Liverpool F.c.

[uptheos]

[StevieH]

sergeant in the south yorkshire police force. just saying.

[BangrakBob]

[sharecropper]

Bloody hell, it's like I've just landed on some dumb conspiracy theory website in the States. You lot make me laugh - blame luck, the woodwork, the ref (erm in advance - how's that for defeatism?)

How the long-ago mighty have fallen.

[MrRed]

Very true Mr Cropper there true colours are coming out under duress or is it just stress at being the continued underdogs against the history makers from down the road!!......shame really because if the fans concentrated on supporting the team they might have a chance(where's your famous atmosphere?) ......lets just hope Tom Suarez Daly is at his best and his subscription to the racist party has been paid up.....just heard he has been awarded the Maradona handball peace prize for services to cheating as well......whatever next?

I am sure Brenda will keep you the laughing stock of the premier leagues followers with his creepings to the board and his slights at his players that he doesn't like but still plays them!!

One thing is certain the scousers will be on it if they get beat but if they win hahahahaha!! ref had a great game ...bring it on soft lads.

[nev]

seems mister ferguson is pulling out the big guns for sunday's game. he's been saving howard webb for the visit of liverpool but has called him up off the bench for this one.

Says the man whose team just won a match with an outrageous decision not given by the ref's mistake!

Hypocritical ain't they

[nev]

Bloody hell, it's like I've just landed on some dumb conspiracy theory website in the States. You lot make me laugh - blame luck, the woodwork, the ref (erm in advance - how's that for defeatism?)

How the long-ago mighty have fallen.

They are just getting the excuses in early in case they lose.

Dim in beiruit is already writing a 15 page essay on it right now

[rijit]

LOL Didn't think it would take you long to respond Stevie.

Taking a chance mentioning the priesthood lad, but my mum always told me not to discuss religion with left-footers

And of course nobody ever failed in the Grafton. Not me anyway. Honest.

I once pulled a gorgeous French girl in there called Mercedes, honest!

'And then he was a she, and said hey babe take a walk on the scouse side, an i said hey babe take a walk on the thai side, an the colored girls go------------!!!!!

Edited January 8, 2013 by rijit

[sharecropper]

STOP PRESS: I have it on good authority (and I don't mean from Barmy Brenda) that there's no bigger club than Liverpool in the Premier League. Has something happened in the last, what, half an hour? I think we should be told.

This from the BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20948372

[BangrakBob]

Bloody hell, it's like I've just landed on some dumb conspiracy theory website in the States. You lot make me laugh - blame luck, the woodwork, the ref (erm in advance - how's that for defeatism?)

How the long-ago mighty have fallen.

I think you'll find we were doing it for a laugh.....obviously it worked

Watch out for those Yanks

[MrRed]

Why Luis Suárez's hand landed Jon Champion and ESPN in a muddle

ESPN's Jon Champion should have used his head when labeling Luis Suárez 'a cheat', but it's a description that could be applied to most footballers

Labouring under the misapprehension the airplane on which he and his friends are travelling is about to crash in the finale of Seinfeld, George feels the need to unburden his soul and admit he cheated to win the famous bet between the four main characters concerning who could hold out the longest and remain "master of their domain".

"I cheated in the contest!" he shouts at Jerry.

"Why?" asks his friend.

"Because I'm a cheater!" comes the reply.

It's an amusing exchange that sprang to mind when Jon Champion labelled what he believed to be a deliberate handball by Luis Suárez "the work of a cheat" in the immediate aftermath of the Uruguayan'scontroversial goal against Mansfield Town on Sunday afternoon, an assessment for which his employers subsequently felt the need to issue a statement having "spoken to" the commentator about it in an apparently lengthy post-match debrief. It seemed a harsh public slap-down of a man whose welcome presence behind the microphone at Whaddon Road for Everton's win over Cheltenham on Monday night suggests his future employment with the network is under no threat, despite calls from some hysterical message-board mouth-foamers for he and Chris Waddle, his co-commentator at Field Mill on Sunday, to lose their jobs.

By announcing that Champion's comments had "caused offence" but pointedly stopping short of apologising for them, ESPN's decision to publicly address the matter has generated plenty of public debate. On one side are those bemused by the network's apparent need to draw further attention to an seemingly harmless heat of the moment observation by a commentator on an incident in a football match. On the other are those who feel ESPN were correct to acknowledge a potentially slanderous opinion the supposedly impartial commentator should have kept to himself.

