Emotions are high, emotions are raw and thankfully now the game has come to a close the only red that I am seeing is the victorious red of Liverpool! This could have been very different at the Boleyn today, very different, and at the business end of the season something like this has serious implications. You will not be surprised to hear that I am referring to Anthony Taylor in this specific instance and that wonderful organisation, The FA (massive sarcasm alert) in general.
To put it bluntly, not a goal, not a pen.
In fact, that Flano ‘penalty ‘ raises a Shakespearean question, as Stevie wheels away with not only the lead but the Kings place in the annals of Anfield’s greatest scorers, a wounded Big Sam in his most eloquent Boss Nass way, spraying poor old Colin Pascoe with saliva as he dropped to his knees and proclaimed ‘ET TU, BRUTE?’.
In all honesty he has a point, Taylor will have retreated to his little room, safe in the knowledge that he will never have to justify a decision he makes, well aware he made a boob. Myself, normally a huge fan of boobs was apoplectic with rage at half time, trying to use the force to throttle Taylor whilst he was supping a cup of tea bent over stroking his whistle uttering the word ‘precious’, failing miserably due to my appalling lack of midicholrians. Re-entering the fray, Taylor will have been eager to ‘balance out’ proceedings (more on that later), and the only reason that he didn’t blow his whistle the moment Flano began to fall was because he was overexcited that he had the chance to make amends and was fumbling it around in his sweaty palms.
Sadly at the end of the day we are once again talking about the officials rather than the excellent 3 points won by Liverpool or the stalwart approach by West Ham in shackling the 2 best forwards in the league. Yet we are constantly told that – and this grinds my gears – ‘decisions level themselves out’, ‘come the end of the season things will balance themselves out’ and ‘you win some you lose some’. Arrgghh; it’s 2014 for crying out loud, we are we being placated with such ludicrous nonsense and blasé approach in the name of safeguarding officials.
FIFA, UEFA and the FA have spent millions on goal line technology in order to ensure the 3 or 4 incidents each season that are hugely embarrassing for officials who give/don’t give them, are settled. No longer will we have the officials to blame for dumping us out of the World Cup for failing to see Lampard scored (we may have to look at the manager!), and rightly so. If the technology is there and it can ensure that the correct decisions are made then of course we should use it.
It is fairly accepted I would suggest that the face-saving goal line technology brings far outweighs the need. I would suggest the number of times goal line technology is required barely reaches double figures a season, yet we have spent millions on it. This is bizarre when we sit idly by failing to utilise technology that is already present and would cost nothing to solve many, many more problems each season.
Today’s game at West Ham portrayed this wonderfully well. As the Liverpool players approach Anthony Taylor in utter disbelief we see Luis Suarez and Mamadou Sakho point incredulously at the ‘jumbotron’ which clearly showed the face slap and arm slap from Carroll which forced Mignolet to drop the ball on the feet of Demel. It was almost a basket ball incident with Carroll imitating Dennis Rodman. At this point, the ball is not in play, we are not in a situation where play has continued, so what is the rush in making a decision?
Lets get it right for crying out loud. We have seen today that an instant reply is what it says on the tin, instant, and at Premier League grounds there are a zillion cameras so we can see it from any conceivable angle. I don’t want to open up that rugby debate, but it baffles me that when in a dead ball situation why officials can not take 30 seconds or less to review and ensure that they make the right decision.
Decisions like this affect games. It’s a different game, obviously, if West Ham start the second half a goal down and the referee doesn’t have the fact that he made a absolute clanger at the forefront of his mind.
Sound-byte time, wait for it.. you will like it I promise (see terms and conditions of this ‘promise’) why are we sat saying ‘Et tu, Brute?’ when in actual fact we should be saying ‘VT, FA?’ Hah? See what I did there? Sounds similar yeah! Whatever! Point still stands, this is 2014, and this is a multi million – scratch that – billion pound industry, but week in, week out fans are returning home in disbelief that an official could make such a blunder to affect their team’s title challenge/promotion push/relegation battle over incidents that could be rectified almost instantaneously using tools already present.
Enough is enough FA, fans pay into your sport on a daily basis in ever increasing amounts, the least you can do if you are not going to tackle the majority of your many inadequacies, the least you can do is send fans home knowing that, where possible, the correct decision was made and the final result is as fair as it can be.
Would love to hear your thoughts, and comments, come find me on twitter @timdibs
Glad this game is out of the way, you can never tell with West (effing) Ham. Good character shown by the players, Sakho was superb. Excellent at bringing the ball and and finding a team mate.
I think it’s clear to those who run the sport that video replay is required,it will come, just not anytime soon. Maybe in the 2020’s.
You wanted to finish 4th!!! Haaa haaa!
Come on uuuu Redsss!!!!
