What the press said

[eelpie]

Good to read about Saints again, staring with this entertaining live match report on The Guardian website.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/06/championship-southampton-leeds-united-live

 

As I saw the match. And interesting observation on the dubious penalty: "Clayton tries to flick the ball inside and Aaron Martin is penalised for handball. It's a contentious decision, given by the linesman, as the ball seemed to roll up Martin's chest before looping off his shoulder. It certainly wasn't intentional, even if his arm did flap against the ole leather sphere."

 

My take, Leeds profited from their rough tactics in the end because the extra four minutes were largely the result of Saints players on the floor, injured by dirty tackling. But who cares? We won emphatically!

 

Any more?

[Saint_lambden]

I think the Ref just couldn't put up with that cheating, whining little sh*t Gradel in his ear any longer so gave it. Looked a handball in real time but not on the replays.

[Saint J 77]

I think the Ref just couldn't put up with that cheating, whining little sh*t Gradel in his ear any longer so gave it. Looked a handball in real time but not on the replays.

 

It was never a penatly was it!? I said it before but I will say it again, I felt it was almost pointless to give the penalty. The resason being it wasn't a clear shout and it was virtually the last kick of the match. Plus the goal would not and did not have time to change the result of the game. I think the linesman may have given it out of sympathy because he mistakenly felt he should have given the earlier penalty appeal, which also wasn't a penalty.

[Crazy Diamond]

Max Gradel is a cheating little ****. The way he thumped the floor with his hands after not getting a penalty was disgusting, it was never a penalty in a million years. In a situation like that, look where the player's arms are. His were outstretched as if he was throwing himself to the floor.

 

As for the second one, from where I was sitting it did look like handball and I've only seen the replay once, I have to say I'm not 100% certain.

[Mr saint]

Max Gradel is a cheating little ****. The way he thumped the floor with his hands after not getting a penalty was disgusting, it was never a penalty in a million years. In a situation like that, look where the player's arms are. His were outstretched as if he was throwing himself to the floor.

 

As for the second one, from where I was sitting it did look like handball and I've only seen the replay once, I have to say I'm not 100% certain.

 

To be honest, I thought the first penalty appeal could very easily have been given. If the roles were reversed I'd have felt hard done by not to get one-and so would every other Saints fan in the stadium.

 

That said, it was never handball. I'm glad it worked out the way it did though. if the first was given, it would have been a very nervy last 20 minutes.

[Raging Bull]

To be honest, I thought the first penalty appeal could very easily have been given. If the roles were reversed I'd have felt hard done by not to get one-and so would every other Saints fan in the stadium.

 

That said, it was never handball. I'm glad it worked out the way it did though. if the first was given, it would have been a very nervy last 20 minutes.

 

I thought that till I saw Cork arguing with Gradel when everyone else had gone. You don't do that unless the opponent has blatantly tried to cheat.

[PaulSaint]

To be honest, I thought the first penalty appeal could very easily have been given. If the roles were reversed I'd have felt hard done by not to get one-and so would every other Saints fan in the stadium.

 

Never a pen, I stand 4 rows from the front in the Northam & it was right in front of me, from my position it looked like the dive from that McDonalds advert a few years back!

[Elias]

Gradel did his best Tom Daley impression. He should have been given a yellow card.

[Minty]

Lest we also forget that Chaplow was chopped by two players when trying to latch onto his shot that was pushed onto the post... an equally good shout for a Pen, similar to Gradel's first.

 

The handball hit Martin's chest, and then possibly *brushed* his upper arm, nothing more, nothing less IMO. Very soft, and wouldn't be given most of the time.

[Chez]

he looked for it, thankfully the ref wasn't taken in by it and he should have got a yellow.

 

The lino gave the pen. Very surprised he didn't see it hit is chest.

[saints_is_the_south]

Looked like the Gradel one was a pen from the top of Block 36 where I was, but having seen it on the FL show definitely not, blatant dive even if there was slight contact.