posted Mar 26, 2008

Well done Sleepingpoundman we'll fight for forth while you try and catch up on the trophy front...still the most decorated British team..EVER

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posted Mar 26, 2008

Referee's have been showing more than enough respect to players for years now by listening to them whine, complain, and argue about the decisions that have been made.
Bennett was right to book Torres, he was fully aware of how many fouls had been committed, and did not deem it neccessary to book the player, it is no place of Torres to tell the referee whom to book and when.
Mascherano was guilty as soon as he ran from 15 yards away to protest at the referee's decision, how did he show Mr Bennett any respect at all? He didn't, so he didn't deserve any back. The red card was just, as is the FA's consideration of an extention to the ban.

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posted Mar 26, 2008

"All this came off the back of sulky Cole in midweek - who only got a yellow for all he did!"

Yes - and Mascherano was only given a yellow card as well... unfortunately, it was his 2nd of the game.

Whilst i think the sending off was harsh on liverpool, I totally agree with this stance from officials, as long as it is followed up and re-enforced throughout the rest of the season and beyond! Clear regulations need to be put into place that players and spectators alike can read and clearly understand. Too much footie law is reaction-based and poorly thought out, only to be dismissed or forgotten within a year. Just set the law "players other than captains are not permitted to speak to the officials unless called by an official". That would sort all of this mess out and make future bookings clear cut for everyone.

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posted Mar 26, 2008

Ref needed to sort out his control.

1) Mascherano could not say he shouldn't have been sent off. To be honest,it was just a matter of time. however, the initial second yellow was not really deserved. His conduct afterwrds warranted a straight red.
2) Why did Torres get booked in the first place? When the ref blew I was cheering because i thought a decision had FINALLY gone our way.
3) Where were Gerrard, Carra? They are the captains and vice-captains respectively, so why was it Alonso and Aurelio trying to sort it out?
4) Why didn't Mascherano just get off the pitch?? The furore he created means we'll probably miss him for the Arsenal League game and the next game against Blackburn, and whilst Lucas is good, he's nowhere near as good as Mascherano, simply because he's young!
5) Any other day, the ref wouldn't have booked him. The ref showed that he had no control of the game and the Ref's association (or whatever they belong to, I don't know) need to sort him, and all the other refs, how to do their job properly. By making decision like that, the refs aren't exactly going to get respect from the players, are they??

Food for thought...?

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posted Mar 26, 2008

Do you honestly believe that Mascherano deserves any respect at all ?

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posted Mar 27, 2008

if you are a ref like the rest, presumably you want man utd to win the title also?

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If he was a ref than like most of them, he would award Arsenal every game an extra 10 minutes after the regulation 90 to get an equalizer. If it was not for such generous phantom minutes of extra time, Arsenal would be midtable..

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posted Mar 28, 2008

Macherano didn't say ruled out things b\c he didn't talk with refree like tempered(hot),he could ask why torres got yellow card respectifully. I think he isnot England.that is why refree gave red card.

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posted Mar 30, 2008

A few days ago I said watch MOTD and listen for the pundits highlighting appalling refereeing decisions that have an impact on the outcome of the game......
Brum V Man City? anyone?
And that's just for starters, Rob Styles had an absolute nightmare of a game. Shoulder charging is now a penalty?

As usual the TV cameras showed Rooney's reaction to his disallowed goal, stopping him from claiming a hat-trick. He jogs over to the linesman and gives him a load of abuse and then when it looks like things have calmed down he says to the same official, " W****R"! No booking. After last week, why not? This is all I'm asking.

If Mr Beannet showed courage last week, why couldn't other refs do the same this week? And please note I am not trying to imply that there is bias at OT, perish the thought.

Meanwhile, I believe Beannet is in charge of the Chelsea game today, another important game, hope he doesn't prform as badly. There's also the Merseyside derby, a game in which I have a vested interest. Don't know who the ref is, don't care, just hope he isn't on another planet. We have also been treated to the sight of David Moyes lecturing us on RESPECT, because at the "People's Club" they don't "Chase Referee's". No, but Andrew Johnson dives like a salmon every time he can. Glass houses, Mr Moyes. Curbs say's the Hammers' Sears is an example, an example of what exactly? Another cheat? Sooner or later the Managers including Rafa, have to stop hiding behind whatever it is on the touchline that stops them seeing every contentious incident.