According to the dictionary, a "cheat" is somebody "who violates the rules deliberately", presumably in order to gain an edge. Going by this definition it is a label that applies to any footballer who has ever tugged an opponent's shirt, let alone deliberately handled the ball in the build-up to a goal. While there is no shortage of doubt over whether or not Suárez actually did anything wrong against Mansfield Town, a rap sheet that includes violations such as biting an opponent and palming a goal-bound shot off his own line in the dying moments of a World Cup quarter-final mean that, like almost every footballer who has ever crossed the white line, he is not averse to breaking the laws of the game deliberately in order to gain an edge for himself or his team. In short, Suárez can accurately be described as a cheat, even if he was entirely blameless for the specific incident for which Champion judged and admonished him on Sunday afternoon. A murderer will always be a murderer, even if he hasn't killed anyone today.

On the flip side, it was telling that Suárez was the only footballer whose character was traduced by ESPN's man in the gantry on Sunday, throughout an entertaining FA Cup tie that was far from dirty but, like all football matches, inevitably punctuated with fouls. By singling Suárez out for criticism, it could be argued that Champion was tacitly implying theLiverpool striker was more of a cheat than any other player involved and coming from a supposedly unbiased commentator, such an assessment seems unfair.

Of course we can only speculate on what Champion might have said in the event of any player other than Suárez being caught in the eye of this particular handball storm, but the Uruguayan is undeniably Marmite and the commentator's tone suggested that, like many at Field Mill, he had arrived with preconceived notions about the player's moral fortitude, or lack of same. As for whether or not his remark was slanderous, a discussion with the Guardian legal department revealed that, in the preposterously unlikely event of Suárez suing ESPN or Champion, the player wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning his case.

What has been lost amid all the palaver over Suárez's goal, Champion's comments and ESPN's subsequent reaction to them, is that this was just a football match, not a judicial review. Liverpool were apparently aggrieved by the commentator's opinion, but had no plans to take the matter any further, so it seems puzzling that the network felt the need to make Mount Everest out of a little molehill that wouldn't have looked out of place on the bobbly Mansfield Town sward.

Asked by the Guardian how many, if any, complaints they'd received to prompt yesterday's statement, ESPN politely declined to provide an answer. They were similarly tight-lipped upon being asked if their apparent contrition was perhaps fuelled by an apparent need to placate those who occupy the intersection of the Venn diagram comprised of Liverpool Fans and People Who Pay Monthly Subscriptions To ESPN.

[nellyp]

Well if he's a reminder of Van Basten then he's probably the best in the world. Van Bastens one of the best ever.

Yeah, one of my favourite all time strikers, and what a team around him. I really do think RVP can be as good, but he needs to stay fit long enough (and play long enough) to prove it. To me Suarez is more like Maradonna with a much better all round game. For me he has replaced Beardsly, now we just need an Aldridge. and on and on and on

Suarez is a terrific player and i'd love to see him in a Spurs shirt but you shouldn't really be comparing his abilities with those of Maradona.

NB comparisons to the use of the arm are very predictable and will bore me so please don't thanks.

I wasn't comparing ability just the style of player. But who is to say Suarez won't be as good, he has a long carrer yet

[StevieH]

Well if he's a reminder of Van Basten then he's probably the best in the world. Van Bastens one of the best ever.

Yeah, one of my favourite all time strikers, and what a team around him. I really do think RVP can be as good, but he needs to stay fit long enough (and play long enough) to prove it. To me Suarez is more like Maradonna with a much better all round game. For me he has replaced Beardsly, now we just need an Aldridge. and on and on and on

Suarez is a terrific player and i'd love to see him in a Spurs shirt but you shouldn't really be comparing his abilities with those of Maradona.

NB comparisons to the use of the arm are very predictable and will bore me so please don't thanks.

I wasn't comparing ability just the style of player. But who is to say Suarez won't be as good, he has a long carrer yet

hmm. if suarez carries liverpool to the league title this season as diego did for napoli or drags uruguay to a world cup win like maradona did in '86 then we can start talking.

[Chicog]

it could be argued that Champion was tacitly implying theLiverpool striker was more of a cheat than any other player involved and coming from a supposedly unbiased commentator, such an assessment seems unfair.

Implying? He IS more of a cheat than any other player, he's the worst I've seen for a long time. Belongs in Spain or Italy.

Champion should have just come out and said "and there's Suarez cheating AGAIN", but he'd be using the phrase several times a match.

[StevieH]

Implying? He IS more of a cheat than any other player, he's the worst I've seen for a long time. Belongs in Spain or Italy.

Champion should have just come out and said "and there's Suarez cheating AGAIN", but he'd be using the phrase several times a match.

why does he? because british players don't cheat? they're paragons of fair play and honesty?

can't stand this bullshit parochial line that british football and the premier league are somehow morally superior to the game played on the continent. it's an utter nonsense.

[rixalex]

Implying? He IS more of a cheat than any other player, he's the worst I've seen for a long time. Belongs in Spain or Italy.

Champion should have just come out and said "and there's Suarez cheating AGAIN", but he'd be using the phrase several times a match.

why does he?

