The Phil Dowd appreciation thread.

[Tredder]

LOL at blaming the ref.

It took you a while to show.

Most here aren't blaming the ref for the final result, I think the consensus is Swansea just edged it. The manner of how they so is the issue and the fact that the game ended up focussing on the ref for a lot of the crowd, which took away from the enjoyment.

Swansea were the better side, have been the better side all season, beaten you lot three times now, using Dowd as a scapegoat is clutching at straws, he kept that oaf on the pitch when he should have sent him off, the yellow cards he made were valid, and the penalties were stone wallers, the game was good to watch but Swansea edged it.

[Ian Royal]

The second was never a penalty. Griff used his body strength to turn as the ball came in and he never made any movement towards the attacker......

Never a penalty? I think you've got that wrong.

http://www.caughtoffside.com/2011/05/30 ... hts-video/

Oh my. Reverse angle really does it doesn't it. Looked like he reached round and maybe got a piece of the ball from where I sat and the first angle.

No question a penalty if the ref sees it clearly, but you see them not given regularly. I think the same goes for the first.

[robb the royal]

Swansea were the better side, have been the better side all season, beaten you lot three times now, using Dowd as a scapegoat is clutching at straws, he kept that oaf on the pitch when he should have sent him off, the yellow cards he made were valid, and the penalties were stone wallers, the game was good to watch but Swansea edged it.

Who was a better team all season is irrelivant, it was a one off game, past games between us and them, or any other games simply don't figure into it... we were a better team than Wallsall the last time we were in a play-off final but still lot. Blackpool were the worst team in the play-offs last year and won them! We aren't using him as a scapegoat, but he didn't help things!

[Tredder]

So not sending your player off wasn't doing you a favour?

[Svlad Cjelli]

I don't know about the penalties (not seen any replays) but it looked like every single 50/50 decision went to in Swansea's favour.

Shane Long, for instance, was regularly being tugged, grappled and wrested to the ground, but every decisions seemed to go against him - in fact the second goal came when a free-kick was awarded against him for ... urm, I have no idea what it was awarded for.

And that seemed to be the over-riding feeling - decisions going Swansea's way all the time, and none going Reading's way.

[Tails]

Is this the same sporting acumen as Mr Angry and RR who were SPOT ON with the Test cricket?

I have no idea what you are talking about but I'm sure it felt like a good and relevant contribution at the time.

It was a tongue in cheek reference to Mr Angry's assertion of a draw and your questioning of Broad's bowling.

Both of course were proved to be factually incorrect...naturally.

[floyd__streete]

we were a better team than Wallsall the last time we were in a play-off final but still lot. Blackpool were the worst team in the play-offs last year and won them! We aren't using him as a scapegoat, but he didn't help things!

Walsall took 4 points off us that season. Blackpool won all three play-off matches they played last season, so how can they have been the worst team in them

[robb the royal]

So not sending your player off wasn't doing you a favour?

Ok, terribly sorry, we had 1 decision in 98 minutes of football (including stoppage time)

[Percy's Rocket]

As others have said, to not be awarded a single free kick in an entire half in surely unique. Add to that the booking of two of the back four within 15 minutes, thereby compromising them for the rest of the game and I think it's fair to say Dowd had a major influence on the outcome regardless of the voracity of the various penalty awards and claims.

The fact that he saw fit to send two off at half time adds to the impression that he felt he was a big fish in a small pond today and it should all revolve around him.

Absolutely right..that is how he came across from the first minute..determined to be the centre of attention.

Also true about pulling up our players for going in hard as if it was a CL game (from Griff onwards) and the Swansea players got wise and went down quickly while Longy stayed on his feet and got nothing all game.

He had a major influence on the outcome instead of letting the teams decide it.

[Ian Royal]

I don't know about the penalties (not seen any replays) but it looked like every single 50/50 decision went to in Swansea's favour.

Shane Long, for instance, was regularly being tugged, grappled and wrested to the ground, but every decisions seemed to go against him - in fact the second goal came when a free-kick was awarded against him for ... urm, I have no idea what it was awarded for.

And that seemed to be the over-riding feeling - decisions going Swansea's way all the time, and none going Reading's way.

This. That second was horrific. Should have been an attacking freekick to us if anything.

Ref obviously wanted to protect the pretty football players from the mean old physical bullies.

[Tredder]

So not sending your player off wasn't doing you a favour?

Ok, terribly sorry, we had 1 decision in 98 minutes of football (including stoppage time)

You went 3-0 down with 11 men, thank your blessings.

[robb the royal]

we were a better team than Wallsall the last time we were in a play-off final but still lot. Blackpool were the worst team in the play-offs last year and won them! We aren't using him as a scapegoat, but he didn't help things!

Walsall took 4 points off us that season. Blackpool won all three play-off matches they played last season, so how can they have been the worst team in them

We were still a better team than Walsall, sheffield united got 4 points off us this year...where they a better team than us? Scunthorpe got 3 against us, number of points you get against 1 team doesn't make you better or worse than them.
Ok, i partly take back what i said about Blackpool, i forgot Leicester were in the play-offs last year, but they were not a better team than Cardiff

[No Fixed Abode]

No moaning about the ref in the 2nd leg against Cardiff. Funny that.

[Ian Royal]

No moaning about the ref in the 2nd leg against Cardiff. Funny that.

He didn't make any major mistakes. Their shouts were either definitely not penalties or were marginal calls. Ours were absolutely nailed on.

[sandman]

The ref was shocking today, gave nothing our way what so ever!! Obviosuly the FA had received a sizeable amount of money from the Welsh FA to let one of their teams play in the Premier league.
Have to say that they got lucky today and the press need to watch the game again as I certainly didn't see Swansea playing like Barcelona today!!!

So how do you explain that Reading had the major decision go for them? Zurab should have been sent off. Dowd did ok - got the penalties correct - a few niggly things he missed, but don't all refs? Webb certainly did you favours in the 2nd leg against Cardiff, so swings and roundabouts if you feel hard done by today.

I agree. What sort of team blame the referee for their own pathetic shortcomings?

[cmonurz]

Ref obviously wanted to protect the pretty football players from the mean old physical bullies.

If that had been Dowd's aim Shane Long would have got about 10 free kicks in the first half.

[The Real Sandhurst Royal]

Dowd got the penalty decisions spot on.

When you play against a side who pass the ball it is inevatble that your foul count will be higher than theirs you have to break play up by some means.

Dowd missed 50/50 decsions for Reading and no more.

[glass half full]

What was Kish's yellow card for?

Being a giant willy. Borini knocked into Feds while the latter was kicking out (for which he was booked) so Zurab decided to chest butt Borini, for which he was also rightly booked. Idiot! Start of a very poor few minutes for the Georgian.

Borini, naturally, went down as if poleaxed!

[Royal Rother]

So would Vladimir Klitschko the way Kish barged into him. Completely uncalled for and completely bloody stupid. Borini, to be fair to him, got straight back up unlike many of his fellow pros would have done.

[Archie's penalty]

For me the problem was the lack of consistency in decisions between the teams.

Griffin's yellow card for what was a strong but legitimate tackle basically sent Reading the message "tackle Swansea and you will get booked", hence why from that point on the players were playing patches - they couldn't commit without thinking about it and second guessing themselves.

Then Swansea players not getting booked for similar or worse tackles. If I was wound up with that from the rafters, I'm not surprised the team and staff were.

I'm not unhappy with the performance, nor do I begrudge Swansea the Prem (they're welcome to if I'm honest), but I am irritated that Dowd stopped the game from being a freeflowing match we could all enjoy.

My thoughts to a Tee.