Quote Originally Posted by World's End Stella View Post
I doubt ManU went into the game confident that Riley would cheat for them, however in the back of their minds they also knew what his record was for them.

The key point in the match was probably the Cole yellow. The Munichs had just spent about 10-15 minutes kicking Reyes off the park and G Neville probably should have seen red at that point, yet they hadn't received a card of any kind. At that point Cole commits a slightly cynical, non-violent foul and gets a yellow.

I'm guessing that at that point they all thought to themselves 'game on - this is 12 v 11' and then proceeded to act accordingly over the rest of the game.

But shouldn't we move on? No one was angrier than I, no one remains as bitter and twisted as I (well, maybe IUFG) but surely we should get over this? I mean, it really isn't healthy.
I think we would get over it if it was ever accepted that it happened. It continues to eat at people because it was roundly ignored.

THe problem with your argument is that Cole's challenge was a yellow card. A fairly soft one, but a deliberate kick with no attempt to play the ball. You are highlighting about the only decision Riley got right in the whole game!

I think it is incredibly generous to think that United's approach to that game was accidental, or opportunist. Particularly having seen them do it time and time again against us at Old Trafford (never at Highbury) and had seen it work pretty much all the time. Vieira's sending off, the soft penalty, the game in 2002 when Van Nistelrooy came on for twenty minutes and, if I remember correctly, committed two blatant red card offences (one a punch in Frieddie's chest right in front of the ref) and at least three other yellow card offences and not get so much as a booking.