Sport Liverpool Football Club

[Guest]

I cannot stand Ronaldo, C. but he's the model of fair play in comparison to the African Larry Grayson. In the event of a Man Utd - Chelsea final I think my brain will be fried due to the amount of hatred buzzing around the depths of my mind.

I'm not sure Ronaldo and Drogba could occupy the same space in a UCL final?

If they collided the universe might implode.

[David Kenny]

I mean no offence, but of all the football threads on this forum this one contains the most 'fan blindness' by a long stretch.

The ref was picky, but he was picky in challenges by both sets of players. The game was pretty stop start because of that, and that's because both teams realised that the slightest challenge would probably result in a free kick. Look at Drogba, Torres, or Mascherano for plenty of examples of that.

However he did keep his card in his pocket when a lot of premiership referees wouldn't have. For instance I was pretty sure Mascherano was going to be booked for cynically taking out Malouda (I think) but he wasn't. I also suspect Mascherano's theatrical fall got Terry the only booking of the game, but that's what football players do and I know Ballack or Lampard probably would have done the same thing in his position.

Anyway I thought he did pretty well over all. The only two henious errors I can remember is when Cole took out Dirk Kuyt and the ref gave nothing, and when he gave a free kick against Terry because he stood next to Reina.

It was by far the best game of football that these two teams have produced in the champions league and I'm looking forward (with some nervousness) to the second leg.

[Guest]

I also suspect Mascherano's theatrical fall got Terry the only booking of the game, but that's what football players do and I know Ballack or Lampard probably would have done the same thing in his position.

Terry knew what he was doing 100%. He was going to take him out and take the booking. You can claim theatrical fall all you like - but he was never going to be able to get out of the way. He was going down whatever happened there, Terry was going to make sure of that.

Better to be "theatrical" and go down on your own terms rather than go full pelt and get smashed to bits by a big thug.

Such a clear booking.

[SPE]

So the ref was good because the previous refs we have had have been rubbish? Good one.

I didn't say he was good. I just picked you up on your ludicrous claim that he was the worst referee ever.

And until your post a little bit later, I didn't think for one moment you were complaining that he blew for too many fouls. Madness. Drogba is a play acting cunt, but in every case there was contact and a foul. There were half a dozen incidents (mostly by Chelsea against Torres) that deserved yellows. I though he was very hands off, which gave the game more flow (even though it was never flowing) than if he had been card happy.

[Tangent]

George Michael's submissive black rent-boy

Drogba is just a particularly loathesome character. He makes Graeme Norton look masculine, which I'm sure isn't the way he sees himself.

I cannot stand Ronaldo, C. but he's the model of fair play in comparison to the African Larry Grayson.

BLACKGAYLOL!

Christ. It’s like going to a real football match here with a minority of scum of the earth fans and everyone else turning a blind eye because they also support the same team.

Anyway, bad luck Liverpool. Not very fair that result.

[Commander Jameson]

Nope. I'm still pissed off about last night.

But... after a night of thinking... some positives:

1. We were clearly the better side - some of the possession and passing in the 2nd half was superb.

2. Cech had to make at least two clear saves to stop us from scoring. Reina did not have to make such a save during the whole game.

3. The 1-1 scoreline now means that if Chelsea score at their place, it doesn't change anything, so we can't just defend for a 0-0.

4. The ref can't be as bad as last night.

5. We now go into the away leg as strong underdogs which suits us better.

[Kelthink]

Cech was easily their best player. Don't know what it says for the rest of the team, but his movement was mad good stuff, much to our luck. Shame Torres was a bit off, I think he could have got one otherwise.

[dan_tm]

Go post in your Chelsea thread!

I can understand fluking a draw being funny to a Chelsea fan but not to an Arsenal fan.

I can't tell who's being serious anymore

[Warszawa]

BLACKGAYLOL!

Christ. It’s like going to a real football match here with a minority of scum of the earth fans and everyone else turning a blind eye because they also support the same team.

While I'll concede that Drogba isn't really George Michael's rent-boy (given that George is refreshingly candid about his constant need to 'rotate' his companions I'm sure we'd have heard something by now) he very clearly is A) Black B.) Submissive (to anyone who so much as brushes his skin) and C)The latest in the tradition of outrageously camp front men on British TV. I think that given the way Drogba styles himself he should find being called the African Larry Grayson a compliment, though as I've read that he is actually heterosexual and married perhaps the African Duncan Norville is more accurate.

