Is It Fair

[John_Rambo]

Happy Hammer sounds quite pathetically bitter about it. I wonder for what reason he thinks Liverpool have accumulated a large squad of international players?

[muckypups]

Wiser counsel has informed me that a player must make 10 appearances in a season to qualify for Premiership medal. So, with that in mind and just for the fun of guessing.. could this be the team that Fergie fields against West Ham on Sunday?

Van de Sar

O'Shea

Brown

Vidic

Evra

Ronaldo

Fletcher

Carrick

Richardson

Solskjaer

Smith

SUBS From

Kuszczak

Neville

Ferdinand

Giggs

Scholes

Rooney

Saha

Doesn't look too bad to me..

[EastSaxCol]

Wiser counsel has informed me that a player must make 10 appearances in a season to qualify for Premiership medal. So, with that in mind and just for the fun of guessing.. could this be the team that Fergie fields against West Ham on Sunday?

Van de Sar

O'Shea

Brown

Vidic

Evra

Ronaldo

Fletcher

Carrick

Richardson

Solskjaer

Smith

SUBS From

Kuszczak

Neville

Ferdinand

Giggs

Scholes

Rooney

Saha

Doesn't look too bad to me..

Ferguson has said that he'll play his stongest side. Which suits us just fine really. None of them will want to risk getting injured or suspended before the Cup Final.

[muckypups]

That's the issue HH.. last game of the season, at home, the day the trophy is presented.. I guess United would like to to put on a show.. and quite rightly so. But Fergie now says he'll play his strongest available side. Well, I wonder how many minor knocks and tired legs will be revealed come Sunday? If he needs to rest some players to protect them for Wembley (that sounds good to say again.. ) then it's fine by me.. A mix of regular first-team and squad players has served us well during our recent injury crisis.. And one thing's for sure.. win, lose or draw, I'll be watching us lift that beautiful trophy..again..

[EastSaxCol]

. And one thing's for sure.. win, lose or draw, I'll be watching us lift that beautiful trophy..again..

Can't argue with that pal.

As for the result on Suday I really wouldn't like to guess. 3-0 to you, 1-0 to us, a draw- who knows?

As much as I'd like us to spoil the party, the most important aspect for us relies on the other relegation game. If Warnock doesn't throw it out of spite - I can't see Wigan winning.

[Jared]

Another reason some of the better players were rested for that game was so that they did not pick up an injury. Following that game we got 4 injured players, Reina has a shoulder problem and will out for the Charlton match, if hes out of the final I will cry but i dont think its that serious. Gonzalez and Alvaro both pick up ankle problems and Sissoko has a knee injury. Not to mention Alonzo getting head butted but that prick Brown.

[scousemouse]

Wiser counsel has informed me that a player must make 10 appearances in a season to qualify for Premiership medal. So, with that in mind and just for the fun of guessing.. could this be the team that Fergie fields against West Ham on Sunday?

Van de Sar

O'Shea

Brown

Vidic

Evra

Ronaldo

Fletcher

Carrick

Richardson

Solskjaer

Smith

SUBS From

Kuszczak

Neville

Ferdinand

Giggs

Scholes

Rooney

Saha

Doesn't look too bad to me..

Alan Smith still wont get a premiership medal , he hasnt played enough games in the premiership.

Maybe he should go back to Leeds .

[scousemouse]

There has been some talk about teams fielding weaker sides in the league because of other commitments.

Take Liverpool today for example....hardly any regulars in the side ...saving all their best players for the European Cup Final and that is not till 23rd May.

Is it just lucky for Fulham that they played them on this particular day? Or is it VERY unfair on the teams around them.

Who would have predicted that Fulham would win if Liverpool were playing their first team?

There was a lot of hasle when Boro left Mark Viduka out of an EPL game a month or so ago because they were saving him for the cup replay with MU?

Boro could have fielded a weaker team against Wigan today, but they did not , and they have nothing to play for,

Are Liverpool guilty of showing dissrespet to other clubs by their team selection?

