Nerik

The discussion moved on from the original scenario which I gave my interpretation about a few days ago.

It is not. A keeper's save is not considered as a rebound off an opponent as far as I know. Here they are talking about a shot taking a deflection off an opponent into the attacker's path.

2 defenders are stated in the rule (the keeper could and usually is one of them in an offside/not offside scenario).

No it is not. It changed a few years ago and hasn't been reversed. The FIFA rules says that a rebound off a post or an opponent will make it offside but no mention of a keeper saving it as that constitutes a new action. Here is an article from a couple of years back explaining the new interpretation when it was introduced. http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/sto...1137811,00.html

I'd agree but the current interpretation of the offside law means he is not offside, even though being offside earlier on aided him score.

Mascherano is a good player. Very good. Yesterday he had a bad game and with the team performing the way it did, his shortcomings will be highlighted even more. I agree that his passing is not that good but I do think that he is quicker than what most people think he is. In a stuttering game one might question his use but when there is a lot of pressure by us on opponents (Derby home) or we are up against the top midfields around (Milan, Chelsea) his presence will be noted...........positively.

1. Benayoun 2. Reina 3. Torres

Once the goalie saves the ball a new action has started and the position of the player at that time counts. If he started off ahead of the defenders when the shot was taken but was no longer so when the goalie saved and the rebound came towards him then it is a goal. This is the most controversial part of the offside rule as it can easily be argues that he is still taking advantage of the fact that he was offside a few seconds before.

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Michael Mifsud scored 2. Never felt prouder being Maltese. He should have had 4 on the night. Poor Mancs............NOT.

The term all-round striker seems apt for this guy. In the same way that Gerrard is more than average in all things a midfielder is expected to do, the same can be said of Torres as a striker. Quite fast, skillful, good eye for goal, strong, good in the air, good passing, good vision of play....................CLASS IN A GLASS!

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If when the guy took the shot he was still ahead of all defenders then yes it was offside, if a defender had recovered and was placed ahead of him then no it was not offside as it is a new action.

12. Jose isn't there anymore.

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I think Yossi would have been useful if available. It was the type of game in which we were camped in the opposing half and created few chances of note. If Yossi was available he could have been on the bench instead of a striker. Babel would have been a 4th striking option. With Pennant injured we could have brought on Yossi at RM. We could have pushed up Riise to LM, switched Arbeloa to LB and brought on Finnan at RB. That would have given us two new pairs of players down the wings and another try at making headway against the resolute Brum defence.

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I think the main problem of Arbeloa at CB will be his lack of height. Paired with Carra it will be a bit of a problem at times, especially during set pieces. Apart from that I think he can do a good enough job for a couple of games if needed.