game enough in the second half either.

Not sure why Tevez came off, should have been Scholes.

Ah well, well played pompey.
 
Gilly said:
Don't see how that challenge is a penalty though. Shoulder to shoulder.
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Because Distin left the ball and just blocked Ronaldo off. And because the ref gave a foul for an exact replica at the start of the game. Either give them both or dont give either, a bit of consistency would be nice.

Barnsley are playing really well, that guy upfront is a proper handful. Still, Chelsea will probably score and see it out though.

Andybtsn said:
Why did both Anderson and Rooney go after Kranjkar, bad communication there for them both to leave Baros.
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Rooney had a moment of madness, he could see Anderson was already going for him, and Anderson even waved his arm at Rooney to track the other guy. Really poor game from him today, could have quite easily been sent off too.
 
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Gilly said:
He didn't block him off cos he wasn't in front of him. That would be obstruction and would be an indirect free kick (IIRC). It was shoulder to shoulder which is allowed.


Can't comment on the actual challenge cos I didn't see the other one, but consistency is what we always look for in a ref :)
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Well, based on the ref's earlier decision it was a foul so its just strange that it wasn't given.
 
On to the Arsenal game now. If Wigan can hold them to 0-0 for 55-60 minutes, or score first before that, I fancy them to nick a point. Otherwise it should be a comfortable Arsenal victory.
 
I've noticed all season that if Arsenal don't get into their stride early on they really struggle. They kick into gear straight after half time but if teams see that 10-15 min spell out Arsenal start to run out of ideas.
 
It's just what I've noticed. If they get an early goal teams lie down for them, but if the opposition holds out til ~60 minutes, or score first, Arsenal make it very difficult for themselves. It's been highlighted A LOT more recently. Earlier in the season there was less pressure, I'd say its affecting them now.
 
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