[oli]

What relevance is it that he's black? Also the implication is that because he falls over easily under a challenge then he's gay?

[rjpageuk]

I didn't say he was good. I just picked you up on your ludicrous claim that he was the worst referee ever.

Refs make big mistakes sometimes which is very frustrating but human. Giving 37 fouls in a game with hardly a bad tackle just shows complete incompetence, hence my comment.

If you think there should be a foul every time there is any sort of contact then I can see why you would be happy, but thats not how most refs referee games and not how I want to see the game officiated.

All Chelsea needed to do was lump the ball forward to Drogba who promptly fell over gifting Chelsea a dangerous attack. This happened in the very first minute. As I said before soon Torres started to get in on the act and who can blame them?

I though he was very hands off, which gave the game more flow (even though it was never flowing) than if he had been card happy.

How can the ref be hands off when there is a free kick every two seconds? Thats the very definition of a ref that isnt hands off.

Anyhow, I agree with the stuff Commander Jameson just said although it is still hard to take the own goal as the result would have been so much different without it, or if we could have taken one of our few chances right at the end .

I can't tell who's being serious anymore

The Liverpool fans are being serious, and almost everyone else is taking the piss (which I thought wasnt allowed in here). That should clear it up.

[Chewylegs]

Christ. It’s like going to a real football match here with a minority of scum of the earth fans and everyone else turning a blind eye because they also support the same team.

I think thats a bit harsh mate. Fair enough he probably shouldn't have said those things but to take it out on the rest of us for "turning a blind eye" is a little out of order.

[Tangent]

I think thats a bit harsh mate. Fair enough he probably shouldn't have said those things but to take it out on the rest of us for "turning a blind eye" is a little out of order.

Apologies, I was a bit harsh I suppose...

[Graham S]

I'm feeling crushed today. I couldn't rouse myself from the sofa until well after midnight, my scarf hanging limply from my neck. I was like one of those fans you see disconsolate in football stadia hours after the game has finished. Assuming the players feel even more gutted than I do, I hope they're better equipped to turn this around mentally for next Wednesday than I am. Poor Riise.

And yes, Wasrzawa is out of order with his Drogba abuse. If the signs around Anfield are to be believed, racist or homophobic abuse isn't tolerated there and I don't think it is here either. But Deputy Nick will have to excuse me if I didn't hurry to fetch the flaming torches and pitchforks last night as I was in no mood to organise a lynch mob from my PSP browser. Just getting to morning without self-harming was hard enough.

[Chewylegs]

Drogba is a play acting cunt, but in every case there was contact and a foul.

See, this is where I don't understand some football fans. In every case there was contact? Football is a contact sport. Its not basketball, its not an automatic foul as soon as someone touches you. Drogba, in most cases last night did not 'win free kicks' from making fouls look worse than they were, he won them from making any type of physical contact look like a foul. There is a difference and with the refs blowing up every time its turning our sport into a non contact game.

[ras el hanout]

Apologies, I was a bit harsh I suppose...

I don't think you were a bit harsh really. I certainly don't think you should apologise.

[ras el hanout]

I'm feeling crushed today. I couldn't rouse myself from the sofa until well after midnight, my scarf hanging limply from my neck. I was like one of those fans you see disconsolate in football stadia hours after the game has finished. Assuming the players feel even more gutted than I do, I hope they're better equipped to turn this around mentally for Tuesday than I am. Poor Riise.

And yes, Wasrzawa is out of order with his Drogba abuse. If the signs around Anfield are to be believed, racist or homophobic abuse isn't tolerated there and I don't think it is here either. But Deputy Nick will have to excuse me if I didn't hurry to fetch the flaming torches and pitchforks last night as I was in no mood to organise a lynch mob from my PSP browser. Just getting to morning without self-harming was hard enough.

Wait until next week before slitting your wrists. I mean, it was only the timing that made that goal so hard to swallow, if it'd happened in the first half then, you know, I mean, it wouldn't have been so crushing.

