Manchester United fans breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday after referee Phil Dowd opted not to send off Nemanja Vidic despite him pulling down Gabriel Agbonlahor as the last man.
Whilst a sending off would have ruined the game as a spectacle, Poll reckons there was another reason which saved Vidic.
“The referee would have looked for an excuse not to send the player off, and that doesn’t matter if it was an Aston Villa player or a Manchester United player,” said Poll. “People will say that is rubbish, as there is nothing about a cup final in the rules but you try to use your common sense and understand the occasion. There was a technicality that allowed him to keep Vidic on and he used it. The player must be heading towards goal, it’s a stupid technicality, but he (Agbonlahor) loses control of the ball and it goes behind him and at the moment he goes down he is heading six or seven yards wide of goal.”
One can assume this is the same “technicality” which saved Jamie Carragher from being sent off by Andre Marriner at Anfield earlier this season after hauling Michael Owen down as the last man, with our striker running at a diagonal.
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thank fuck for that, a referee who hasnt fucked us over at the first instance
bar the penalty of course
if it was the other way around id be pissed off
Phil Dowd is the worst ref i know and as the half time wistle blew the first words were said by sky sports are ” and phil dowd is the focal point of the first half” its what he wants to have the attention on him. Vidic should of seen red and Phil Dowd should say sorry to Villa for the fuck up but not for “costing them the cup”-villa blog
because who knows look at the way united played when nani got sent off
10 men meshed and took the game to there effect
but Dowd should get 2 pink slips
one for him and one for that child he’s yet to give birth to
How did he fuck us over with the penalty? It was an obvious penalty and a red card. If this had been the other way around, Dunne hauling down Berba, then Scott would have written an essay about how incopetent Dowd is for not sending him off. We got lucky there, although it’s not as if Villa being 11 vs 10 would have guaranteed them victory.
This doesn’t prove anything, I was there and thought Vidic should have been pulled up for the original shirt pull. All I would say is I fancied Gabby to miss on his left foot from the angle the ball went. Vidic needs to get his sharpness back, Pato will look at that and (If he recovers from his injury) will relish getting in behind. The problem at the moment is we don’t have one quick Centre back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqFN5CshLEk
Unfortunately the commentary teams has spent the whole of the first half saying it was a red card and people believed them. Agbonlahor dribbling ahead of vidic got the ball stuck under his feet. Vidic was goal side and made a clumsy tackle. The ball was heading towards the corn of the 6 yard line and running past the post by 6 yards. It was not a clear goalscoring opportunity any more than David Beckham has a clear goalscoring opportunity with the ball on the half way line. It may have been a yellow but who is to say that Vidic would have acted differently later instead of being cautioned.
Ignoring the rules, in terms of pure fairness, Agbonlahor may have missed his chance. As it was they got a penalty and a goal. So they got a very good deal out of the incident. We’ve drew with Villa and beat Spurs with 10 men this season. I’m sure Villa would have liked it to be against 10 men but a goal up and against 11 they created no clearcut chances in teh whole match. We hit the post a further 2 times and were unlucky not to score through Carrick.
We’d have won anyway.
All the refs give shocking desisions, we have had some howlers this season. I thought Diving Ashley Young should have been booked when he went looking for another penalty. The ref gave nothing and gestured to him. If he thinks he’s dived then he should get booked. I agree with GRF totally.
The big issue is that its Manchester Utd. Carragher should have walked when he brought Owen down at Anfield but didn’t, No fuss Not a word.
Didn’t think Dowd had a bad game personally no worse than any of our other Refs.
Poll again talking trash. It was a sending off,no doubt about it. The initial shirt pull by vidic was what forced agbonlahor to go wide and he could have sent vidic off for that itself.SAF himself admitted vidic was luck to stay on the pitch. Could have affected the result for sure.