Diego my arch enemy, everyone was hoping to get top four at the start of the season. Even if we finish fourth this year the season will be viewed as a great success. I have never said that we can’t achieve more than that, it appears as if we can.
As Rodgers himself said, we aimed to qualify for Champions League and anything better than fourth is a huge bonus.
You pointing out the minimum requirement that most fans wanted, at the start of the season, saying this was our limit, again shows your way of thinking. Nothing wrong with that, just glad I don’t think he same.
I also remember some arguments with you regarding Brendan’s ability and tactical nous…. what have you now to say on the matter….? I have been both consistent and honest, can you say the same.
Great win today boys, scary at times but what a win.
If you re-read my comments i was the one who said theres no reason why we couldnt win the title and give our kids a chance and lo & behold we are finally doing both things so ermm i think an apology is required old matie!!!
Come on uuuuu Reds!!!!
And when did you start saying this Diego, certainly wasn’t until we reached top over Christmas, your posts beforehand were quite terse, regarding our progress under Rodgers.
So you are, maybe, entitled to a fraction of an apology (not from me), however you do deserve more than a fraction of applause for seeing the light…..eventually. Well done mate.
In my mind I was choking the life outta Anthony Taylor at half time. I know he works a lot with Webb and that’s why I thought he ignored the linesman.
Wheres no sheep with his ‘we should sell Suarez’ or Yana with his ‘never wanna see Gerrard in a red shirt again’ nonsense!!!
Haaa haaa!!!
Bring on Man Sh***y!!!!
u talk like a full DIEego. Which club did u follow idiot
Its fool by the way and err who looks the FOOL now?!!!
video replay wld be boring nd a waste of time…the 4th official will do
Diego ‘Digger’ Souness
5 months ago
Rodgers has wasted all the good work of our youth team. Wisdom, Sterling, Kelly, Suso, Flanno & Robinson all nowhere to be seen, all have gone backwards. Rodgers is a cheque-book manager, he cant coach or motivate these lads so just signs more to ‘solve’ the problem. Its a disgrace to see these kids careers thrown away by an inept coach.
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Diego ‘Digger’ Souness
4 months ago
Typical pleb Craig posting the ‘i told you so’ comment. Most fans were willing to give BR at least two years, you just make up garbage to make urself look like the ‘loyal’ dignified fan when your just a pleb!! Show us the links where anyone wanted BR sacked then??
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Exactly no ‘sell suarez’ sheep, Sterling, Flanno have been given time and games which was exactly what i was asking for! We didnt need cheque book signings to challenge for the title after all, so i was right the current squad was good enough to challenge for top spot.
Apology please mr no brains err sheep!!!
Exactly what?
“Rodgers has wasted all the good work of our youth team. Wisdom, Sterling, Kelly, Suso, Flanno & Robinson all nowhere to be seen, all have gone backwards.”
Please show where above you asked for the kids to be given time?
“Rodgers is a cheque-book manager, he cant coach or motivate these lads so just signs more to ‘solve’ the problem.”
Please show above where you said we don’t need to sign players to challenge for the top?
” Its a disgrace to see these kids careers thrown away by an inept coach.”
Your a joke lad and you will never change.
The only person at the club you have showed any loyalty to is the one player that has shown no loyalty to the club. So when he goes in the summer and I’m pretty sure he will I just hope you go with him.
At least I’m man enough to stand by my comments Diego. You came on trying to gloat. Ha ha. Your a joke lad and always have been. Now why don’t you go find your mate realist/troll hunter/fat irish barman and what ever other names he was posting under. It would be nice for you to talk to people on your own footballing knowledge.
good work Sherlock.
Can’t wait for his retort following this, such damaging evidence to the contrary of his claims.
Amazing to witness such elation from Digger, followed by a complete demise so quickly, in the space of less than 3 hours, incredible.
Level of footballing knowledge
Get your accusations straight, i never called BR a fat barman, that was some other poster. Also, we didnt need Konoplanka, Willian or Saleh to challenge for the title which would have cost 60 odd million, so again i was right!
Apology would be nice….
Diego, you called him a ‘cheque book manager’ … proven wrong!
That’s number 1..
2: you said he ‘cannot motivate players’… proven wrong!
3: all the ‘good work with the youth teams wasted’ …proven wrong!
4: ‘we didn’t need Willian or Salah to challenge for the title’ ….maybe we don’t/didn’t, maybe Sterling or Coutinho get injured, then they certainly would come in handy.
So just of four points alone, one of which is only a half truth (currently) the other three false and early accusations, proven wrong…. your after an apology! for what? Being right the least amount of times… ridiculous.
My mind feels like it’s just been toasted in a waffle maker having digested your absurdity.
His silence is deafening!!!
Great Br played Sakho ahead regardless of claims that he is injured.welldone boys.Brendan show them…