Perhaps because in Spain or Italy there is generally a different attitude towards cheating. It is generally accepted as part of the game and doing it well is just another "skill".

I think the general attitude in Britain towards cheating is quite different. Correct me if i'm wrong.

[StevieH]

Implying? He IS more of a cheat than any other player, he's the worst I've seen for a long time. Belongs in Spain or Italy.

Champion should have just come out and said "and there's Suarez cheating AGAIN", but he'd be using the phrase several times a match.

why does he?

Perhaps because in Spain or Italy there is generally a different attitude towards cheating. It is generally accepted as part of the game and doing it well is just another "skill".

I think the general attitude in Britain towards cheating is quite different. Correct me if i'm wrong.

i think the 'different' attitude towards cheating in britain only exists in british people's heads. british football has and has always had every bit as much cheating as every other country's football - shirt-pulling, booting skillful opponents into next week, claiming throws and corners that the player knows weren't theirs, time wasting, niggly repeat fouls, grabbing your opponent around the waist on a dead-ball to stop him evading you - they're all cheating. but in britain all are considered 'part of the game' yet trying to con the referee with a dive or a handball is not? they're all ways of conning the referee and getting one over on your opponent. it's massive hypocrisy and a load of steaming parochial balls as i said. the spanish, italian and south american attitude of accepting all forms of cheating as just part of the game is far more open and honest than the british one of giving them 'levels' of offensiveness.

[Chicog]

Suarez wouldn't be the first player to try and con the ref, but the point is that he does it all the time.

No-one can touch him without him plummeting to the floor and appealing to the ref for some kind of favour.

The sooner he leaves the Premiership, the better.

[rixalex]

Implying? He IS more of a cheat than any other player, he's the worst I've seen for a long time. Belongs in Spain or Italy.

Champion should have just come out and said "and there's Suarez cheating AGAIN", but he'd be using the phrase several times a match.

why does he?

Perhaps because in Spain or Italy there is generally a different attitude towards cheating. It is generally accepted as part of the game and doing it well is just another "skill".

I think the general attitude in Britain towards cheating is quite different. Correct me if i'm wrong.

i think the 'different' attitude towards cheating in britain only exists in british people's heads. british football has and has always had every bit as much cheating as every other country's football - shirt-pulling, booting skillful opponents into next week, claiming throws and corners that the player knows weren't theirs, time wasting, niggly repeat fouls, grabbing your opponent around the waist on a dead-ball to stop him evading you - they're all cheating. but in britain all are considered 'part of the game' yet trying to con the referee with a dive or a handball is not? they're all ways of conning the referee and getting one over on your opponent. it's massive hypocrisy and a load of steaming parochial balls as i said. the spanish, italian and south american attitude of accepting all forms of cheating as just part of the game is far more open and honest than the british one of giving them 'levels' of offensiveness.

You contradict yourself. At the beginning you state that the 'different' attitude towards cheating in britain only exists in british people's heads, and then at the end, you conclude by stating the spanish, italian and south american attitude of accepting all forms of cheating as just part of the game is far more open and honest than the british one of giving them 'levels' of offensiveness.

The British do in general have a different attitude towards cheating from those nations mentioned, and this has nothing to do with whether or not British players ever cheat, or who cheats the most, but to do with sportsmanship still existing as a principle and meaning something, even if not always adhered to.

And yes, there are certain types of cheating that rankle people more than others. Nothing hypocritical or dishonest about that, unless someone is arguing in favour of some sorts of cheating, but not others. I don't believe anyone is.

[smokie36]

STOP PRESS: I have it on good authority (and I don't mean from Barmy Brenda) that there's no bigger club than Liverpool in the Premier League. Has something happened in the last, what, half an hour? I think we should be told.

This from the BBC website:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20948372

He's trying to prove he's a bit thick so he fits in.

[StevieH]

You contradict yourself. At the beginning you state that the 'different' attitude towards cheating in britain only exists in british people's heads, and then at the end, you conclude by stating the spanish, italian and south american attitude of accepting all forms of cheating as just part of the game is far more open and honest than the british one of giving them 'levels' of offensiveness.

The British do in general have a different attitude towards cheating from those nations mentioned, and this has nothing to do with whether or not British players ever cheat, or who cheats the most, but to do with sportsmanship still existing as a principle and meaning something, even if not always adhered to.

