Remi Garde - Departs Aston Villa

[Ormy Droid]

Penalty shootouts aren't a lottery. They're about showing nerve and steel at a time when the pressure would be inexplicable. They deserved it.

Yes they are 

They're not. It's another one of football's lazy clichés. It takes skill to score a penalty, even more so with the pressure ramped up to 11. Definitely not a lottery.

Try and think about how the result of a football match is determined ( i.e over 90 plus minutes) with it's almost endless possible variations...Then think about a penalty shoot out...It's called a lottery to demonstrate the difference between winning an actual game of football, or winning a set piece competition. Oh, and most cliches have an element of truth in them otherwise they'd never become cliches in the first place, lazy or not.

[Mellin]

Indeed, Pete. 11 penalties find the corner. They all go in. Southgate spanners one down the middle. He misses. He's failed to make proper contact and been punished for it.

Unlike Mr Withe

[Mellin]

Penalty shootouts aren't a lottery. They're about showing nerve and steel at a time when the pressure would be inexplicable. They deserved it.

Yes they are 

They're not. It's another one of football's lazy clichés. It takes skill to score a penalty, even more so with the pressure ramped up to 11. Definitely not a lottery.

Try and think about how the result of a football match is determined ( i.e over 90 plus minutes) with it's almost endless possible variations...Then think about a penalty shoot out...It's called a lottery to demonstrate the difference between winning an actual game of football, or winning a set piece competition. Oh, and most cliches have an element of truth in them otherwise they'd never become cliches in the first place, lazy or not.

It's not called a lottery to demonstrate the difference between the two. It's called a lottery to demonstrate that people believe it to be a game of chance, which it isn't. Anyway, we both know where the other stands and aren't getting anywhere, so I'm bailing for a pint. May be on later to slag off William McGregor.

[old man villa fan]

I would say a penalty shoot out is a lottery when a keeper decides to dive one way before the ball is kicked and pushes the ball around the post.

[dave.woodhall]

Penalty shootouts aren't a lottery. They're about showing nerve and steel at a time when the pressure would be inexplicable. They deserved it.

Yes they are 

They're not. It's another one of football's lazy clichés. It takes skill to score a penalty, even more so with the pressure ramped up to 11. Definitely not a lottery.

Its an a mixture of the two I think.  Of course if you keep your nerve and have a really good goalkeeper then that goes a long way.  But unless you're totally spot on with every kick then a shoot out which goes the distance or beyond will require a bit of luck to win it.  NOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT REMI GARDE PLEASE!!! ARE YOU MODS ON YOUR HOLIDAYS?

We have a long history here of rambling off topic and gently meandering back again. Most posters like it that way and don't try to tell us how to do our job. They particularly don't shout.

[Stu]

Remi Garde thinks Chelsea's win was lucky.

[Dave]

Penalty shootouts aren't a lottery. They're about showing nerve and steel at a time when the pressure would be inexplicable. They deserved it.

Yes they are 

They're not. It's another one of football's lazy clichés. It takes skill to score a penalty, even more so with the pressure ramped up to 11. Definitely not a lottery.

Try and think about how the result of a football match is determined ( i.e over 90 plus minutes) with it's almost endless possible variations...Then think about a penalty shoot out...It's called a lottery to demonstrate the difference between winning an actual game of football, or winning a set piece competition. Oh, and most cliches have an element of truth in them otherwise they'd never become cliches in the first place, lazy or not.

It's still not a lottery.

If you have one team who are very good at taking penalties with a keeper who is good at saving penalties, then you got a much better chance than a team who aren't good at penalties and a keeper who isn't good at saving them.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I agree that penalties aren't a lottery. Which is why I hooted with laughter when Terry fucked up against Man United in the Champs league and then started crying like a spoilt babby.  Can anyone imagine Peter Withe blarting like a puff?

[dave shelley]

Without prolonging this argument Mellin, can I just add that had the Bayern goalkeeper or any player if it comes to that, had attempted to clear his defensive lines and the ball had hit Peter Withe square in the mush without any attempt by him to play it, and ended up in the net then, that would be perceived as jammy. 

As it was, the big man attempted to play the ball that was passed to him by a player wearing the same colours as he was.  That the ball hit a divot as he was about to play it and it hit his shin and resulted in the same end product is totally irrelevant to your argument that he was jammy.  In short, he knew what he was doing, albeit in a different manner.  Believe me, I was there.

A night when big men stood up even bigger!

[pauliewalnuts]

Maybe it's me but I cant bring myself to support any other English team even playing in Europe

It's not just you.

I particularly fucking hate the assumption of commentators during these matches that we're all back home, rooting for the English club.

These are always the same three or four clubs. Why on earth would supporters of any other club want them to win it when all it does is make the financial gap bigger?

I honestly wish nothing but ill on English teams in Europe - unless it is a piss pot club like Fulham, for example.

[Ad@m]

It would be different if it was a team of 11 Brits - I'd support them then against a European team.

But a bunch of the best players from around the world playing another bunch of the best players from around the world - I'm not going to support one over the other, just because they train in England.

[Mellin]

Without prolonging this argument Mellin, can I just add that had the Bayern goalkeeper or any player if it comes to that, had attempted to clear his defensive lines and the ball had hit Peter Withe square in the mush without any attempt by him to play it, and ended up in the net then, that would be perceived as jammy. 

As it was, the big man attempted to play the ball that was passed to him by a player wearing the same colours as he was.  That the ball hit a divot as he was about to play it and it hit his shin and resulted in the same end product is totally irrelevant to your argument that he was jammy.  In short, he knew what he was doing, albeit in a different manner.  Believe me, I was there.

A night when big men stood up even bigger!

The win was more than deserved and was a massive achievement for us. I wasn't trying to discredit it, just make a point in an admittedly clumsy fashion.

[dave shelley]

I forgive you.  Enjoy the weekend.   

[Mellin]

Thanks. Been eventful!

[saunders_heroes]

It would be different if it was a team of 11 Brits - I'd support them then against a European team.

Na, not even that. I never support another English team in Europe, in fact I actively want them to get knocked out.