I'd say a max of 3, if United get their act together very soon. Arsenal weren't involved in the race last year, obviously they're close now as there's so many games left, but they'll be way behind even after 15 or so games.

That arrogant ****.

Gallas is out for 3 weeks with a groin injury.
What the hell do we do now, wheel out Senderos?

Maybe a comeback for Tony Adams ?

That would be awesome.

Honest question to EPL fans: Is it acceptable for players to crowd a referee and argue for/against a call during the course of a game?

I'm asking because I've noticed rather a lot of it happening over the past couple of weekends. Some teams (for example Chelsea) seem to be more prone to it than others, but I don't recall having seen it done to the same degree in continental leagues last year.

In situoations were the ref is making a mistake that may cost a team three points, a cup final etc. I think its no way of preventing it.

Another thing is what Chelsea are doing; they constantly try to put pressure on the ref every time he makes a decision against them.

Diving, intimidating the ref, whatever the foreigners have bought to the EPL so their team wins they will do

Without foreigners, the EPL would be about as interesting as the Norwegian league.

Even before the huge increase of foreigners we were one of the big 3 leagues

Perhaps it's a case of Arsenal would be as bad as Norway without foreigners

Ditto.

Take out Mourinho, Drogba, Robben, Essien, Shevchenko, Malouda, Ballack, Mikel... from Chelsea.
Take out Benitez, Torres, Kuyt, Alonso, Riise, Babel, Mascherano, Agger, Reina... from Liverpool.
Take out Ronaldo from ManUtd.
Take out 90% of Arsenal.

Without them, EPL will be a poor league.

As would it hinder the Italian and Spanish leagues... Kaka, Ronaldinho, Messi, Henry, Robinho, Van Nistelrooy, Zlatan...

Arsenal: No English - No Success.
Liverpool: Without Gerrard they suck, without Gerrard and Carragher, they'd be nothing.
Chelsea: Lamps and JT are the core of that team. Last time neither played, they got thumped.
United: Cristiano is probably their best player, but Rooney is the icon of the team.

It's a pointless debate because as I said above take the foreigners out of the Spanish and Italian leagues respectively it would be a 'poor' league.

My original point anyway were the foreigners have definitely bought diving into our league, not saying it didn't happen before but no where near to this extent

That's true... but I think the situation is irreversible right now in every league... and even if it isn't, I just don't care... I don't think it would be better any other way!

But it's the captain of the English NT who's the most frequent offender when it comes to bullying tactics employed against the (admittedly not always competent) referees. To me, that's just as bad as diving, if not worse.

He's the captain of the Chelsea team too, who's the manager, oh Mourinho, he's foreign! Terry for England is a different person I don't see the hassling at all when he's with us...

Maybe because he knows the FIFA referees for the internationals wouldn't let him get away with it?

But they are the same referees that he bombards with Chelsea in Europe! Anders Frisk what did FIFA do to help him...

Talking of hassling referees. Why didn't Rooney finish the game against Portugal at the World Cup? It sure wasn't because Ronaldo influenced the ref.

And how many times, when there's a foul, do you see English players running upto the referee asking for a yellow card to be shown? Never, it's a foreign influence in the game.

The person I blame in recent years on a international scale is Deco, the one-eyebrowed little man did it all the time, funny that Mourinho was the manager of Porto at the time

You English hate him.

But it's usual. He's an hell of a player but a top-diver too. I'd hate him too if my team played against him.

Guess the same could be said about you and Lampard

More or less.

Lampard has that c*nt-look every time he scores (see celebration yesterday?). That's what piss's me off. Oh and his deflected shots [goals] a la Deco.

Lampard is very good but he's 29 and becoming too slow, although he was never a fast midfielder.
If you asked me the 3 players that I fear (not exactly fear but... you know) if we played England right now, I'd say without a doubt: Terry, Rooney (before injury, bla bla) and Gerrard. Those 3 are simply out of this world.

Haha, the 'Henry' celebration, is a bit annoying, I now know where you've got the feeling he has a cocky attitude from!

Gerrard is world class, he's the only player that turns up in an England shirt, he should be our captain no doubt!

I agree. Gerrard IS class.

The one English midfielder I wish hadn't retired from international play is Paul Scholes. Class player even though he can't tackle worth a d*mn. He never gives up and always plays 100%.

See. Another arrogant c*nto. In fact he was punished by UEFA after calling "f*cking poof" to a ref.

http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/a...ge_id=1779&ct=5
Of course it was in Portugal... Lisbon vs. Benfica.

And hell of player in his prime.

I remember that match. Yeah, Scholes can be a bit of a *******, but you can't fault his dedication.

Haha, Scholes is one of the quietest most professional players in the game, the only player for United who's not doing interviews everywhere.

I don't see why he retired when he can still do things like this:
Scholes: Best goal in the history of the EPL?

And I'd much prefer to see him doing it to the likes of Germany and so on, instead of us.

I thought Giggs was the quietest one. I never saw an interview with him, and he seems to be always a quiet guy, even in the pitch. Another c*nt though - what he did to Kaka' in Old Trafford... his hands on Kaka's neck... what a soab.

United is full of those arrogant guys. Their fans love guys like that. Same with Cristiano, although he'll be "a c*nt" even for them when he leaves for Madrid.

AHAH. Great strike. Although this one from Rooney is amazing: http://youtube.com/watch?v=C7gZyWM7v84

That is one hell of a strike.

Why are they all United goals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWlsWbPhS3M (Cup final)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1JDOB6EdLo (the last replay show how impressive it was)

Oh, I just forgot you're in an anti-Scouse mood since last week.

It was a cracking goal, and I wanted Liverpool to win the game since I hate West Ham.

Yes, I am.

It's worn off though, I generally like Liverpool. Even more so for beating those West ham pr!cks the way they did.

Hate West Ham? Because of their kit? Almost the same... "hope they get relegated so we can be unique".

It should look the same, since they adopted our colours when they started.

There's just been a few incidents between us before, alot of toruble between fans and such. Reo-Coker asked to leave West Ham this year, and joined us, he said they really disrespected him, so a war of words between the two clubs broke out.

There u go again

Huh?

Hehe Villa hype again eh

SSshhhhhrrsrrrrrsssssssssssss you Al-Sahyd fan.

it was Al-Salmiya

Hellyoum Salmiya hellyoum!

U have good memory ... Check this out (that commentator adores Zidane to bits .. ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1anXv4AoY

"Yooo ALAW! ALAW! (or ALOH)"

"Salam"

Translate this please.

Haha .. Tell me what second it was on the clip ?


Overall, he was in awe of Zidane

.. EDIT: Ithink you mean Ya Allah .. hehe, means OMFG OMFG !!!!

Ya Allah. Can't until I speak fluent arab.

And 'Salam' is something along the lines of hats off?

Hee hee...arab commentary is something else. You don't need to understand a word of it. Their enthusiasm is just so infectious.

Spot on

No. Haven't you ever watched this?