Whitey Grandad

Statistics are a load of billhooks. On Saturday three goals from four shots on target and with all three there was nothing he could do about them and the fourth was a good save so he stopped 100% of the shots that were saveable. What more could you want? Football is not a game of statistics.

Game of the day on Sky. I watched the whole match right through

No, of course he couldn't. It wasn't looped, it was driven. Two players at the near post jumped to try to head it and he wouldn't have got near them in time, and if either had got a touch he would have needed to be in goal to make a save. It's even possible that the Watford player did actually get a touch, which would have made the scorer offside. It goes under Long's foot which makes this seem likely. Whether he does or not, the fact that two players are jumping there means that he has to stay back and not come off his line. This cross needs to be cut out early but with Stephens and Yoshida we are not going to dominate at the back in the air. He's had the odd problem this season but save your criticism for cases where it's valid.

FFS, give it a rest. He had no chance with their third.

Because others have suffered similar and never been the same? Let's hope not, shall we. We might need an extra £50 or £60bn soon

Yeah, I'm old enough to remember them too. 'Shoulder to shoulder' they used to argue. They've been removed from the Laws for some time now. All fouls are covered in Section 12 - Fouls and Misconduct. It is an offence to charge an opponent 'in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force' My dad was quite a good player and back in the old days one of his jobs as full back was to block opposition forwards from charging his goalkeeper into the net at corners. There was a famous instance in a Cup Final. Not allowed now.

Yes, he had a good game yesterday. He has also made a few mistakes in his previous games.

I can't agree with you about United's second.

He is very quick and very sharp. I love the little skip he did at Wembley to get round the defender for his first goal.

I can't remember when I first learnt this little gem of knowledge, even after I'd played a load of games. Most amateur players don't know the laws in any great detail. Some professionals are the same.

Yes, that's the one! Have you ever thought about becoming a referee? The local county FA will have courses in your area and it would get you out of the house on a Sunday morning. Earn a bit of beer money and be widely respected amongst your community. (Only joking of course)

Is that your usual insightful analysis?

I don't think we'll see him this season. My concern is that he may never get back to his previous level. Nothing concrete, just a nasty feeling.

'Almost his whole foot'? That means it was a legal throw. As long as part of each foot is on the line (or behind) it's a fair throw.

Nah, we'd wait until the next season and then sack him halfway through

It's a team game and I don't want to single anybody out for blame. It is unbelievably fast out there on the pitch and the players only have a fraction of a second to make a decision. This is why they have to practice and practice and practice until their positioning and actions are automatic and instinctive. It's not fair to expect too much from a defensive partnership after only a handful of games.

'Walkabout' is a bit extreme but he and Yoshida shold be joined by a bit of elastic five yards long. Their second goal wasn't his fault alone, indeed I think Yoshida could have made more of a nuisance of himself. The third was analysed on Monday Night Football.At the time I was infuriated bythe amount of space that Ibrahimovic had for his header. Their analysis showed that Stephens had got back to the correct position bu then got drawn forward to the edge of our box. Ibrahimovic then glances over his right sholder and backpedals into the gap and is unmarked when the cross comes in. The result is what happens when you let top class playes have too much time and space.

Nah, just hangovers from their end of season party.

I can't agree about United. He went walkabout for their second and third. But I will agree that he would benefit from the experience in the long run. I'd like us to get another couple of wins as soon as possible and then we can experiment with the team over the rest of the season.

Nice try But then Gabbi would have put the ball somewhere else.

My mistake. Some of us remember the good old days with games on Easter Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday. That usually sorted out the promotion and relegation issues with only 2 points for a win.

Easter adds one in April. European schedule cocks everything up and there's also damned international weekends.

Just one thought... The white shirts may have been a factor in that awful offside decision. If they had been playing in white and we had been in reddy black then things might have been different. As a strip I do like the look of it though.

Doesn't flap or drop his hands at all. At the moment the ball flashes past his head to his right both his hands are in the air. The ball is past him before it is humanly possible to react. The nerve signals just can't get to the muscles in time, and that's after the delay through the visual cortex. In order to make a save it is necessary to try to anticipate where the ball is going to go but this is not easy with a header, which can go in any direction. With a kick you can get some idea from the movement of the leg but even then a miskick, bobble or deflection will take it past you. There was no time to come for the ball either, it would have gone into an empty net. If you think that you're ever going to see a keeper come for that cross or save a firm close-range header then you're going to be disappointed. They don't ever save them, the ball hits them. I have seen the shot from behind the goal. All the game's incidents were analysed on MNF and no professional commentator has criticised Forster for that goal on either TV or in the press. You have unrealistic expectations. I suppose you think that DeGea should have saved our three goals too?

But what was the alternative? (Before January)