A&H

Man U v Arsenal

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Ryanj91

Well-Known Member
Saka was on a yellow. Went flying down the hill. Physio did his magic and Saka could walk again.

Saka entered the field of play and then went down for treatment.

He should have received a second caution and have been sent off for entering the field of play without permission no? You could also class it as time wasting!
 
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When United get the builders in to fix the roof, they also need to fill in that moat while they're at it! One of the most dangerous aspects of any football pitch I've ever seen, I can't believe they've not been made to sort it out before.

But regarding your actual question - did he definitely enter without permission? He was treated off the pitch and so as long as he was waved back on, feeling a further twinge and needing further treatment doesn't suddenly mean that original entry wasn't permitted. And yes, arguably if you're 100% sure he's faking it, you could caution for time wasting - but I don't honestly believe any ref is going to make that call in such a big moment, and definitely not given he clearly did go flying into a ditch moments earlier!
 
GraemeS said:
When United get the builders in to fix the roof, they also need to fill in that moat while they're at it! One of the most dangerous aspects of any football pitch I've ever seen, I can't believe they've not been made to sort it out before.

But regarding your actual question - did he definitely enter without permission? He was treated off the pitch and so as long as he was waved back on, feeling a further twinge and needing further treatment doesn't suddenly mean that original entry wasn't permitted. And yes, arguably if you're 100% sure he's faking it, you could caution for time wasting - but I don't honestly believe any ref is going to make that call in such a big moment, and definitely not given he clearly did go flying into a ditch moments earlier!
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I think if you look at the ref's body language he knew he was in a pickle as he was gesturing 'why?'. He then made it clear to the crowd by stopping the watch.

You don't expect it, but two silly things Saka did and could have been cautioned. He went onto the pitch and the straight down to get subbed so Arsenal were not playing with 10 men.

Totally agree with regards to the pitch. Insanely dangerous!
 
No referee at that level is going to pull a second yellow out for that, and probably not even a first one. It wasn't as if he left the pitch without permission, he really had no intention of leaving it but the bank said otherwise. If my memory serves me correctly I think he walked back on at a break in play, so a second caution would be incredibly harsh.

Totally agree that they need to do something about the drop off from the pitch. Not sure how feasible that would be, but if they can't find it properly they should be made to put padding on the hoardings, which in reality would force them to fix it properly as they would lose the advertising revenue.
 
I don't get why the Old Trafford pitch is made that way as there's no need for it. I've been there and can tell you that the drop-off is high and steep, the camera doesn't lie. With Ratcliffe now at the helm and his desire to overhaul the stadium as part of his overall plans for the club, maybe he'll do something about it, especially so if he decides to build a brand new stadium for that £2bn it's projected to cost.

I couldn't see anything wrong from Saka either.
 
FinalWhistle said:
I don't get why the Old Trafford pitch is made that way as there's no need for it. I've been there and can tell you that the drop-off is high and steep, the camera doesn't lie. With Ratcliffe now at the helm and his desire to overhaul the stadium as part of his overall plans for the club, maybe he'll do something about it, especially so if he decides to build a brand new stadium for that £2bn it's projected to cost.

I couldn't see anything wrong from Saka either.
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I asked Copilot and it told me this ...

The raised pitch at Old Trafford, home to Manchester United, is indeed an intriguing feature. Let’s explore the reasons behind it:

  1. Historical Context:
    • The elevated pitch has its roots in the early days of Old Trafford.
    • When the stadium was constructed, the land was not entirely flat.
    • Rather than leveling the ground, the decision was made to build the pitch on a slight slope.
  2. Drainage and Water Runoff:
    • The slope serves a practical purpose: drainage.
    • Rainwater naturally flows away from the center of the pitch due to the incline.
    • This design helps prevent waterlogging during heavy rain, ensuring that matches can proceed even in adverse weather conditions.
  3. Sunlight and Grass Growth:
    • The slope also affects sunlight exposure.
    • The side of the pitch that faces the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand receives more sunlight.
    • Adequate sunlight promotes healthy grass growth, contributing to a well-maintained playing surface.
 
@RustyRef interesting, but as many other stadiums don't have these features and they don't waterlog, these slopes all round the pitch aren't needed to achieve adequate drainage. I suspect that advancements in technology have mitigated this.

