Joe Bennett

[Concrete John]

Fair play - I wasn't aware of that.  Is it a new rule change?

However, I do think it's daft.  Two reasons:-
1.  Does it now benefits the player to keep going and fall in the box, thereby promoting diving?  If he can stay on his feet as he runs into the box, why does he then fall once he crosses that line?
2.  The advantage rule brings the play back to the pojnt where the foul first occurred, not where the ball was when play is stopped.

[peter w]

The penalty was for pulling the player down not holding him. i'm sure that's what i saw friend mouthing on the MOTD highlights - they're still on-line so could be checked. If so, then it was a free-kick. The only foul commited was outside the area. His arm was still around Snodgrass (as was Snodgrass's around Bennett) but no foul was being committed. As it is its a moot point.

What isn't, and where Freind should be congratulated (I think he was the ref) is this

http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/afdeveloping/refereeing/law_12_fouls_misconduct_en_47379.pdf

he decided that the foul(s) were careless and not reckless and so he didn't warrant any further cards. the one he did receive did fit the reckless category.

[MoetVillan]

Peter, I dont think he should have received a yellow for the pen.  I think he was lucky to not get a second yellow in the first half when he was attempting to wrestle shirts off Norwich players.  But im bloody glad he didnt, and i have seen far worse this year, especially in shirt pulling that has gone unpunished. (doesnt mean it is right though).

[peter w]

Oh and moving on, just holding a players shirt does not warrant a yellow. For it to be a caution the player being held must be being denied gaining possession of the ball or an advantageous position. In the case of Bennett holding Holt's shirt in the first half neither of these applied and so, again, the ref was right to not book him.

you have to respect the fact that the ref has not come out - not that they can - after hearing criticism directed at him bu Hughton and others and say simply that the Narrchhh manager should learn the rules before commenting.

After reading that link you have to say the blind useless bastard was pretty much spot on.

[ozzjim]

Fair play - I wasn't aware of that.  Is it a new rule change?

However, I do think it's daft.  Two reasons:-
1.  Does it now benefits the player to keep going and fall in the box, thereby promoting diving?  If he can stay on his feet as he runs into the box, why does he then fall once he crosses that line?
2.  The advantage rule brings the play back to the pojnt where the foul first occurred, not where the ball was when play is stopped.

Point 1 is what I was trying to get at, if Bennett starts holding or grabbing outside the box, but Snodgrass basically runs past a line and flops down just to get a penalty it is not right, it should, for me still be a free kick. The advantage rule goes back to the original infringement in other areas, so should here too?

Also, Bennett was not being thick by still holding on, by the time he was in the box Bennett had lost footing completely from his initial attempt to get the ball, he got a little but not enough, and was a passenger. Not sure he could have not been holding by then. Still a free kick for me.

[Malandro]

It feels disloyal saying it, however, I hope he is the one Lambert signing that is replaced.  It is no coincidence that he is targeted.
Part of me gives him allowances for being new to the league, but a lot of his errors are ones that should have been ironed out.

Squad player.

[ROBBO]

Tha laws of the game have been constantly flouted as far as shirt pulling and obstruction especially in the penalty box, if refs had penalised it when it started to become a problem we wouldn't have a wrestling match at every corner kick. The other one that annoys me is when a defender throws his arm in front of a player trying to get past him, obstruction again when did arms become part of a tackle?

[peter w]

I know he didn't get a yellow for the pen Moet - and reading those FIFA foul rules he was yellow carded correctly, and penalised without a card correctly, also. It is possible to consider persistent fouling but that is usually over a short space of time. I'm sure the ref mau have had a word along the lines of 'you're trying my patience, son' - but nothing else warranted a second yellow.

[E I Adio]

Tha laws of the game have been constantly flouted as far as shirt pulling and obstruction especially in the penalty box, if refs had penalised it when it started to become a problem we wouldn't have a wrestling match at every corner kick. The other one that annoys me is when a defender throws his arm in front of a player trying to get past him, obstruction again when did arms become part of a tackle?

Attempting to gain an unfair advantage by foul means is as old as the game, but this irritatingly girly practice of blouse pulling wouldn't even be tolerated on a netball pitch. Now that it has been allowed for long enough to be accepted without punishment, a pre-season announcement to the effect that it will be punished on every occasion is the only way to remove this blight from the game.

Alternatively, teams could follow the rugby fraternity and wear body hugging shirts, perhaps coated in grease.

[MoetVillan]

Pulling of shirts help the attacking player get in a position to dive to, so body hugging shirts would help stop that too.

Back to Bennett, I like a lot of things about him.  I think his biggest failings are all things he can improve (reading the game, understanding a bit more about the players he is up against).  Im not saying that he is the next Bale or Ashley Cole, but they were both pretty green in the equivalent positions early on.  Johnson and Assou Ekotu both still are making the failings that Bennett makes.  Cant fault his application, effort, and promise going forward.  He can already cross better than Adam Johnson (as can my two year old daughter)

[Bigmelonface]

Dunne would look good in a body hugging shirt

[Bigmelonface]

Dont know if anyone can be bothered to work this out or try and guess how many points would we be on if bennet hadnt played any games and we had replaced him with say a chair or a cardboard cut out?

[Summers]

Dont know if anyone can be bothered to work this out or try and guess how many points would we be on if bennet hadnt played any games and we had replaced him with say a chair or a cardboard cut out?

Just worked it out, we'da won La Liga.

[villa kicks]

I give him all my support v chelsea and intrigued to how he will cope defensively. I think he ll be a disaster waiting to happen and that he hasn't learnt from last week. Villa concede most pens in league and Chelsea had most given. I dont see Bennett changing to competent defender in 6 days. Heres hoping his errors dont cost us if he is picked from start. I will only return to this thread before seasons end if im proved wrong as my feelings are clear on how he's sub standard. Will applaud him tommorrow as hes one of us and is far better than warnock so that's something ! Up the villa

[LamBeast]

I don't want to upset anyone considering the game tomorrow but he is garbage.

Not strong enough and rugby tackling players who are strong enough is not on.