However in a season, decisions even themselves out. You get a few and a few go against you.Shame it happened in a Cup final
Also Graham Poll is correct in his explanation. You guys are speaking as if this was a cast iron red card. Cast iron red cards are for players running ahead of defenders and being brought down in a professional foul ala Ole vs Newcastle. Vidic did not commit a professional fouls here as he was facing the play. Plus in terms of polls view, the ball was running away from goal, which it was. So within the rules it is not a red card. Or at least the matter is debateable. This was not clear cut.
Never watched a game of football where the whole first half all the beeb did is talk about Vidic and the fact Rooney wasn’t playing. Awful commentary yesterday and I for one will NEVER watch another United game on that channel. Andy Gray in comparison second half sounded like a United fan.
brett1985 – Agree mate, it wasn’t a “definate” red card.
I recon we would have won anyway but it was a sending off, brett1985 how was Vidic facing the player? he was behind him, he pulled his shirt to pull the player in front of him and then legged him up. Cast iron sending off. there should be no argument, how he got anyway without a red is unbelievable and not even a yellow that I was lost for words. Luck was shining though on us yesterday but the best team won! I knew as soon as he was not sent off we would win.
I know King Eric, I was tempted to mute it. I’m sure Sky weren’t much better.
@Stevie
Spot on. Agbonlahor was going clean through. Vidic knew he couldnt stay with him hence pulled his shirt, forced him wide and tried to get in front of him and still made clumsy tackle. had it been against United all our fans would have been saying the opposite and banging about how it was a red card.
aig alex
maybe we would be saying the opposite but the shirt pull came after the ball getting stuck under agbonlahors feet. The ref wasn’t going to give a foul for a slight shirt pull, that was just some good defending- though I feel a bit dirty for saying it. Can people seriously say that Vidics tackle was a professional foul in the end?
Isn’t it about time someone “outed” Mark Lawrenson to shut him up …for a minute?
well, at least someone share my view it wasnt a Red.
Thank u.
Brett
you may have a point.i would like to see a replay of the incident.saw it 3 times yesterday.the shirt pull was some smart defending but i think that forced agbonlahor to go wide and then vidic made the tackle.he was the last man.whether there was any united player who could have stopped agbonlahor in time, i dont know but had this happened in the 60th min the ref would have possibly sent him off.
How interesting, when we get done by referees (for example blatant penalties were not given for us against Portsmouth and Everton in FA cup in the last two seasons or this season against Chelsea in the league) nobody makes a fuss out of it but if we get an decision in our favour the whole country goes in a frenzy.
This season this was the first occasion we got a decision although even without my red tinted spectacles on I do agree with Vidic that it wasn’t necessarily a sending off decision. Before going down Vidic was between Kuscak and Agbohlahor who as Poll rightly explains, was not facing the goal. What was Vidic supposed to do, not tackle him at all and let him score freely? The penalty and maybe a yellow card were more than appropriate punishment.
Credit to Richard Dunne for admitting that the best team won, contrary to his ever whingeing manager.
There’s no way it was a professional foul – he 100% tried (and failed) to win the ball. Carragher on Owen was a case of “I’ve no chance of getting the ball, but there’s no chance I’m letting you have a one on one with the keeper!”
Almunia didn’t get sent off at OT when Rooney was clean through… because he was taking the ball wide, same thing here. Admittedly if it was the other way round I’d probably be pissed, but Agbonlahor didn’t have an easy chance if Vidic didn’t take him down.
Who really gives a fuck if it was or wasn’t? We have had enough decisons go against us and we were due a break. Vidic stayed on and United won. End of.
on the replays i thought evra was already back to make a challenge,not sure if it was a true last man back don’t get why he wasn’t booked,who cares we all know the problems with the refs utd get fucked over just like anyone else this time we got the break.