I've never noticed that slope either and no tendency for the ball to roll down it and go on curved paths, so it must be very slight.
 
FinalWhistle said:
@RustyRef interesting, but as many other stadiums don't have these features and they don't waterlog, these slopes all round the pitch aren't needed to achieve adequate drainage. I suspect that advancements in technology have mitigated this.

I've never noticed that slope either and no tendency for the ball to roll down it and go on curved paths, so it must be very slight.
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Pretty much every senior pitch has a slight curve, or camber, to let the water run off. It is usually very difficult to see to the naked eye though.

But I agree, most grounds don't have the very steep drop off on the outskirts of the pitch.
 
RustyRef said:
I asked Copilot and it told me this ...

The raised pitch at Old Trafford, home to Manchester United, is indeed an intriguing feature. Let’s explore the reasons behind it:

  1. Historical Context:
    • The elevated pitch has its roots in the early days of Old Trafford.
    • When the stadium was constructed, the land was not entirely flat.
    • Rather than leveling the ground, the decision was made to build the pitch on a slight slope.
  2. Drainage and Water Runoff:
    • The slope serves a practical purpose: drainage.
    • Rainwater naturally flows away from the center of the pitch due to the incline.
    • This design helps prevent waterlogging during heavy rain, ensuring that matches can proceed even in adverse weather conditions.
  3. Sunlight and Grass Growth:
    • The slope also affects sunlight exposure.
    • The side of the pitch that faces the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand receives more sunlight.
    • Adequate sunlight promotes healthy grass growth, contributing to a well-maintained playing surface.
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None of those reasons apply to why the pitch is built up so high.

The first two only talk about why the pitch has a "slight slope" from the centre to the touchlines but not why there's such a steep drop-off at the sides.

The third "reason" isn't actually a reason at all, just an observation as to the effects of the pitch being slightly sloped.

What I remember reading once (can't find the source any more though) is that it was raised up to accommodate the under pitch heating and drainage systems. The alternative would have been to excavate the ground underneath the pitch but it would have been too expensive and/or technically difficult to do that.
 
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Peter Grove said:
None of those reasons apply to why the pitch is built up so high.

The first two only talk about why the pitch has a "slight slope" from the centre to the touchlines but not why there's such a steep drop-off at the sides.

The third "reason" isn't actually a reason at all, just an observation as to the effects of the pitch being slightly sloped.

What I remember reading once (can't find the source any more though) is that it was raised up to accommodate the under pitch heating and drainage systems. The alternative would have been to excavate the ground underneath the pitch but it would have been too expensive and/or technically difficult to do that.
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I saw the same. None of which explains what the ditch couldn't be filled in, or some kind of mezzanine-like surface built over the ditch to make it safer for player who leave the FOP at speed.
 
GraemeS said:
I saw the same. None of which explains what the ditch couldn't be filled in, or some kind of mezzanine-like surface built over the ditch to make it safer for player who leave the FOP at speed.
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It is so steep that would bring the pitch higher than the advertising hoardings, so they'd have to lose the first few rows of seats.
 
In a week where VAR and how it's used in the Premier League is under the microscope again, along with a couple of players suffering serious concussion injuries, the main topic of discussion in the forum is the raised Old Trafford pitch :confused:
 
RustyRef said:
It is so steep that would bring the pitch higher than the advertising hoardings, so they'd have to lose the first few rows of seats.
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Ah, so it's a case of money triumphing over player welfare then? Mystery solved....
 
Mooseybaby said:
In a week where VAR and how it's used in the Premier League is under the microscope again, along with a couple of players suffering serious concussion injuries, the main topic of discussion in the forum is the raised Old Trafford pitch :confused:
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It's not the main topic of discussion - it's just one of many and far from being the most discussed topic.

For instance, this topic has 13 entries so far, the VAR vote one has 89.
 
GraemeS said:
Ah, so it's a case of money triumphing over player welfare then? Mystery solved....
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Not just money. You are potentially telling thousands of people that have had season tickets for many years that they can't go any longer as their seats no longer exist and the others are taken with a long waiting list in place.
 
I suspect a claim when a player's career is finished after crashing into the hoarding will make the owners think about it.
 
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