BAH Humbug! I am having to type this slowly, as if my finger speed were to match my temper my keyboard may disintegrate, which is a direct result of a newly diagnosed footballing condition, Refitis.
More worryingly, it appears to be one of the more sinister strands, Webb Syndrome, but more on that later.
Having been through the emotional rollercoaster that this wonderful sport provides for us in the last week or so, and probably teaching the kids words the oughtn’t know, I have been left with several points I want to raise and discuss.
So to tie in with the time of year where every meal appear to be some sort of buffet, invariably turkey based (or nut roast) I thought my piece should follow suit. I have Mcdonaldised my article, providing you with literary ‘Chicken Nuggets’ (or Veggie dippers – I don’t want to discriminate) to pick up at will, muse upon and chat about. Here goes:
I want to talk tonight
Following the Etihad game, Rodgers mouthed to the waiting world what each Red was thinking, about the officiating in that game (more on that later). As is their way, the FA (this will be a recurring theme in the article I feel), demanded he explain his comments as this was very naughty.
Fine, this is their way, they want to protect their staff in their own infallible nature, yet why is this not applied across the board? Why is Mourinho allowed to spout the rubbish he did about Suarez post match with no comeuppance? Sporting back pages merely carry his rent-a-quote about Suarez diving, nothing else, so those who have not seen the game continue with their tired stereotype. Nobody must ever question the ability or integrity of the man in the middle, but players? Crack on son.
Who needs fans?
As a club we have seen the two toughest fixtures of the year back to back, conspiracy theorists will claim a second match arranger on a grassy knoll did this to mess with the club, but I don’t buy that. My problem is, and it is relevant to half the division, that we have just witnessed 2 away games in the matter of 2/3 days.
Fortunately it wasn’t Newcastle and Southampton away. The FA owe a duty of care to the fans (hahaha I laughed whilst typing that, as if they care) paying no care to the extortionate expense of away tickets and travel at a traditionally costly time of year. Did games have to be played this weekend? Really?
Rise of the Machines
From the above point, don’t the FA have a duty of care to players as well as fans? As a club we have been told that both Allen and Henderson were playing at about 70% at the Bridge and we saw both Allen and Sakho taken off with problems and Suarez and Henderson limping away.
Sides like City and Chelsea have the money to afford a squad to cope with such a schedule, nobody else does. Two away games in a fast and furious league such as the Premiership in the space of 2/3 days is appalling. Perhaps if we speak their language: YOU ARE JEOPARDISING ENGLISH PLAYERS AHEAD OF A WORLD CUP.
Doubt even that would work as they have their payday from qualifying.
Now they care about Judaism?
This is less Liverpool related but needs saying. What Anelka did was at the very least just plain dumb and at worst quite troubling that in a somewhat enlightened country those in a position of influence both hold and flaunt such beliefs.
Either way, the talk is of a Suarez style punishment for his gesture and it would be hard to argue. The point being here is that the FA have previously been presented with instances of Anti-Semitism which they epically failed to address, most notably Frimpong. The ongoing chanting a Tottenham also has failed to be addressed one way or another.
Why act now? Because he did it in a televised match with cameras on him, not hidden away on Twitter or muted out by Sky. Says everything about the FA, weak and pandering to populist opinion.
The Good, the Mason and The Webb
Lee Mason is a poor referee, always has been (Remember Fulham away?) . That’s not me speaking as a bitter red fan, its me speaking from watching him in game after game regardless of our involvement. There are question marks about whether he should be a Premier League referee let alone take charge of such a big game. I wonder what action the FA will take…? None!
Howard Webb is supposed to be the English pinnacle of refereeing. We are in trouble.
At the Bridge, Webb showed that he either isn’t good enough or bottles big games. Eto’o should have seen red, regardless of if in minute 1 or 90, he was closer to 2 balls with his stud than the one ball he should have gone for. Oscar spoiled an excellent performance with a cowardly challenge, gets a yellow, meaning that no further action can be taken due to yet another silly FA rule.
Suarez should have had two penalties, one against the English Sweetheart and one against a man who shouldn’t have been on the pitch, yet all we are told in the press today is Suarez dived.
Four major decisions all wrong. Would have been nice to hear from Webb…
Red and Proud
We have come through the 2 toughest fixtures in the league, and whilst on paper it looks rubbish, my head is held very much high.
At the Etihad we left aggrieved that we didn’t get even a point for such a strong performance where our rivals have left embarrassed, and at the Bridge, a walking wounded side with a 19 year old debutant (Hazard should be ashamed of himself for trying to get him booked, but as if anyone related to Mourinho could feel shame) come away feeling that in spite of a jaded first half performance, we could have got something from the game and the multimillionaires were reduced to time wasting and then celebrated as if they had won the X-Factor with the Portuguese Louis Walsh bounding about like Zebedee.