Fulham winning a match they had no right to win (no wins in 10 games and beat the European Cup Finalists ) could cost another side their Premiership Status worth MILLIONS.

What do you guys think?

Chelsea 0-0 Man U.

Is it still disrespectful now ???????

[EastSaxCol]

Fears that West Ham would face further enquiries or even a points deduction following pressure from the 'gang of four' have diminished slightly as it has become apparent that Premier League investigators had more 'pressing' engagements.

At the top of the pile was Tim Howard's transfer from Manchester Utd to Everton, followed closely by Liverpool for fielding an under strength 'B' team against Fulham in a game that was crucial for the west Londoners survival.

Although the investigations were yet more headaches for the already under pressure Premier League administrators, there is a silver lining both for the PL and ironically for West Ham United. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry was the person who lead the chase to dig the dirt on West Ham 'after' his club had managed to secure the services of Javier Mascherano, indeed Parry furnished the PL with as much information that he could that would put Hammers in a bad light, some sceptics say that this was because he wanted to get Carlitos 'the Apache' Tevez on the cheap!

The other p*** named Parry, from Talksport, also jumped on the waggon big time. If these two scousers were really concerned about the state of the game and the letter of the law, then they might want to read the regulations about fielding under strength teams, a rule where there IS a precedent for deducting points, especially where there is the possibility of collusion.

This brings us neatly to the Fulham situation. Noises about appeals and points deductions coming out of Craven Cottage have become strangely muted since the 'Pool rolled over for Fulham, and we can confirm that Hammers have already put in place papers that could see the club suing the League for NOT nullifying the Fulham result if the vindictive campaign against West Ham continue.

[ThaiPauly]

There has been some talk about teams fielding weaker sides in the league because of other commitments.

Take Liverpool today for example....hardly any regulars in the side ...saving all their best players for the European Cup Final and that is not till 23rd May.

Is it just lucky for Fulham that they played them on this particular day? Or is it VERY unfair on the teams around them.

Who would have predicted that Fulham would win if Liverpool were playing their first team?

There was a lot of hasle when Boro left Mark Viduka out of an EPL game a month or so ago because they were saving him for the cup replay with MU?

Boro could have fielded a weaker team against Wigan today, but they did not , and they have nothing to play for,

Are Liverpool guilty of showing dissrespet to other clubs by their team selection?

Fulham winning a match they had no right to win (no wins in 10 games and beat the European Cup Finalists ) could cost another side their Premiership Status worth MILLIONS.

What do you guys think?

Chelsea 0-0 Man U.

Is it still disrespectful now ???????

What's your point here?

Sorry I do not get it

[Tarragona]

Ferguson has said that he'll play his stongest side. Which suits us just fine really. None of them will want to risk getting injured or suspended before the Cup Final.

Exactly.

That's why the team Liverpool sent out at Fulham would have been a more competitive match than a full set of regulars.

You really do believe everything should be handed to West Ham on a platedon't you?

[highchol]

Fair .....of course it isnt fair.

whenever has fairness been part of football?

My lot have managed to put out a weakened team each week for the last 3 years.

[EastSaxCol]

That's why the team Liverpool sent out at Fulham would have been a more competitive match than a full set of regulars.

Then that says it all about Liverpool players. But as it goes there's very little logic or truth in it, imo. If you think that the L'pool team that "rolled over" against an - at best - mediocre Fulham were competitive then you, and most others, obviously have a different definition of the word.

You really do believe everything should be handed to West Ham on a platedon't you

Simple answer ...no. Just appreciate a re-addressing of the balance.

[John_Rambo]

That's why the team Liverpool sent out at Fulham would have been a more competitive match than a full set of regulars.

Then that says it all about Liverpool players. But as it goes there's very little logic or truth in it, imo. If you think that the L'pool team that "rolled over" against an - at best - mediocre Fulham were competitive then you, and most others, obviously have a different definition of the word.

