A statement that I am sick of hearing and wish would go away...

[mccscratch]

Often on here whenever a yank has a descending opinion I hear this one...."well I was at the match and I clearly see things you are just not seeing"....

FWIW... I watch Fulham matches on a 106' inch screen in HD on most occasions with the coming of Fox Soccer HD, Fox Soccer Plus HD and ESPN2 HD... there is not a whole lot that I miss off the ball.... I admit that it is not exactly being at the matches (which I have been to in the past BTW) but I see the game in a very wide, expansive view as well and I have the ability to rewind and re-watch as much as I like.... I always go back and watch matches as well... so by the time people are on here arguing, commenting etc... I have watched the match twice often... Anyways...

[finnster01]

My TV isn't as large as yours, but I do have a 106' inch penis but I don't brag about it

[ImperialWhite]

To be fair mate - and I'm not saying that the view of someone who watches a game on telly isn't worth listening to - but it is a very different view.

The TV cameras tend to follow the ball, in my opinion often too closely. I don't know about you, but I find it near impossible to follow formations on telly for this reason (but on the otherhand, if you're in the cheap seats or if you're getting into the chants too much you might get distracted and miss something. and you don't get replays).

If you want the creme la creme  of views (in terms of seeing what's happening) you want a seat at the halfway line, about halfway up the stand, with a monitor for replays of goals, tackles and offsides (i.e. get a job on media).

Anyway mate, you miss the halftime penalty shootout!  :005:

[The Equalizer]

Yeah yeah! It's not the same though is it? I mean, my eagle eyes can pick up the smallest indiscretion from a player from 120 yards away.

And I always catch everything first time never needing an instant replay. Even if I'm eating a burger or chatting to a friend at the time.
:53:

[GoldCoastWhite]

My TV isn't as large as yours, but I do have a 106' inch penis but I don't brag about it

That's no way to talk about AJ Finnster - he does his best you know !

[Lighthouse]

Having once been a consistent football fan and turned up to most matches,I can say that I would often have to wait for the reports or the odd tv replay to show me what happened. Fact is you see more of the periphery live but for the close up of the incidents tv is the best.

What it must be like to live somewhere big enough for 106 inch TVs. In the UK we just don't have that much space left in the Country.

[sipwell]

I always watch the games on my laptop, regardless of its size, and I think there is a huge difference between being on the pitch and watching it on TV.

I'll give you one clear example. I saw Fulham-Everton this season and, apart from cheering for FFC, I watched Fellaini closely. He is greatly admired in Belgium for being an absolute top player but I failed to see why. Now I know it: Fellaini does mileage without having the ball or without being close to the ball. He attracts defenders, he obstructs attackers (who don't have the ball) and he always makes sure he is a free man on the pitch, regardless of whether the ball goes to him or not. If you would watch the same game on television you would think he is crap, hardly touching the ball. When you are in a stadium, you see all his useful work.

Same happened at the Europa league final - a game I watched both in Hamburg and later again on television. The Madrid attackers - unfortunately - were extremely active without the ball, creating constant danger. That was completely lacking in the televised game, where they focussed on "man with ball" or "man receiving ball". I could swear it was another game, when it wasn't.

A game of football is played 11 vs. 11. Just count the players that are actually filmed. All the others DO MOVE as well.

[AlFayedsChequebook]

I always watch the games on my laptop, regardless of its size, and I think there is a huge difference between being on the pitch and watching it on TV.

I'll give you one clear example. I saw Fulham-Everton this season and, apart from cheering for FFC, I watched Fellaini closely. He is greatly admired in Belgium for being an absolute top player but I failed to see why. Now I know it: Fellaini does mileage without having the ball or without being close to the ball. He attracts defenders, he obstructs attackers (who don't have the ball) and he always makes sure he is a free man on the pitch, regardless of whether the ball goes to him or not. If you would watch the same game on television you would think he is crap, hardly touching the ball. When you are in a stadium, you see all his useful work.

Same happened at the Europa league final - a game I watched both in Hamburg and later again on television. The Madrid attackers - unfortunately - were extremely active without the ball, creating constant danger. That was completely lacking in the televised game, where they focussed on "man with ball" or "man receiving ball". I could swear it was another game, when it wasn't.

A game of football is played 11 vs. 11. Just count the players that are actually filmed. All the others DO MOVE as well.

You also get a much better idea of the tactics of a side from watching what individual players are doing.

Etuhu this year spends most of his time standing about 10 yrds ahead of Murphy, not moving or trying to create space. He has obviously been asked to do this by Hughes but has no idea how to create space as he is not naturally an attacking player. He lumbers up the pitch getting in peoples way more than contributing.

Simon Davies has been another casualty of the system this year. He has looked ineffective because he is being told to hug the touchline, but his natural movement from last year is to cut inside. When he plays on the left he moves inside and scores (see v Man Utd) but when on the right he either moves onto his weaker foot or tries to beat the man on the wing (he has no pace) and he looks awful.

You could never tell that this was happening on the tv because, Etuhu in particular, rarely has the ball.

