porntrooper
Posts: 2497
Joined: 6/9/2006
From: Sheffield
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What a thoroughly depressing evening at the footie.
Sadly, fom the outset it was clear things were going to get tasty and with hindsight this wasnt a game for a Friday night kick off. The unsavoury chants started pretty early regarding Saville and the earlier allegations made against Jones', so the fuck-wit Wednesday fans responded in kind with songs about Turkey. Its a sad state that we see it (or rather hear it) all over, from songs about Munich, Hysel, HIllsborough, Evans, Turkey etc. It's a real sad state of affairs when I now expect to hear these kind of chants, but I honeslty dont know how to police it and I dont know how we can ever drive it out the game permanently?
Although I hate the chants, I can largely ignore them, so the thing that really got me tonight was the action of a minority in the away end, we all have dick head fans, but I havent seen the kinda shit pulled last night in......well I cant remember the last time I saw it at Hillsborough. Seats were being ripped, hoardings pulled down, missiles thrown, flares etc. It was really odd to see and it just felt like the atmosphere was deteriorating all night. I honestly thought that if Leeds did score, that the away end would erupt, and I honeslty thought it would be the dick head Owls fans to make the first charge (much liek hey did against Palace - probably the only other time I've seen anything approaching the level of shittyness that was on display last night), but in fairness to those dickheads they didn't. When the half dozen Leeds fans did break free onto the pitch I wasn't too surprised. It honestly felt like it was coming - probably due to some crazy referreeing, which I'll get to later. The push in Kirklands face looked worse live in the moment that it does in replays, there is enough force to get him down for sure, especially given that he wouldn't have been braced for it, but looking at replays it does look like more fuss was made of him than probably needed to be...but I guess the point is the staff have to be sure so need to keep him down and check him over. The sight of those minority fans jumping and cheering round the culprit as the ref stood with half a chair in his hand, really depressed me.
The walk home was a strange one, I;d expected an atmosphere of tension, but it was more frustration and disbelief. Really odd.
Getting home and watching the replays and hearing the interviews I got even more depressed, both managers saying things that I hope they regret. First up is Warnock, who despite his blustery bullshit and Blade connections, I happen to quite like. The game needs managers like him to keep talking shite to keep it entertaining. However, there was no need to suggest Kirkland was making a meal of it. When it's player on player and we talk about it yea, but Kirkland is a guy doing his job and is essentially assaulted, lets not blame the victim here. If a bus conductor is slapped in the face and goes down for a few minutes, we wouldn't be calling him out for going down. It was such an odd out of place and unncessary comment. To then follow it up in a later interview by suggesting that Leeds coming to HIllsborough was the best thing that could've happened to us, especially given the events that did happen, well, that was just fucking ridiculous.
And then we have Jones. A manager under pressure saying things in the heat of the moment that I really hope he retracts/clarifies or whatever. I was facepalming lik a mother fucker when watching his immediate post match interview, and I realy, really hope he can detach himself from the moment and revisit those statements. Yea he was upset at the result, but I think moreso the chants aimed at him (given the profile of the Saville case and how some fans linked it into Jones' past) were what pushed him over the top. Suggesting that Warnock and the Leeds players shouldn't applaud the away end is silly, and labelling all Leeds fans as animals is not going to help any situation. The vast majority of Leeds fans behaved well, just as the vast (vast being the correct word - great crowd tonight!) majority of Owls fans were. The minority should be highlighted, condemned and punished, not the majority. C'mon Dave, realise that some sections of Owls supporters are raging cunts too. All clubs have em, we shouldnt let those dictate how we treat everyone, thats a backwards step. Anyway, I hope he readdresses these comments quick.
So, there was some actual football played right? Well, kinda.
Until the equaliser went in and the crowd trouble spilled over, the game was a good one I thought. For three quarters of that 75 minutes I thought The Owls were the better team, we looked solid at the back (a little too solid, Llera! More on that later!), good on the wings, solid in the middle, but just lacking the edge in front of goal. ANotnio spooning that header over was a real pain in the arse, but I thought we well deserved the lead going into half time. I thought Corry had an excellent debut, and Antonio and Semedo continue to impress me week in week out. This seems to have been the story of our last few games, playing well, but just not having the edge to actually put chances away, despite creating them. I'm not convinced of Gardner at the back either, he put in a few really unneccessary challenges that allowed Leeds there few chances. Leeds never really looked in the first half, but I expected them to come back at us in the second. They never really looked great or that they were causing major problems, but more that we were becoming a little thinner and more disorganised at the back as it went on. We stopped closing down men as quick and giving more time to Leeds around the 30/25 yards area and it started to look like that's where they would punish us, and they did. That's really when the game ended, cos those last 15 minutes felt superfluous and there was an odd feelign that no team wanted to win it, let alone deserve to win it.
The other issue of the game was the referreing. How the fuck were Brown, Becchio and Llera still on the pitch? The first incident of note obviously being the handball. I mean, just speechless. In real time in that moment it looked clear as fucking day from where I sat, and the replays do nothing but confirm its a blatant diving, deliberate handball. The refs view looks blocked (kinda) but certainly the linesman seems to have a view. Really poor decision and seemed to be the start of a few. Was Boothroyds header offside? I'd say not, as our guy on the line isn't interferring, but i can understand the argument against. But nah, the goal was good and was ntohing less than we deserved anyway. What was even more amazing though was some of the unpunished challenges. I am stunned Brown made it as long into the game as he did without a yellow, let alone a red. He's got a real fucking issue with the trailing leg when tackling hasnt he? Not content with getting one foot in O'Grady's guts/bollocks, he's following it in with another to the back/ankles. And then there was Llera, tussling with Brown 3 or 4 times before finally putting him on the floor, it looks like the ref isn't looking at it, but surely the linesman and assistant could be seeing it? To then follow it up with a push with both left and right hands in Becchio's face in plain sight of the ref was unbeleiveable. How did the ref not card him?! Me and the missus and the lads around us were laughing in disbeleif that he'd got away with it. In honesty, I think those decisions really added to the uneasy feel of aggro too. A really poor showing by the ref.
Other than that, there were still a few positives for The Owls. We looked decent for long periods, we played well on the wings, had good solid defence for long periods and we don't look like a poor side and I dont think the way we're playing is reflective of our points tally from the last 7 games, so I can only see that we will start to pick up points. I just hope its sooner rather than later.
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RE: The Championship and worse thread 2009/2010!!!!! - 
only joking, wouldn't wish that on anyone. Hope he gets better soon and glad he has found a club who love him.
Didn't expect that at all, up until today the win against Leicester at home was our result of the season, this evening that has been well and truly trumped!! 
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