Did you see the game?

Obviously not, because despite throw away media lines like 'rolled over', Liverpool comfortably controlled that game and on another day would have won by a few goals. Not only were they competitive, but they were the better team. Fulham can count themselves very lucky that they scored with their only chance of the game, that Liverpool's finishing was wayward, and that Brown stayed on the pitch after his disgraceful first half headbut. They got away with it and stole the game.

I suppose the team that drew at Brammall lane on the first day of the season wasn't competitive, and how about the side that 'rolled over' 1-0 at Blackburn. I suppose Liverpool weren't interested in putting out competitive sides then either. They don't win every game they play, and they have rotated their side all season. But there is nothing that anyone can do about the fact that these games are meaningless to Liverpool's season. It happens at the end of every season with disinterested sides who are safe in mid table with nothing to play for, or have cup finals to look forward to.

At the end of last season i was at Fratton Park to watch Portsmouth beat a Middlesbrough side to climb out of the relegation zone, that had rested many of their first eleven in preperation for the UEFA Cup. You can imagine the standard of the back up that came in to face Pompey. I don't remember this huge talking point taking place then. Nobody cared because people accepted that at the end of every season there are sides with nothing left to play for in the league, and it was only Middlesbrough who are hardly good for making a big talking point out of.

As soon as Liverpool had qualified for the Champions League final and it was obvious that they would rotate players in games that are meaningless to them, the media already had their stories complete with innacurate taglines like 'reserve side', 'B team' and 'rolled over' already lined up for if Liverpool lost a game. Their agenda is to create stories and talking points, and Liverpool are an easy big target for criticism because they're significant and people are interested in them. If Benitez had picked his strongest eleven and Gerrard and Carragher got injured the bias of the medias reporting would completely swing the other way to criticism of him for that decision.

The obligation that the other lower clubs and their fans now feel Liverpool have to put out there strongest side every single week, when they haven't been doing that all season, is completely ridiculous. There were only about two players in that Liverpool team who wouldn't be regulars at any one of the bottom clubs. A team packed full of quality internationals, most of whom have been regulars in the starting eleven all season, and they have the gaul to complain.

Time to accept responsibility for their own predicament and quit trying to shift the blame onto others.

[John_Rambo]

It's probably also worth adding that the Liverpool team against Fulham may well have been a bit stronger had they not just gone through 120 mins during the week.

[scousemouse]

There has been some talk about teams fielding weaker sides in the league because of other commitments.

Take Liverpool today for example....hardly any regulars in the side ...saving all their best players for the European Cup Final and that is not till 23rd May.

Is it just lucky for Fulham that they played them on this particular day? Or is it VERY unfair on the teams around them.

Who would have predicted that Fulham would win if Liverpool were playing their first team?

There was a lot of hasle when Boro left Mark Viduka out of an EPL game a month or so ago because they were saving him for the cup replay with MU?

Boro could have fielded a weaker team against Wigan today, but they did not , and they have nothing to play for,

Are Liverpool guilty of showing dissrespet to other clubs by their team selection?

Fulham winning a match they had no right to win (no wins in 10 games and beat the European Cup Finalists ) could cost another side their Premiership Status worth MILLIONS.

What do you guys think?

Chelsea 0-0 Man U.

Is it still disrespectful now ???????

What's your point here?

Sorry I do not get it

sawadee cap tp , I was talking about your comment

"Are Liverpool guilty of showing dissrespet to other clubs by their team selection?".

Why is it when cheslea or man u do it ( play their second 11 ) no-one seems to have a problem but when Liverpool do it a thread starts asking

"is it fair" !!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Everyone knows why Liverpool , Chelsea , Man U and any other team rests some players and uses squad players , the big picture and that they are ALLOWED to.

You are not breaking any premiership laws by playing squad players ( as long as their registered hammers ) so fair or not fair ............. STOP ASKING THE QUESTION !!!!!!!! .