Was it me or was the coverage by the BBC so anti United???? Skunk hair Lawrenson was so desperate for Vida to be sent off, Southgate who was always moaning about decisions going against him was moaning plus ex Villa, Shearer was always going mad and Dipper Hanson couldn’t stop going on about where were we represented there????? What a suprise BBC or should it be ABU.
i never listen to the abu beeb’s commentary and yesterday, thank god for digital, i used the red button and listened to radio manchester with Arthur Albiston as co-commentator. Nice to hear a commentator say ‘we’ about United. About Vidic, who gives a toss, what about all the decisions that went against us this season!
Glad to hear that BBC commentary was shit, glad I watched it on Sky now. I put it on BBC after the game had finished during the adverts and heard Southgate and Alan “you’ll never win anything with kids” Hansen voice over the highlights didn’t even realise Shearer was in the studio. The looks on their faces especially the 2 Alans. Sick as parrots!
The Vidic incident, lets not take the moral high ground on this shall we. We’re well overdue a dodgy decision considering some of the shambolic decisions we have against us. My personal opinion not as clear cut a red as the media and some fans on here will have you believe. One thing is for sure the consistencies of referees and more importantly those 2 twits that are asleep most time known as the assistant referees is a shambles. I don’t know whats a red card or what a foul is anymore.
Stephen – No it wasn’t just you mate. I had to resort to putting Andy Fucking Gray on second half and his commentary in comparison was like a United fan. All the loser cunts Southgate and Lineker could talk about was why Rooney wasn’t playing. You would think they had picked the team. Then Lawrenson and the other cunt for a FULL HALF obsessed about Vidic and yellow cards. They even took the piss out of Berba’s hair at one point. Fucking losers.
Lineker and the BBC pundits are a joke. Pathetic the way they harped on and on about how they can’t understand Fergie’s “crazy” decision not to play Rooney and how it will cost us the cup.
After we’d won and they had been proved wrong Southgate said something like “that’s why I’m sitting up here [working as a pundit] and Sir Alex is down there [winning a cup.]”
You’re damn right it is you fucking cunt.
Why do referees help Man utd win trophies when Villa have not won one since fuck knows when? 1996?
Can someone explain? It is not good for the game!
So you’re saying the referee should have helped Villa win?
To answer your question. Eet eez a conspiracee. Zere are dark forces at work in Eengleesh football. We know what zey are doing. We cannot accept zees.
Just kidding of course.
But seriously, I can’t comment on the supposed Vidic “sending off” because
I DEED NOT ZEE EET!
As King Eric put it…. FUCK THE LOT OF THEM…. WE WON…. END OF !!
I’ve got to be honest, as soon as I saw the ref point to the spot I thought Vida was going to get his marching orders. Pleased he didn’t because we would have had such a scrap on with 10 men on a heavy pitch like Wemberlee.
@ Fred
zut alors, how u say, I zink u ave ‘it ze nail wit ze hammer on ze head.
but do not hit too hard or the arse-nail might cry if u are too physical
How come no one mentions our penalty claim, when the ball hit Millner hand inside the penalty box? It was similar to the one that was given to Arsenal against Stoke?
Xyth – Exactly mate. Why the fuck are gooners on THIS thread anyway? This is a blog about winning trophies, summat the Arsenal aren’t accustomed to. Go and play on RedandWhite Kop or Blue Moon with the other losers.
Wasn’t Mikey Owen clean through when Collins, as the last man
brought him down?
Eric – I seem to remember we won the league at OT.
Anyway, we’d rather pay for a new stadium then win trophies.
Anyway our debt is smaller than your debt.
I REALLY DONT GIVE A SHIT IF THEY SAID PLAY THE GAME AGAIN TOMMOROW AND WE START WITH TEN MEN WE WOULD STILL WIN IMPRESSED HOW O’NEILL DEALT WITH SITUATION THOUGH BUT ITS STILL MOYES FOR ME
Yes and our club has more trophies!
Can you HONESTLY say you would rather pay for a stadium than see your team winning the title or European Cup? Says it all really what expectations Arsenal fans have grown accustomed to. Frankly pathetic.
Goonerman Said,March 1st, 2010 @22:21 “Anyway, we’d rather pay for a new stadium than win trophies.”