[Peabody]

I assume you are refering to an earlier thread when you were extolling the virues of Eddie Johnson, in which you appear to indicate that we do not appreciate his efforts or abilitie as a footballer. I can assure you that most us want EJ to succeed but unfortunately, he just is not making it at the moment. The fact is that as a striker who has,nt scored a goal is not helping

[BalDrick]

There's another version too isn't there - well I've been watching Fulham since 1943 so my opinion is more valid than yours. Frankly, do f**k off. Provided the viewer/supporter knows what he's talking about in football terms, then having watched Fulham in the lower divisions carries no weight whatsoever.

[RidgeRider]

Having been to ive matches here and other sports where there is lots going on off the ball, I can say, with a student's eye, you get more of what is going on at the live match than you do with the same student's eye watching on television. However, being at the match, as has been said, is chocked FULL of distractions and there is no replay.

At the end of the day, if you are paying attention to a match on the tele and you compare that to the same guy chatting it up with a mate, singing and watching the ball live, while slightly intoxicated, you are going to take in more watching it on television. It's not 'cut and dry' which is better, it's circumstantial.

With a 106" television you should be able to see all of London, and the match, with with a screen that size.  :dft012:

[RidgeRider]

There's another version too isn't there - well I've been watching Fulham since 1943 so my opinion is more valid than yours. Frankly, do f**k off. Provided the viewer/supporter knows what he's talking about in football terms, then having watched Fulham in the lower divisions carries no weight whatsoever.

and then next there is the old 'I'm a season ticket holder' argument, followed up by "how many matches have you been to?" comment

[epsomraver]

To be fair mate - and I'm not saying that the view of someone who watches a game on telly isn't worth listening to - but it is a very different view.

The TV cameras tend to follow the ball, in my opinion often too closely. I don't know about you, but I find it near impossible to follow formations on telly for this reason (but on the otherhand, if you're in the cheap seats or if you're getting into the chants too much you might get distracted and miss something. and you don't get replays).

If you want the creme la creme  of views (in terms of seeing what's happening) you want a seat at the halfway line, about halfway up the stand, with a monitor for replays of goals, tackles and offsides (i.e. get a job on media).

Anyway mate, you miss the halftime penalty shootout!  :005:

Totally agree with you IP, you cannot get the overall picture from a tv set, also what is a descending opinion? with most Yanks their opinions get louder as they go on and on and on :hook:

[LordNelson]

Not to be con-descending, but do you mean a "dissenting" opinion? :011:

[mccscratch]

I am not 100% sure what feed you guys receive but all this off the ball stuff does make me laugh a bit... As I have said, I have been to my share of live matches (and played for a long long time)... Fulham and others. My point is the HD feeds now are certainly set back more than the standard 480 ones...most of the time I am seeing half the field so I do indeed see the runs and off the ball movement 75% of the time...

Peabody, not everything I say and think regarding Fulham is about Eddie Johnson....contrary to what Fat Freddy will say, I just chime in on that subject often because my opinion is strong and I feel I have a very valuable football background. On top of that I frankly find most of the comments on Eddie just unfounded continuations of the slagging he received much earlier in his Fulham career and not pertinent for the current and real article on the pitch now .... The same old tired, "he does not know where to run", "he looks like a headless chicken", "he can't hit the broadside of a barn" etc... when frankly most of his efforts are on goal this past year force blocks or saves or just barely miss (rather than balls ending up in row Z or slowly rolling to the keeper like some other Fulham strikers), he runs and chases in the same manner as AJ (who gets plaudits for it) and he wins the ball in the air not just for the sake of winning it but often in the direction of a striking partner... but that is whole 'nother thread....

regarding Fellaini... ever since I started watching Everton and they moved him into more a box to box midfield role with less emphasis on attacking, I think he has been a top 5 CM in the prem...

[YankeeJim]

All of this sounds like whining to me. Both the telly and the ground have advantages but I find that when watching on the telly and even more so on the computer, one missing a lot. The rambling on of the tv "experts' is distracting & the camera does follow the ball. I sometimes see a play where someone breaks into space and I have no clue where the defender is. That, and my singing is really bad without the cover of 25k faithful.

BTW, the 106" screen has to be in  a bar.

[LordNelson]

I think you are spot on about EJ.  I suppose only increased time on the pitch would prove us right or wrong.  I would much rather see EJ than Kamara, that's for sure.

I don't think live/in person is necessarily better than good tele; they are just different.  With that said, I do think that you get more of the "big picture" & tactical sense from being there.

[finnster01]

All I know, given a choice, football or any other sport I rather watch it live in person and on the spot than on a TV even though the screen may be larger than Frank Lampard's butt.

[CorkCity]

There's another version too isn't there - well I've been watching Fulham since 1943 so my opinion is more valid than yours. Frankly, do f**k off. Provided the viewer/supporter knows what he's talking about in football terms, then having watched Fulham in the lower divisions carries no weight whatsoever.

I dont know, watching a rubbish Fulham team with less than 2000 hardy souls makes you appreciate how far the club has come and how it so important not to go back to the dark days.

[mccscratch]

All I know, given a choice, football or any other sport I rather watch it live in person and on the spot than on a TV even though the screen may be larger than Frank Lampard's butt.

For football I will totally agree with you, I would much rather be there but since the change of jobs I just can't get over as much. That being said... American Football... I much prefer to watch at home... I love the atmosphere for them but watching a game from 100 yards away and in an 80,000+ stadium gives you less enjoyment for the on-field action...