Sent off again? I can handle that. But in a bloomin' FRIENDLY? Son (I'm old enough to be your father, give or take twenty years), you have to learn to calm down. Great player, but no use to anyone sent off.
In all fairness, that was never a red card. Perhaps a yellow at best, but as Sir Alex Ferguson said after the match, his reputation precedes him these days. Pepe (I'm not being racist - that's his real name) seemed to go down a little easily, but the referee was in a good position to see it and should have called it correctly. Check out the video highlights.
The response has been completely as expected - Rooney and Scholes charged with violent conduct. Violent...conduct. For an accidental elbow and a marginally late tackle. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when did football become so soft that a little physical contact became taboo? Violent conduct is when a guy smashes his studs into your ribs, or when he follows through a shot and smacks the business end of his boot into...well...your 'business end'. Thankfully it appears that the FA are only paying lip-service to this matter, and there will be no further action taken. Of course, two years ago, with David Dein still at the helm, we might have expected 8 month bans for both Rooney and Scholes, but the Big Bad Gooner's off the board.
Good to see Scholes and Solskjaer back in the team. Trademark goals scored by both players, and if they can stay fit, we might see United challenge for the trophy from the outset. Of course, the chances of Solskjaer staying fit throughout the season seem slim. With the imminent signing of Marcos Senna, the midfield looks a little stronger, but we're short on options up front. Saha and Rooney are the first-choice strikers, but if one of them gets injured, it'll be either Smith, Solskjaer (both making comebacks from serious injury) or the untried Rossi. Fully fit, United can win the title. But it's never as simple as that.
In all fairness, that was never a red card. Perhaps a yellow at best, but as Sir Alex Ferguson said after the match, his reputation precedes him these days. Pepe (I'm not being racist - that's his real name) seemed to go down a little easily, but the referee was in a good position to see it and should have called it correctly. Check out the video highlights.
The response has been completely as expected - Rooney and Scholes charged with violent conduct. Violent...conduct. For an accidental elbow and a marginally late tackle. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when did football become so soft that a little physical contact became taboo? Violent conduct is when a guy smashes his studs into your ribs, or when he follows through a shot and smacks the business end of his boot into...well...your 'business end'. Thankfully it appears that the FA are only paying lip-service to this matter, and there will be no further action taken. Of course, two years ago, with David Dein still at the helm, we might have expected 8 month bans for both Rooney and Scholes, but the Big Bad Gooner's off the board.
Good to see Scholes and Solskjaer back in the team. Trademark goals scored by both players, and if they can stay fit, we might see United challenge for the trophy from the outset. Of course, the chances of Solskjaer staying fit throughout the season seem slim. With the imminent signing of Marcos Senna, the midfield looks a little stronger, but we're short on options up front. Saha and Rooney are the first-choice strikers, but if one of them gets injured, it'll be either Smith, Solskjaer (both making comebacks from serious injury) or the untried Rossi. Fully fit, United can win the title. But it's never as simple as that.
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