Yeah sure you would son. Guess that’s where the two clubs differ then… We’d rather win trophies and become the most successful British club in history… Whereas you’d rather play pretty football in a shiny new stadium, in which we pretty much batter you every time!
It may not be Highbury, but it’s still the library!
actually laughable some of these comments. it was a deserved victory for us from the game as a whole not many villa fans would dispute that and if you listen to o niells interview he doesnt dispute it he is just angered by the vidic incident, how any of you can claim it isnt a red card is strange the same incident at the other end and we would be screaming for a red card because that is the rules. vidic only got goal side due to shirt pulling and then had to hack agnolahor down to avoid him shooting. graham poll is sjut sticking up for a mate as he truly knows even he a man who gave josip simunic three yellow cards in the world cup would have been showing vidic a red card in that situation. lets accept that we got a decision go our way and show a little bit of humility that we so often lack grow up guys it was a definate red.
King Eric, here here mate, what a twat!
I raise a glass to my fellow reds and our great manager to celebrate another trophy win, here’s to hoping it’s not the last this season!
Now I need to read the rest of Scott’s articles lol, he’s been a busy bee!
@ tommy taylor, lol that’s a pro challenge, Micheal was Hardly in a scoring postion, get real eh. In fairness
@ GOONER MAN, An my cock is bigger than yours, and i got a lively young 17 year old in my bedroom, with a Manchester united top. fuck off yer in nevereverland
Nite Lads, we did fucking great on Sunday did we not. AND Shouted like fuck, still in heaven. Did you hear the Chant On On On. lol
“vidic only got goal side due to shirt pulling and then had to hack agnolahor down to avoid him shooting.”
—————
No, watch it again, because Vidic got goal side primarily because Agbonlahor got the ball stuck under his feet. This allowed Vidic to catch him up, then there was a bit of a shirt pull but not enough in itself for a penalty. Also it was clearly not a hack down as he made a clumsy attempt to get the ball. A hack down would be from behind to take the man. How can you confuse two entirely different situations?
slightly late to comment on this gents but I’d just like to say, credit to most on this board.
clearly a red card.
that said, on the day the better team won. You created more and should have had more.
Not to say it wouldn’t have been different if the ref hadn’t bottled it ( I was at the game at VP, and although you stayed with us for a draw that day… it wasn’t wembley and there wasn’t extra time!)
what goes around comes around…. just wish it wasn’t the final. Maybe we’ll get the rub of the green, but knowing our luck it’ll be when 3-0 up against pompey or something!
Much as I would like to accept your compliments villa fan they werent for me!
If it is any consolation, on examination of the rules, I am fairly convinced it was not a red card. Some rubbish that notion, some might take solice. But in the end, the way I look at it is that Agbonlahor may not have scored at the best of times, so you got a goal out of it. It was a spirited display from Villa overall and Milner looked good but there was no penetration to speak of.
brett – you’re in the minority my friend, even amongst your own.
regardless – we go again. Another chance awaits us in the form of the FA cup….
I’m not one of these that run around slating refs for favouring the top four, after all, my hopes are that we will become a part of a top four… top five… whatever. I do think that refs show a lack of composure when it matters. They need to take their time, consult properly, and then take an informed and thought out decision. I take your point Brett, and I even agree that Gabby had lost position, however the shirt pull and tackle were sufficient for a red. Not to give a yellow is bordering on bonkers! Surely you agree?
I dont mean to impose on your board, I only stumbled upon it when trying to see if dowd was actually under any fire from the league about his performance. At least we wont get him again, if anyone at the FA sees sense.
Yea I agree few people agreed with the way I saw it. Shirt tugging could be a red card of course but its one of those things where if your arm isn’t outstretched and it is just a ‘little’ tug you might get by. I would say the whole incident was summed up by Vidic just getting by and no more. I mean had Agbonlahor been going towards goal or vidic flailing behind him- at the time of the actual tackle- then it would have been curtains.