Gosport Borough

Well, if Ebbsfleet score early against us on the 12th we might get to see Ashmore's time-wasting skills again as he just signed for them.

That great keeper will deserve a very warm welcome at Twerton, and will doubtless be given a big 'cheer'

memo to Benny - Gosport now less likely to reach play offs.

yuffie wrote:Well, if Ebbsfleet score early against us on the 12th we might get to see Ashmore's time-wasting skills again as he just signed for them.

If?

Perhaps the reason we vilify the Hemel and Gosport keepers and players, and others, is that we are so rarely in a position to do it ourselves !!!

Whilst we were probably a bit unlucky to lose the game it was a far from convincing display. From what I've seen this season it's odd how for small periods of games we look so much better than the opposition in terms of technique and ability but you never feel we'll run out comfortable winners. Our attacking play lacks purpose and direction and we are now desperately reliant on Pratt being on form as no one else seems capable of taking responsibility up top.
Pratt running around in midfield is largely a pointless exercise if the possession he helps us retain goes to waste by him being knackered by the time a cross comes in.  It's obvious where we need to strengthen, lets just hope we can survive as I fear it could be close now

comrade powell wrote:memo to Benny - Gosport now less likely to reach play offs.

I was looking forward to the ebbsfleet game as well. Might give it a miss now.

Peteboa wrote:  It's obvious where we need to strengthen, lets just hope we can survive as I fear it could be close now

Oh it will be close alright.

Frankie to miss Truro, Stortford, Maidenhead.

I would rather he had missed the next 3 which are amongst the toughest fixtures of the last 12 but as someone once said 'it is what it is and we've got what we've got' or words to that effect.

We'll miss him at the must win Stortford game!

the others have to step up to the plate. We need Pratty to start scoring to have any chance and that is independent of Frankie. He looked more like his old self to me and hopefully he will start getting in the right places again.

Thank goodness the manager did what Wenger failed to do yesterday and removed his midfielder before he saw red again. We would then have been looking at him missing almost half of our remaining games. I agree that certain players still need to step up to the plate and include Artus in that group.

comrade powell wrote:Thank goodness the manager did what Wenger failed to do yesterday and removed his midfielder before he saw red again. We would then have been looking at him missing almost half of our remaining games. I agree that certain players still need to step up to the plate and include Artus in that group.

Quite apart from the red card, Frankie is also on 9 yellows. One more warrants a 2 match ban I think. That's 5 if my maths is up to this.
I'd be interested to see how we do without him. Probably heresy on here but, whilst I recognise he has talent, I never feel he dominates or has the ability turn a game. His disciplinary record is odd also. I expect 'robust' / 'industrial' characters like Lewis Hogg for example to get to double figures in cards but I can't ever picture a thunderous Artus challenge and yet he continues to accumulate yellows. Just seems odd.

I presume from the lack of discussion on here his sending off was justified. I couldn't see anything in the challenge from where I was.

My impression is he gets booked for persistent fouling or late challenges.

Having seen the video (sign up for Romans on Demand!) it was a shocker.

Frankie's arm initially caught the Gosport player on the top of his arm then slid up into the side of his chin. He then went down holding his face and head.

It was a clear case of their no.7 trying to get Frankie sent off.

Unfortunately the video does show contact and, no doubt, the referee would claim from his angle it looked like violent conduct so it wouldn't be likely to be overturned on appeal.

While the contact was greater than the dreadful Benteke was on the end of yesterday, it would have taken more than Artus dished out to fell even the whimpiest of opponents. This is the biggest blight on the game as far as I'm concerned and the only way to combat it without video evidence being introduced is for an automatic red card if the ref feels the player is trying to con him.

....which will never happen.

comrade powell wrote:While the contact was greater than the dreadful Benteke was on the end of yesterday, it would have taken more than Artus dished out to fell even the whimpiest of opponents. This is the biggest blight on the game as far as I'm concerned and the only way to combat it without video evidence being introduced is for an automatic red card if the ref feels the player is trying to con him.  

Agree totally with the biggest blight on the game. Its cheating. Listening to the Monday Night club on R5 last night reminded me (as if we needed reminding) its endemic at top levels. Discussing that Benteke 'penalty' ex pros (Sutton and Townsend) stating you are "obliged to go down" if touched. Sad indictment and the main reason why I have given up on the PL. That and the money which is what fuels it. Nobody seems to debate the 'trailing leg' phenomena either. Watch Kane for example, "invite the challenge" (fair enough) but then leave his leg hanging to make a bad challenge look awful. Loads of players cheat like this and then the refs get blamed for the player's cheating.

To the point about a red card for simulation, I would argue that any law which requires the ref to interpret intent makes it virtually impossible to apply. Technically, you have to be a mind reader to deduce intent. According to the laws the only criteria re. handball is intent. How is a ref supposed to know if a player intended to dive or intended to hand ball it?

Good points. Mine is that on replay, Benteke's intentions were obvious to all. If a player flings himself to the ground with that ridiculous accompanying Banshee scream of agony, then there is only one intention. And I don't want to hear these ex pros going on about there being slight contact - has this now been eradicated from the game? I totally agree that the ref's job has become almost impossible and more and more players are taking advantage of it.
I used to hate the idea of video evidence and agree that an instant decision from the 4th official watching a replay on screen is unlikely. Cricket and rugby are being ruined by these incessant replays requested by the umpire/ref and football wouldn't tolerate similar hold ups. But decisions could be made while the game is going on. During a stop in play the 4th official would say to the ref "Benteke/Young/the Gosport player was cheating and should be shown a red card". If the laws of the game won't allow this, then the process can happen after the game - after all, players are red carded if video evidence shows that a player is guilty of serious foul play.
These players are simply cheats and are killing the game.

comrade powell wrote:
These players are simply cheats and are killing the game.

Sadly it seems to be happening at all levels of the game now. Even our first penalty against St Albans looked like it may have been 'won'.

Yes my impression early on was that John Davies' main use was as a 'penalty' winner.

The epidemic of professional players going down under the slightest touch is the reason why they are paid so much, because effectively that means that they can be removed from 'normal' society; either through choice or in some instances through the legal system.
If they weren't paid gazillions can you imagine the carnage in Sainsbury's where there could be a coming together between a granny and a premier league footballer at the cheese counter. Granny gets her Stilton whilst your footballer rolls around on the ground trying to get somebody's attention and failing. They then slink off to the PO counter looking for a knock that will allow them to go down and jump the queue and get their stamps.
Cashier number 2 please!
Unless they are prepared to act like normal human beings then the rest of society is better off without them. Put them in a zoo or the Savage Home for Dillusional Poseurs.

BenE wrote:Yes my impression early on was that John Davies' main use was as a 'penalty' winner.

Well clearly we don't need that sort of player now

We negate penalty cheats in our own side by failing to convert to goals....

Very good.