Dissent is not consistent, it IS, as a previous poster suggested, applied when the ref takes a personal dislike to any player. Respect? Cole and Ballack turned their backs on refs and then you see Beannet refuse to speak to Masch other than a DISMISSIVE wave of the hand and "Off"! Then turns his back on the player and walks away. Do these "men" have any culpability for their actions? Some of you act like there has never been any evidence of corruption within the game. For respect read C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-C-Y. Cole's tackle was not a red card, this week however, Diaby's at Bolton was, and rightly so given Arsenal's reaction to Eduardo's awful injury. See, no consistency.

Perhaps if there was more consistency (not perfection as some idiot puts it), the players would feel less frustrated and less inclined to "lose it" with the ref. Sun Jihai laughed at the Penalty decision in yesterdays game because he knew it was pathetic. Fair play for not hassling the ref, but come on. What if that decision stops City getting into the European places at the end of the season? Is that fair? No, of course not. The whole team's efforts over the course of the season ruined by one "fallible" human being, who may have to ref a game at Colchester (no offence meant)as punishment, where-as players can find bans extended for daring to appeal against some of these bookings and sending offs. Pathetic, utterly pathetic and these incidents are definately ruining the game.

And finally, no , this is not why Liverpool "lost" at OT.

OK?

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posted Mar 30, 2008

Liverpool supporter criticising others for diving.What a joke.

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posted Mar 30, 2008

saturday_sam

You're not really paying attention are you?
The point is obviously lost on you. It isn't that I don't think Liverpool players have not been or will be guilty of this sort of thing, I was merely using Johnson as an example of Moyes' blinkered approach to his own players, just like Curbishley has done with Freddie Sears. If you had bothered to try to understand what I had written you would have realised that I also hold Rafael Benitez responsible for similar actions as well as practically every other Premier League manager. Until these managers take a step forward and hold their own players accountable, then none of them really has any room for critisising other clubs or players.

Discipline in the game is not purely the domain of the Referees, it is the responsibilty of the players themselves, the management of their respective clubs and finally the Referees and the FA. Is that unreasonable? I don't think so, but hey, that's just my opinion.

Will any of these players be dropped from the team as a punishment for their behaviour? I wouldn't have thought so, there is too much at stake for a good player to be made an example of. Other Liverpool fans have echoed this sentiment by suggesting that Mascherano should be banned for the rest of the season following his unacceptable actions. His club fine of 2 weeks wages is to be donated to charity and Benitez has claimed that this shows that he is an all round good egg but let's face it, it's a drop in the ocean compared to what I earn each YEAR, and I'm just one of the monkeys paying through the nose for a matchday ticket, so it obviously has nothing to do with me.

Very similar sentiments were made by Avram Grant following Ashley's public appology. It is something that ALL clubs, players and staff are guilty of, it's just that it turns my stomach when some people such as Curbishley or Moyes(for example) make a point of stating that their PARTICULAR club/players do not do it. Rubbish. Watch the game and tell me at the end that not a single blue shirt tries to gain an advantage by "Simulation" or does not swear at the officials or commit some minor act of dissent and then I'll believe him.

I'm trying to remain objective and if all you want to do is disagree without bothering to back that up with some evidence to the contrary then that's fine with me. Just do me a favour, try to understand what I'm trying to say before you tell me it's a joke. You are entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine. I'm not trying to be Holier Than Thou, because at no point have I said that Liverpool are faultless nor am I defending Mascherano. Far from it, he let the club down because I think we could have done with him in the team today. Moyes is trying to score points ahead of the game by using the media in exactly the sort of way that Ferguson does with UTD. "Look Ref, we respect you, so go easy on us today", that's how it comes across to me. I think we'd be better off if some of these Managers, again, Rafa included, would stop talking and start acting. Satisfied mate? No, I doubt it somehow. But I'll tell you this much, I've at least put some thought into what I've written.

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