And yes, there are certain types of cheating that rankle people more than others. Nothing hypocritical or dishonest about that, unless someone is arguing in favour of some sorts of cheating, but not others. I don't believe anyone is.

it's hypocritical garbage rix, plain and simple. tony pulis sending his players out to throw career-ending challenges at opponents is a man's game but woe betide you if you try to dive to get out of the way of it you dirty dishonest foreigner? it's horseshit. cheating is cheating, whether it's shawcross kicking the shit out of someone or suarez punching the ball off the line against ghana or gareth bale diving or ole solskjaer chasing an opponent 70 yards before hacking him down. they're all breaches of the rules that players know the consequences of. they're all forms of cheating.

and 'sportsmanship'? where's the sportsmanship in trying to injure players? in handling a goalbound shot? why are they somehow 'better' than diving? the thing i said about it being inside people's heads is precisely this - it's a sneering superiority complex that certain british fans seem to have that their league and players are 'better' than those underhand foreigners because they look down on diving as some level of cheating that they would never stoop to - while being perfectly content to endorse and practice all the other types of cheating. men's cheating. good, honest, british, size 10 up the arsehol_e when the ref can't see cheating.

as i say, there's far more honesty in the latin thinking that sees diving and conning the referee to be as much parts of the game as fouls, handballs, claiming throws, shirt-pulling and all the other methods of cheating. it's far, far less hypocritical.

Edited January 9, 2013 by StevieH

[rixalex]

as i say, there's far more honesty in the latin thinking that sees diving and conning the referee to be as much parts of the game as fouls, handballs, claiming throws, shirt-pulling and all the other methods of cheating. it's far, far less hypocritical.

Just because for some people, some forms of cheating are considered more blatantly unsportsmanly than others, that doesn't equate to these people thinking that other forms of cheating are sportsmanly. Clearly they aren't.

As i say, nobody is arguing in favour of or defending any type of cheating, that i can see, and you can come up with as many examples of cheating within the Premiership as you like, it won't change that.

As for the sneering superiority complex you identify in certain British fans, you come across at times as having exactly the same sort of attitude towards just about anything that is in any way British... anything that is outside of Merseyside, anyway.

[sharecropper]

If the worst diver and general cheat in the Premiership didn't play for Liverpool, they wouldn't be so touchy feely about it, I bet you.

[rixalex]

If the worst diver and general cheat in the Premiership didn't play for Liverpool, they wouldn't be so touchy feely about it, I bet you.

It's weird. I don't recall being so touchy or defensive when we (United) had that dubious honour.

In my book, a spade is a spade.... and a cheating <deleted> is a cheating <deleted>... don't matter who he plays for.

[nellyp]

If the worst diver and general cheat in the Premiership didn't play for Liverpool, they wouldn't be so touchy feely about it, I bet you.

It's weird. I don't recall being so touchy or defensive when we (United) had that dubious honour.

In my book, a spade is a spade.... and a cheating <deleted> is a cheating <deleted>... don't matter who he plays for.

Agreed. So On Monday morning lets total up the number of players who cheated, lied etc and have them all banned. Most footballers are cheats and I hate it. What about having the corners reffed correctly and stopping holding a player in the box. Total cheating all the time at every corner, by all defenders. How many times does that happen in a game? I would love all this crap kicked out of football...unfortunately no chance. As for Suarez going down after every tackle ...that is now bullshit.. i just think he has a balance problem when not spinnijng around a defender

[BangrakBob]

There's two types of football fan. People who would LOVE Suarez in their team - and liars

[rixalex]

There's two types of football fan. People who would LOVE Suarez in their team - and liars

Who says they wouldn't love Suarez in their team? Just because he is a cheating <deleted> doesn't mean he isn't a fantastic footballer. Possible to be both you know...

[Chicog]

There's two types of football fan. People who would LOVE Suarez in their team - and liars

There's two types of Liverpool fan. People who believe that bullshit and.... no, there's one type of Liverpool fan.

[nellyp]

There's two types of football fan. People who would LOVE Suarez in their team - and liars

There's two types of Liverpool fan. People who believe that bullshit and.... no, there's one type of Liverpool fan.

There are 2 types of Liverpool fans. They type who care what numbnut football critic wannabees say and those who don't. I am the second numbnuts. .

Edited January 9, 2013 by nellyp

[StevieH]

Just because for some people, some forms of cheating are considered more blatantly unsportsmanly than others, that doesn't equate to these people thinking that other forms of cheating are sportsmanly. Clearly they aren't.

As i say, nobody is arguing in favour of or defending any type of cheating, that i can see, and you can come up with as many examples of cheating within the Premiership as you like, it won't change that.

As for the sneering superiority complex you identify in certain British fans, you come across at times as having exactly the same sort of attitude towards just about anything that is in any way British... anything that is outside of Merseyside, anyway.

as i said, hypocrisy. you're either against all forms of cheating in the game or you aren't. you can't say some are somehow more offensive than others. it's a dialectic choice.

and as for the sneering superiority, that's exactly what english teams' fans do when they claim some sort of moral high ground over latin football fans for being more down on diving. we're somehow better than you because you accept that whole cheating thing. it's <deleted> rix.