Rage Online

Did anyone see the size of those two Turkish centre halves on Saturday night?

Servet Cetin and Gorkan Zan are built like brick outhouses and are
fiercely uncompromising and very scary looking.

Servet would frighten Briggsy I reckon.

(You just cannot ever write off the Germans in a footballing context!)

&quotOUFC4eva&quot wrote:Did anyone see the size of those two Turkish centre halves on Saturday night?

Servet Cetin and Gorkan Zan are built like brick outhouses and are
fiercely uncompromising and very scary looking.

Servet would frighten Briggsy I reckon.

(You just cannot ever write off the Germans in a footballing context!)

I think Turkey were very lucky to finish the game with all 11 players on the field. There were some very x-rated tackles going on and also a lot of niggly trips and shirt pulling.

I heard a nice quip on the radio the other day. Two presenters were discussing who they had backed to win Euro 2008, one had bet on Germany....much to the other ones disgust:

'You cannot back Germany after all the games we have lost against them'

'I just think they have a great team and if it comes down to a penalty shoot out at any stage they are through aren't they?'

'Yeah, fair enough............I think the last person to save a penalty against Germany was Sylvester Stallone...............'

Very disappointed with Austria's performance against Croatia.

I've got them in the office sweepstake, and am hoping for the wooden spoon prize!

Hopefully Germany will put 6 or 7 past them.

Stuff and nonsense about Holland's first goal being off side.
My interpretation being that the Italian defender (can't recall who) was off the pitch behind the goal line following a challenge and as he had not asked permission to leave the field of play was deemed to be on the goal line therefore playing everyone on side.

Any referees out there care to put me right?

Amazed that the pundits did not pick this up. They're paid enough.

I missed the first half of the Holland-Italy match because I went to a screening of Night Of The Hunter. Forget the Turkish centre-halves, you wouldn't want Robert Mitchum lining up against you.

&quotBaboo&quot wrote:Stuff and nonsense about Holland's first goal being off side.
My interpretation being that the Italian defender (can't recall who) was off the pitch behind the goal line following a challenge and as he had not asked permission to leave the field of play was deemed to be on the goal line therefore playing everyone on side.

Any referees out there care to put me right?

Amazed that the pundits did not pick this up. They're paid enough.

I think you're right Baboo, otherwise a defender on the goal line could simply walk off the pitch to put an opposing player in an offside position. Similarly the goalkeeper could stand behind the goal line for the whole game and require two outfield defenders to be between the attacker and the goal.

&quotBaboo&quot wrote:Stuff and nonsense about Holland's first goal being off side.
My interpretation being that the Italian defender (can't recall who) was off the pitch behind the goal line following a challenge and as he had not asked permission to leave the field of play was deemed to be on the goal line therefore playing everyone on side.

Any referees out there care to put me right?

Amazed that the pundits did not pick this up. They're paid enough.

Spot on Baboo, it was the commentators and (so called) pundits/experts who missed it, although Gordon Strachan pointed it out.

i had radio 5 on at half time, for a break from the ITV inanities while i did the washing up, and they had mentioned this as an explanation of the decision.

impressive as the dutch display was, i do think the scoreline exaggerated their superiority over italy.

&quotMatt D&quot wrote:i had radio 5 on at half time, for a break from the ITV inanities while i did the washing up, and they had mentioned this as an explanation of the decision.

I listened to it (for as long as I could stand) and they spent a long time on the &quotactive or not active&quot debate and on the difference between receiving treatment and &quotbeing off the pitch&quot. Alan Green's anti-Italian vitriol was almost as hard to take as the result. That and the inanity of &quotThe Dutch are playing left to right in the second half&quot. I hate that. It depends which stand you are in, doesn't it? And it hardly helps the listeners.

&quotAncient Colin&quot wrote:That and the inanity of &quotThe Dutch are playing left to right in the second half&quot. I hate that. It depends which stand you are in, doesn't it? And it hardly helps the listeners.

I'm not sure I'm with you on that AC. The presenters job is to paint you a picture with words and that picture is meaningless without context.

This morning on Alan Brazil's Sports Breakfast (TalkSPORT)
they debated the offside goal for ages. Ronnie Irani, a cricketeer was the only one saying it was an legimate goal. Alan Brazil's football mates and drinking pals 'phoned in and all to a man, said the assistant referee had made a huge mistake.

The decision was indeed correct going by the rule book. Baboo is right.

I'm surprised that Alan Brazil found time to talk about anything other than how immigration has brought this proud country to its knees, the far-right prick that he is.

&quotA-Ro&quot wrote: I'm not sure I'm with you on that AC. The presenters job is to paint you a picture with words and that picture is meaningless without context.

OK, but how does it help to be told &quotOxford are playing from left to right in the second half&quot? Now if it were at Minchery Farm and you knew that the commentary was from the South Stand, then you would know that they were kicking towards the carpark. But other than that, it is a completely meaningless phrase. You want a picture? &quotIn the second half the Dutch are playing ... towards their supporters? ... into the wind? ... towards the imposing Kaiser Rudolf the Fifteenth stand? ... down the pronounced slope at the Anschluss Memorial Stadium?

Missing apostrophe warning, anyway!!

&quotYF Dan&quot wrote:I'm surprised that Alan Brazil found time to talk about anything other than how immigration has brought this proud country to its knees, the far-right prick that he is.

Or is that far left prick? Racism isn't restricted to a prejudiced political interpretation of left and right.

OK, I'll shut up now.