Whitey Grandad

Correct

Or if Virgil had been fit.

That's how it looked to me. Mings might have been deliberate, Ibrahimovic definitely was.

Ok, and thanks

Being hit by a bullet is an impact injury. This was not just minor soft tissue damage.

Not before?

Of course we don't, but any ankle injury that keeps a player out of action for several months has to be considered as serious. Injuries never heal completely, there's always scar tissue and structural weaknesses.

It gets disguised as 'image rights' and other such vague concepts that are paid to a representative offshore company. Sol Campbell was subject to a tax case over his payments from his time at Portsmouth. I wonder what the outcome was?

Thanks for looking again. Their second was very fast from close in and actually went in off the post so it would be asking a lot for anybody to stop it. Their first was placed several feet outside his reach. As I said, he has his faults but on Saturday he did all that could have been expected of anybody.

? It's still a save, even if it was low down by his feet and he did have to move to stop it.

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