Scotland v Italy

[Wheesht]

Can't complain and despite the tabloid sports hacks claiming we had been "robbed" the better team won.

 

Never a foul in a million years for the last goal but the defending was amateurish, at both goals actually.

 

4-5-1 for 80 minutes when we needed to win?

 

Italy had a perfectly good goal disallowed.

 

Our goal was offside.

 

The team did well and gave their all but I felt Weir was poor and Fletcher anonymous throughout.

 

The chance was, in my eyes, blown in Georgia because they were there for the taking. Perhaps if all the players had turned up and Eck had been brave enough to have a go out there we could have had a real chance to qualify, but be honest if we had have secured a draw on Saturday are France going to lose to Ukraine?

 

To crown a poor day the Russians fail to win. Ach well it means that there won't be many reasons to watch a lot of Euro 2008 on the telly.

 

It was fun while it lasted and here's hoping for a favourable draw for the World Cup.

[Lola Boomboom]

Yes, first sober and fair comment I have heard from the Scottish camp. A woman threatened to beat me up at work last night for contesting the fact that the Referree/linesmen were bribed! But this is football and everyone suffers from lousy decisions - non less than Italy if anyone cares to recall the sham of World Cup 2002 against S. Korea. The Spanish fell foul of the same in the following round. If video evidence can be used to admonish players after the game I fail to see why it cannot be implemented during play, and advocate, with all the technology available now, that refereeing error is something the governing bodies should be seriously looking to eradicate.

 

I also can't understand why Scotland chose this formation. With Italy's defence, undoubtably the best in the world hopelessly skidding all over the field in the appalling conditions, it was an opportunity that poor management failed to capitalise upon.

 

I found this next comment on the Calcio Italia website.

 

The Italian media gushed over the fair play of the Scots applauding their players even after elimination, but this utopian vision is rapidly fading away with each cry of ‘We wuz robbed!’ Now while clearly the free kick shouldn’t have gone to Giorgio Chiellini, I fail to see how Italy can be accused of cheating. It was not a dive by any means, but shoulder to shoulder. Antonio Di Natale had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside – it was definitely not handball, check the replays and how long it takes the linesman to raise his flag – while Scotland’s equaliser was invalid.

As for Gianluca Zambrotta’s penalty shout, his arm could not have been tighter to his torso, to complain about that is just plain churlish. Painful as it may be to see this dream evaporate in stoppages, please don’t spoil the Scottish reputation by clutching at straws and relying on clichés. You’re better than that and one day you’ll prove it in an international tournament.

[Medziotojas]

Well, there was a good turnout of Italian ex-pats in the Irish bar, which made for an interesting atmosphere. Scotland gave it their all, but it was never going to be easy. The Italian fans offered their commiserations at the end and we in turn wished them luck in the future competition. It was a good atmosphere, and a great evening was had by all (obviously a little better for the Italians, but that's the way it goes).

 

It was also encouraging to see a good turnout from the English ex-pats to cheer on Scotland. I somehow can't imagine this being reciprocated.

[BALLACK]

I can't believe it. Scotland would have had a genuine chance of getting out of the group stages if they had qualified.

 

Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Romania, Croatia, Poland, C. Republic, Turkey, Sweden will qualify and they are all average and certainly not better than Scotland.

 

Italy, France, Germany, England, Holland, Portugal, Spain. One of them will be the winners.

 

I think Italy will win Euro 2008.

[Baxter]

Spain are due a major victory. they've now got an incredible array of players such as Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, Puyol, Cassilas, Vicente. Etc...

 

I think I'd back them.

 

I certainly don't thnk portugal will win even with Ronaldo Deco and Carvalho. The likes of the C.Republic are beter than you make them out to be, remember they have the likes of Cech an Rosicky.

 

Sweden have Ibrahimovic and Kallstrom

 

Remember BALLACK that Greece won it last year, Denmark a while back, and they were both "average" (using your words).

 

This qualifying for Euro 08 has proven in the past that its anybodys game. I.e france v Scotland and Macedonia v Croatia.

 

Be careful what you say or it may come back to haunt you Ballack,

remember the famous line; "you don't win anything with kids"

[JAStewart]

Denmark was 92, just for reference.

[njl3]

According to a tabloid newspaper, the referee had his bag searched at the airport on his way out of Scotland and their was ITALY scarves and shirts in his bag. It is also rumoured that after the match he ate at Rino Guttuso's restaurant in Glasgow.

 

Now that is pretty dodgy.

[Baxter]

According to a tabloid newspaper, ...

 

 

Now that is pretty dodgy.

 

exactly

[JAStewart]

That is just speculation thought boys/girls.

[Lola Boomboom]

It is also rumoured that after the match he ate at Rino Guttuso's restaurant in Glasgow.

 

Now that is pretty dodgy.

 

I've never eaten there so can't say if it's dodgy or not. But if it's a real dive maybe he'll blow the whistle!

[Honky Tonk]

Spain are due a major victory. they've now got an incredible array of players such as Torres, Fabregas, Xavi, Puyol, Cassilas, Vicente. Etc...

 

I think I'd back them.

 

Spain could have the greatest squad of players ever seen and they would still win f'k all.

[JAStewart]

England have the greatest squad of players ever seen and they still win f'k all.

 

Fixed

[Marshall]

The thing that hurts about the free kick is that it was ten yards away from the linesman who had a perfect view off the incident and managed to give a foul that should have gone to us to the Itialians. If that would have been given correctly we would have taken our time then hoofed it up the park and we would all have been glued to the TV on Wednesday.

 

All the other big calls where OK maybe wrong but you had to watch the re-play and then they were very tight decisions easy to call watching on TV but hard calls to make for the officials on the park. The free kick was not like that as soon as it happen you knew it was wrong with millions of Scots shouting abuse at the TV before any re-play and millions off Italians probably laughing.

 

As an ex-player and spectator off football its the simple decision that hurt the must its them that get people so worked up. A ball that takes a clear deflection and is given the other way, ball to hand one time play-on the next time, touch some one in the back they go down like they have been shoot, a shoulder barge from behind wright in front off the linesman give the other way etc.

 

If the game happened the other way round with the Italians losing under the same circumstance wright at the death would they just have excepted it and said o well this things happen in football?

[EISTnWAST]

According to a tabloid newspaper, the referee had his bag searched at the airport on his way out of Scotland and their was ITALY scarves and shirts in his bag.

 

Match officials are always given memorabilia by teams when officiating in European & International matches.

 

One ref i know has a signed Juventus shirt from a Champions League game.

I also know a story about Hugh Dallas and the Old Firm, but that's too slanderous.

And as for bribery of refs, how about blackmail..... Italian clubs are notorious for providing refs with 'dates' for the evening before a match. When the meal is over and the girls are eager to go to the hotel with the officials, they must politely say no. If they didn't, the next day they would be presented with some photographic reminder of what they were up to the night before.

 

All of these stories were told to me by a current SPL match official.

[JAStewart]

Just a reminder

 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=q8YDV6rS_M8

 

I think that we have cause for concern here.

 

Looking at the challenge again is actually outrageous. Seriously, watch it, watch it now that we're all sober.

 

Un-be-fcukin'-leavable.