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FOOTBALL | HENRY WINTER
Henry Winter’s Weekend Wonders: Gabriel Jesus cruelly denied by a law that is wrong for the game
Saluting the game’s good guys

Henry Winter, Chief Football Writer
August 19 2019, 12:01am, The Times

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Gabriel Jesus: The game is about players, supporters and the spontaneous joy at a goal, especially a brilliantly-taken winner like the Manchester City striker’s against Tottenham Hotspur with the final whistle imminent. It is not about Laws decided by the robotic and soulless technocrats with no sense of the spirit and flow of the game, no affinity with the emotion of the game.

Jesus’ goal was cancelled by VAR applying Law 12’s update on handball, the ball having flirted with Aymeric Laporte’s sleeve en route to Jesus.

Jesus’ goal was cancelled by VAR, the ball having flirted with Laporte’s sleeve
Jesus’ goal was cancelled by VAR, the ball having flirted with Laporte’s sleeve
GETTY IMAGES
It was the right decision under the new Laws, but patently wrong for football. The game does not belong to IFAB (the International Football Association Board, who set the Laws) it belongs to players and fans, especially those in the stadium having their experience wrecked by new dogmas of pedantry.

It also undermines good referees like Michael Oliver, and damages VAR, which is needed but was designed to catch the bigger mistakes. The sooner the new handball Law is re-assessed, the better for all.

Bolton deserve to wake up to a new dawn
Phil Parkinson: A good man and manager fighting passionately for a famous club in administration, working with only three senior players and some willing youngsters, facing a shameless businessman in Laurence Bassini, who tried to delay Bolton Wanderers’ takeover by Football Ventures. Let’s hope Saturday’s 5-0 defeat away to Tranmere Rovers is the darkest hour before the new dawn, and the takeover goes through this week.

Graduate’s hard work opens door at Norwich
Todd Cantwell: Another graduate of Norwich City’s wonderful academy, another riposte to those who criticised the club for not buying more. Cantwell hails from Dereham, which prides itself on being “the heart of Norfolk” — the Tesco car park is apparently the epicentre of the county — and he’s proving unexpectedly central to Norwich’s Premier League plans. Cantwell, 21, starts wide and drifts effectively into the centre, creating two of Teemu Pukki’s goals against Newcastle United at Carrow Road. Over the summer, Norwich fans debated whether he should go on loan but the head coach Daniel Farke clearly saw huge potential. #TC14, as he signs off on social media, operates to the mantra of when “opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door” and his hard work has built this chance. Cantwell emerged from a good pre-season, looking physically stronger and more assertive and Newcastle struggled with his movement, balance, quick-thinking and clever final ball.

Posted By: norway, Aug 19, 08:39:09