Add comment December 24th, 2007 The Right Result
Archive for December, 2007
ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR - A half of four penalties
Saturday 22nd December 2007
Although it was a weekend when the headlines were dominated by the ball crossing the goalline, or not, at Reading and Aston Villa, our spotlight is focused on the case of the missing penalties at Arsenal. While we think, all be it probably more by luck than judgement, the officials got it right at the Madejski Stadium and Villa Park, ref Rob Styles had his own half of goodwill to almost all defenders in the North London derby. With Arsenal leading 1-0, the Gunners should have been awarded a penalty when Younes Kaboul clipped the right-foot of a goalbound Tomas Rosicky. Soon after Spurs’ game-changing penalty miss, Arsenal should have been given another spot-kick opportunity following Tom Huddlestone’s clumsy push and grab at Aleksandr Hleb. Then, very late in the piece, it should have been Tottenham’s turn to have another attempt from the 12-yard mark when Bakary Sagna tripped Adel Taarabt.
The Right Result is a 4-2 win for Arsenal.
WELCOME TO CARDIFF?
When I see Cardiff City, I think Elvis – ’68 comeback special: “If you’re looking for trouble…” And Cardiff’s troubles are unique. Leeds ex-chairman Peter Ridsdale…is the good guy.
A local paper recently produced a ‘rogues gallery’ of ex-chairman/owners, all candidates for the freedom of Swansea, with Sam Hammam a candidate since proclaiming Cardiff the Welsh club. But he’d love the description ‘rogue.’ Because he deserves worse.
Click here to continue reading » »
Add comment December 19th, 2007 The Right Result
DERBY COUNTY vs MIDDLESBROUGH - The miracle starts here
Saturday 15th December 2007
New Derby County manager Paul Jewell has admitted that it will take a miracle for the Rams to avoid an immediate return to the Championship. It could just be that the miracle has started in the world of the Right Result. The all-important gap should have been reduced by a point as County should have come out of Middlesbrough’s visit to Pride Park with a draw. Trailing 0-1, they should have been awarded a penalty when Boro defender Emanuel Pogatetz handballed in the area.
The Right Result is a 1-1 draw.
2 comments December 17th, 2007 The Right Result
WIGAN ATHLETIC vs BLACKBURN ROVERS - A Brucey bonanza
Saturday 15th December 2007
In a match that was packed with goals and thrills and spills, Wigan Athletic came desperately close to throwing away a three-goal lead to deny Steve Bruce his first win in his second spell in charge at the JJB. Wigan should, in fact, have had a four-goal advantage as, before their third goal, they should have been awarded a penalty for handball by Christopher Samba. The fightback should have started when, for the second time this season, Morten Gamst Pederson was erroneously denied at penalty. This time the guilty part was Latics defender Emmerson Boyce. While we’ve added one to Athletic’s tally, we also chalk one off as Julius Aghahowa was clearly in an offside position for their fifth goal.With three scoreline changing errors in the same game, Mark Clattenburg zooms up to second position in our referees performance table.
The Right Result is a 5-4 win for Wigan Athletic
Add comment December 17th, 2007 The Right Result
DIAMOND GEEZER
It was, literally, pub talk – a West Ham fan extolling Harry Redknapp’s virtues as England manager, until his mate interrupted: “Nah, the tabloids will have him…he’s a crook.” Quite by chance, City of London Police ‘had him’ the following morning.
‘Football people’ have said so much about his honesty that you wonder why Redknapp didn’t go for the Papacy when it came up in 2005. A chorus of “I’m one million percent celibate” (with that grasp of basic mathematics which could innocently explain his transfer dealings) and white smoke would have been pouring from the Sistene Chapel chimney in no time.
Click here to continue reading » »
Add comment December 10th, 2007 The Right Result
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs MANCHESTER CITY - Spurs’ treble chance
Sunday 9th December 2007
For the first time in Right Result history, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we could have disallowed a goal for three distinct reasons. Pascal Chimbonda opened the scoring for Tottenham Hotspur despite clearly being in an offside position. If that was overlooked, the aggrieved Manchester City party could claim that the Spurs defender guided the ball into the net with his arm. City could also question the free-kick that lead to the goal as Dimitar Berbatov, to use the colloquialism, did appear to go down rather too easily. Apart from that, it was a perfectly good goal!
The Right Result is a 1-1 draw.
1 comment December 10th, 2007 The Right Result
EVERTON vs FULHAM - Cahill caught out
Saturday 8th December 2007
At the end of Monday’s game at Old Trafford, Fulham were favoured by a referee’s decision. When Saturday came, roles were reversed but the erroneous decision was to change the course of the Cottagers game at Goodison Park. Early in the second-half with the score still locked at nil-nil, Yakubu scored the first of his hat-trick goals. However, the chance was set-up by Tim Cahill from an offside position.
The Right Result is a 2-0 win for Everton.
3 comments December 10th, 2007 The Right Result
NEWCASTLE UNITED vs BIRMINGHAM CITY - Jerome wall pen
Saturday 8th December 2007
Newcastle United clinched a crucial win with a last gasp goal against Birmingham City. However, we are not too sure that the home nerves should have been so frayed despite new Blues boss Alex McLeish’s claim that more of the decisions went in the Toon’s favour. The key decision that should have gone United’s way came when they should have been awarded a penalty as, from his position at the end of the defensive wall, Cameron Jerome made a deliberate movement of his arm to block Emre’s free-kick.
The Right Result is a 3-1 win for Newcastle United.
Add comment December 10th, 2007 The Right Result
THE ALL-NEW GOON SHOW
In 2003, Caroline Dunn e-mailed for help with an article on my club, Kingstonian, then in crisis. I now know that alongside her club Luton, chronicling Kingstonian’s woes was therapy. Meanwhile, in 1999, John Earls wrote: “we’ll have no trouble selling the film rights.”
Now there’s enough material for a Star Wars-sized epic. And not a ‘Phantom Menace’ among them.
My earliest Luton memories were shirts – garish orange even on black-&-white TV - and chairman David Evans – a rabid right-winger even for Thatcher’s Tories, whose apartheid views (in favour, generally) must have made him uncomfortable watching Ricky Hill and Brian Stein. Hopefully.
There’s barely room to mention away-fan bans or plastic pitches. So, younger fans will recall instead a Littlewoods Cup final against Arsenal, with Gus Caesar in defence…ergo 3-2 to Luton. More indicative of the future was a 4-1 Simod Cup capitulation to Reading…and this is where the story really starts (copyright: The Goon Show)…
Click here to continue reading » »
Add comment December 8th, 2007 The Right Result
MANCHESTER UNITED vs FULHAM - Preceded by reputation
Monday 3rd December 2007
In one of the most controversial incidents of the season so far – described by manager Sir Alex Ferguson as “ridiculous” – matchwinner Cristiano Ronaldo was denied his first-ever hat-trick for Manchester United. Already with two goals in the old onion bag, the Portuguese superstar sprinted clear of the Fulham defence, knocked the ball wide of advancing keeper Antti Niemi…. and went to ground.Referee Rob Styles ruled it was a dive and, to add insult to the injustice, showed the bemused Ronaldo a yellow card. With the Stretford End goal at his mercy and a simple tap-in away from a prestigious hat-trick, it does beg the question why would he dive?It seems that Cristiano was preceded by his reputation as, in having to hurdle the challenge of the visiting keeper, we believe it was a clear penalty.
The Right Result is a 3-0 win for Manchester United.
6 comments December 4th, 2007 The Right Result
