It has been quite interesting to note that, despite having watched the match on the television, generally I would say the impression of the game was quite different to the reports of people coming back from it.

It sounded like a much better game than it looked on the television. I`m wondering just how much is lost in the transmission. I`m guessing, but I assume that when the camera shots are closer to the play (which of course makes for better viewing) whether some of the industry of the players off camera is lost.

Also, can something as simple as the direction of the mike, make a difference to how much of the backgroung noise you hear. In the first half, the Toon Army seemed to be pretty quiet to me, only really coming into full voice during half-time and beyond.

What seems very apparent, is that there is nothing like being there on the day, and the atmosphere, excitement and tension, must make you view things in a diffent way.

I love reading the reports from the travelling fans - it always adds another dimension to the matches.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Answers

Galaxy,

I was at the match and enjoyed every minute of it. I thought we always looked the better team, but it was a full-blooded match with both defences well on top. I read the match report in this morning's Mirror (Merseyside Edition) and I couldn't believe what I was reading. "A dour affair" "Both teams playing the long ball game". That's not how I saw it. There was a lot of passing and midfield interplay, mainly from the Toon. Admittedly the end product wasn't there but I think both defences deserve much credit for that. When I saw the marks out of 10 they were laughable. Dabs - 6, Barton 6, Gallagher 5, Lee 5. They would have been my MOM contenders (and Dabs got it). Nope - I enjoyed it!

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Well, it seems like there is more than one view on the dourness of the game. For those watching on Sly TV, it is so easy to be influenced by the comments of the experts and pundits. However, unless the press were also listening to Messrs Gray etc, they also seem to have formed the opinion that it was a dour affair. Typically, The Journal isn't online yet - don't be silly Screach, it's not dinnertime yet.

Anyway, I enjoyed the game. Three more points, richly deserved.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

I watched on Sky and can't remember being as bored with a toon match! Excitement was limited to abusing the inept ref'ing and getting another bottle of Bierre 33 from the fridge.

Just goes to show you can't beat beeing there as you make your own entertainment. Nice sing lads 'n' lasses!

Great finish, great result but I won't be bothering to watch the video.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Well I don't think I could ever be bored watching the Toon. Frustrated, angry, even humiliated sometimes, yes, but I'm always gripped. Even in the Dalglish year's. Different for neutrals of course, and those that I was watching it with were definitely of the opinion that the game was tedious. Not enough goalmouth action, with both sides cancelling each other out. It wasn't pretty, but there was a lot of effort and determination that went into it. Not as boring in my opinion as a game with no competetive edge.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Don`t get me wrong - I`m never bored watching the Toon, even if it is only on the box. I also sometimes wonder if the a) the commentators are watching the same match as me, and b) if some of the sports reporters in the papers have even seen the match!

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

The official s*ite's done a nice spin job on the reports in today's papers. Particularly the Mirror, which was rather scathing. I don't think yesterday's match was anywhere near as dire as when we met them last year in the league. At least one of them was televised(can't remember which) and even I was bored....and it takes alot when it involves the Toon. Yesterday wasn't very pretty, but the lads seemed to have the spirit to battle...something that seemed lacking last season and the early part of this season. Much improved defensive display, but then people tend not to consider that exciting football. Though I did think most of the second half was a bit messier and harder to watch...Hughes' goal. That seemed to wake us up.

The commentator over here was Martin Tyler, who usually drives me nuts with his patter and insistence on finding a way to work some mention of Newton Heath into every game. But he might just have waved his magic wand over us yesterday. During the second half he said that it usually seems like if a commentator says 'If ever a game looked like a goalless draw, this is it', there's inevitably a goal. So he made that comment, and a few minutes later we have a goal. I'll be back to cursing him next week mind..but I rather enjoyed it when he got to say "What did I say?". :-))

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

The Official Sh*te is also telling porkies.

They've dated the Everton Report 19th, but it hadn't been posted at 3 am 20th. I find it hard to accept that the official site can't even post the result of the match on the same day it was played.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

There's usually a result and match report up within an hour of the end of the game. I checked it about 4pm my time(9pm GMT) to see if there were any interesting post-match comments, and it was up then.

But I know what you mean...most of the stuff on the site is posted well after it's hit the major papers and press association sites. :-/

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Hmm Ciara.

I wonder why you could see it and I couldn't???

I didn't log it 'til 2:30 am so it shouldn't be a refresh problem.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

To be fair to the 'uninvolved' observers of yesterday's game, just imagine yourself watching say Derby v Everton where there were NO shots on target in the 1st half, and neither keeper made a single save, and where the only two shots on target in the entire game were the two goals.

No, I'm afraid it looked pretty dour to me, although as one of those who were totally and utterly involved, I was thoroughly absorbed in berating the dope of a referee, by the battling qualities of Lee and Speed in midfield, by Howey's controlled war with that dirty get Hughes, with Gallacher's movement off the ball, and utlimately by the two goals, especially YKD's magnificent clincher.

The point is there is a world of difference in your perspective based on your personal level of involvement in the game.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Of course you're right Clarky,

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

West Ham v Chelsea. 0 - 0 Dour? - No! Leicester v Man U. ManU had 5 shots (same as Newcastle) Dour? - No! But us and Everton - we're Dour! Even though the match contained what may well be the goal of the season! :o))

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Pilgrim

I've often gone into the official sh*te and thought it looked out of date and that there were stories not there, that we had been discussed for a couple of hours on here, but a quick hit on the refresh icon has streamed in about five 'new' stories.

It never happens to me at work funnily enough, so I think it may be a cache thing......what ISP do you use, I'm on Freeserve (for the moment) and they seem to ghave this problems on a number of access'

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Hi ITK.

Seen your picture yet?

I use 4 different ones (including Freeserve). Last night I was on enterprise.net. You could very well be right.

Back to my original moan - And we had the highest corner count in the PL in our game!!!! :,}}

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Hey, Pilgrim - I'm convinced; it was great game. That's what I said, wasn't it?

Who gives a rat's @rse what anyone else thinks anyway - they only give you 3 points whether you play good, bad or indifferent. Me, I'll settle for YKD's goal, and a PL place tucked in right behind you know who. Reckon they're cr@ppin bricks yet? They will be!

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Pilgrim.....I've not seen it as yet, none of the PC's in the office show anything on the board....probably too low a spec...so I will look when I get home tonight.

If you've still got it there, mail it to me....I can see the first one that Screacher sent me this morning, but this one is supposed to be different....I'm intrigued.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Clarky....if you want to keep enjoying YKD's goal, and the Big Yin's cracker against Newton Heath, call in to www.dailytoon.co.uk and enjoy them both again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Thanks for the tip Ken.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Vested interest Clarky....vested interest!

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

It's what makes the World go around, Ken!

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000