We are a club on the right path, heading in the right direction.
Want to chat about any of these or more, then comment here or find me on twitter @timdibs
i know our squad is thin but i got angry at our defenders when i could no longer understand why they were showing too much mercy to oscar, hazard and willian, while the chelsea team were busy killing suarez, coutinho, sterling, henderson and even joe allen. I know mascherano, dirk kuyt and stevie wldn’t take the crap if they on the pitch.
I think you do them somewhat of a disservice, first half after conceding Chelsea were excellent, the pressed, played at pace and with a high tempo, not many teams in the world could live with that, let alone a team with 2 players at 70% fitness.
Also worth stating that the 3 CFCS players you mention wouldn’t give much change out of £100m. These are experienced players, fit and top of their game. Chelsea, like City should win all home games. It testament to our lot how they reacted second half making Chelsea resort to time wasting and flopping.
U will not blame chelsea players that is mourinho kind of game, in madrid he did that to xavi he use segeo ramos to injure xavi and all barca player, he is not a coach. He likes negative games and the english refs are so blind that they can not see things.
is it coincidence that wenger has never won against mourinho? its simply cos his players don’t know when to stop playing football and fight. if cfc play the way they played against lfc yes2day, against any of city, swansea, manure, everton, and (tony pulis stoke), they wld get exactly what they asked for and the ref wld ve no choice than to blow his whistle, give the fouls/pens and show the cards be it yellow or red.
NB: most of this sides dont play kick and punch but they all know when to follow suit.
Load of waffle . If you have something to say then say it, until then – STOP BORING US .
I will continue to say it Skrtel makes our defence very shaky and it’s now obvious to everybody that Skrtel doesn’t know how to handle high pressure games.eg against Mancity home and reverse last season.To me he seems to be comfortable when we are loosing or drawing.Skrtel and Lucas are our problem not Mignolet or Johnson.Lucas is crap no goal,no assist,no attacking pace,infact am sick of seeing people call him The terminator.
Do you just cut and paste your comments from week to week? Go watch another sport and quit poisoning the pot. It’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” not “You’ll Never Whine Alone.”
Oh shut up u blinkered clown . I’ve read your clueless articles , they are S H I T E . YOU CANT TALK
I’m am Arsenal fan but just amazed at the refereeing decisions against Liverpool, it’s just comedy, people need to WAKE up, the EPL is not immune to refs knowing which side of the bread is buttered, there is simply not a level playing field, Liverpool could be top of the league except for the ridiculous decisions in the last two games, and let’s not pretend they could have gone the other way
tim, you didnt get my point. terry, ivanovic, azplicueta, luiz, cahill, ashley cole, eto etc, were all playing our players instead of the ball and i think it is criminal for our players to keep soaking it in after the injustice done to us at city. willian, oscar and hazard did well cos they were given room to perform while our players kept being punched and kicked in the other half of the pitch.
Chukwuemeka it’s bcos we are away am sure Riley has promised Brendan favourable refereing when Jose and Pellegrini’s boys come to town.Riley knows that was a complete joke.
Some good points. I’m still a bit raw with some of the decisions but still believe both referees made mistakes rather than deliberately ignored the issues. I just wish referees didn’t apply common sense & just stuck to the rules. Then everyone would be treated equally. I’ve tried to make sense of Mourinho’s after match comments & have decided he’s lost it. Any respect I had left for him went when he thought Suarez should have had a yellow card. Stevie Wonder even said it was a penalty.
I totally dislike d FA… it simply means federation of anarchist, corrupt group of individuals
Liverpool NEED :
Cristian Tello in Left Wing
Mohamed Salah in Right Wide / Right Winger
Marcherano Back
………………………………. Mignolet ……………………………….
………….Skertel…………….Agger…………….Shako…………….
Salah…………………………Marcherano……………………..Tello
………………Lucas……………………………..Hendo……………..
………………………………..Cautinho………………………………
……………Sterling……………………………………………………
………………………………….Suarez……………………………….
Lol! Youre a genius, if we play with 12 players we’ll have more chance of winning!
The FA are sick men that does have eyes they dance ferguson power, do not no ferguson is in the english FA, Spain is far far far better than England in foot ball, this things mourinho is doing they will not take that from him but england he can do any thing. They have to talk to their refs or send them on training to spain or germany or italy
English ref need to go for training from the masters spain italy germans they need eye check up all english refs
Since there is a mechanism in punishing the players by dishing out yellow and red cards , likewise the referees should also have such a system. The FA should allow the clubs to file a complain on bad refereeing . F.A should conduct an investigation with review video as the main source of evidence. If investigation finds that the referee is at fault then the FA should met out appropriate action.
Wishing all at live4liverpool a Happy New Year 2014.
FA should come plain to rodgers because england lack the expatty to officiate games, spain refs are far better than english ref i will rate english ref 10% spain ref 90%