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The Watercooler: the weekend’s talking points

Another weekend of football. Another Monday morning of debate.

The more things change, the more they stay the same

Forget for a moment that shooting directly at Heurelho Gomes is like shooting at a snowman.

The Frank Lampard “goal” that was given at Stamford Bridge on Saturday did not cross the line. I realised this roughly seven seconds after the incident because I watched a replay. The linesman, standing some 40 yards away and not level with the ball was expected to give the decision.

Anyone who watched the Leinster/Toulouse game yesterday saw how technology helps top-level sport. The referee Nigel Person was not sure Jamie Heaslip had scored a try. He asked the video ref to make an informed decision. He did, the try was rightly given. The game took its natural course.

Football is the most popular sport in the world, yet it remains in the dark ages by refusing to embrace technology. As long as Sepp Blatter continues to toe the party line, the game will suffer. One of his more romantic reasons for no video technology is that he believes the game should be the same at all levels. That Messi in the Camp Nou should have the same environment as me of a Sunday morning. I don’t have linesmen Sep, and I got over it.

Watch Chelsea-Spurs

Neuer is a home bird

It was amusing that the panel on Sky television discovered the German number one goalkeeper during Schalke’s defeat to Manchester United. Anyone who keeps half an eye on the Bundesliga knew all about Manuel Neuer well before his heroics last Tuesday.

Neuer conceded four goals to his future employer Bayern Munich on Saturday.

While he is a superb stopper, he has still some way to go before proving himself as one of the world’s best. Should he move to Bayern he will need to deal with a different game. He may only be required once a in a match.

Anyone who watched Ben Foster in the Carling Cup final might argue he is a great goalkeeper but anyone who watched him at Manchester United would argue the opposite.  Judge him in a year.

They are all out to get Jose

It’s UNICEF; it’s the Barca influence in UEFA. They get all the decisions, little oul Real Madrid are persecuted. Jose Mourinho did himself few favours in the aftermath of the clasico that will live in infamy. But he did achieve his objective. No-one is talking about his inept performance as a coach.

We are told that he has to take on Barca this way. He most slow down the game and try to choke them. Javier Mascherano was at centre-half on Wednesday night. Real had a combined €110m worth of attacking talent on the bench in Karim Benzema, Káka and Gonzalo Higuain.  Jose, derided as the translator in Catalonia is scared of Barca.

That is no conspiracy.

QPR-going up?

It was another Tarrabt goal, another fine QPR performance. The Londoners achieved promotion this weekend with a 2-0 win at Watford. We were treated to the standard dressing room picture after; bouncing centre-half’s spraying bubbly. But Neil Warnock looked reluctant to join in.

He knows the deal isn’t closed. The result of an FA hearing into Rangers playing a player owned by a third party will be known this week. The FA were forced to deny rumours of a possible 16-point deduction but whatever happens it hangs a cloud over a great achievement; Warnock’s seventh promotion as a manager.

Weekend cult hero: Jimmy Bullard

Who doesn’t have a soft spot for Jimmy Bullard? The man who holidays in Butlins was named Ipswich Player of the Year this weekend.

Be it terrible adverts, jumping over players, classic celebrations or just plain tacking the mick, Jimmy likes to have fun. There are many moments to choose, but the look here as he tries to calm down Duncan Ferguson is priceless.

The lads on Goals on Sunday asked him yesterday what did he say “I told him if he had a problem, I’d sort it in the tunnel” Classic.

http://youtu.be/wIB7dCl51Z8