So we have to score there. We should be capable. I'd have been a nervous wreck if we went there trying to hold onto a 1-0 lead. I reckon it'll finish 2-2 there and we go through.

[rjpageuk]

See, this is where I don't understand some football fans. In every case there was contact? Football is a contact sport. Its not basketball, its not an automatic foul as soon as someone touches you. Drogba, in most cases last night did not 'win free kicks' from making fouls look worse than they were, he won them from making any type of physical contact look like a foul. There is a difference and with the refs blowing up every time its turning our sport into a non contact game.

Drogba is completely unplayable when you get a ref like that. He is so big and strong you cant get him off the ball and if you touch him its a foul. It is an unwinnable situation.

Carragher always seems to have a hard time dealing with Drogba too, he looks completly uncomfortable against him always.

[Klaark]

5. We now go into the away leg as strong underdogs which suits us better.

You'd rather have that than a 1-0 lead?

[Warszawa]

What relevance is it that he's black? Also the implication is that because he falls over easily under a challenge then he's gay?

He's black, isn't he? If that's offensive then there's no hope. If I took offensive to every black person who's ever noted my whiteness I'd have lost about six months of my life. If I can be called 'white boy' without taking offense then I'd like to think that I can use 'black' as a descriptive term.

And his camp demeanour is there for everyone to see, and last I saw Duncan Norville is the only one in the British camp comic pantheon to be heterosexual. Maybe it's offensive to suggest that someone is gay, but I've known gay people who do that all the time merely by looking at someone. I'll go and phone all of them now to apologise.

[Chewylegs]

I mean no offence, but of all the football threads on this forum this one contains the most 'fan blindness' by a long stretch.

The ref was picky, but he was picky in challenges by both sets of players. The game was pretty stop start because of that, and that's because both teams realised that the slightest challenge would probably result in a free kick. Look at Drogba, Torres, or Mascherano for plenty of examples of that.

However he did keep his card in his pocket when a lot of premiership referees wouldn't have. For instance I was pretty sure Mascherano was going to be booked for cynically taking out Malouda (I think) but he wasn't. I also suspect Mascherano's theatrical fall got Terry the only booking of the game, but that's what football players do and I know Ballack or Lampard probably would have done the same thing in his position.

Anyway I thought he did pretty well over all. The only two henious errors I can remember is when Cole took out Dirk Kuyt and the ref gave nothing, and when he gave a free kick against Terry because he stood next to Reina.

For someone talking about 'fan blindness' there is a fair bit if Chelsea bias in there

Take a look at the amount of fouls conceded by Liverpool last night. 20? Really, was there 20 fouls by our players? No way. The ref was whistle happy and generally in favour of your boys.

Mascherano's theatrical fall? He was taken out cynically by Terry. It reminded me of watching Franco Baresi.

That 'foul' on Reina by Terry was silly but I couldn't believe the commentators being surprised by it. Goalies are always over protected. Look at Cech at the other end of the pitch when Torres supposedly fouled him just before we were going to get a corner.

[ras el hanout]

Carragher always seems to have a hard time dealing with Drogba too, he looks completly uncomfortable against him always.

Not as bad a Hypia. Hypia has a complex with Drogba going back to Marseille. Carragher was saved by Drogba's poor touches a couple of times. Skrtle did well with him though.

[ras el hanout]

He's black, isn't he? If that's offensive then there's no hope. If I took offensive to every black person who's ever noted my whiteness I'd have lost about six months of my life. And his camp demeanour is there for everyone to see, and last I saw Duncan Norville is the only one in the British camp comic pantheon to be heterosexual. Maybe it's offensive to suggest that someone is gay, but I've known gay people who do that all the time merely by looking at someone. I'll go and phone all of them now to apologise.

You said black.

Nobody said that "Fancy that white oaf Riise scoring an own goal". They put ginger in there. Ginger is used as an insult despite him plainly being as ginger as you could be.

[Chewylegs]

I mean no offence, but of all the football threads on this forum this one contains the most 'fan blindness' by a long stretch.

The ref was picky, but he was picky in challenges by both sets of players. The game was pretty stop start because of that, and that's because both teams realised that the slightest challenge would probably result in a free kick. Look at Drogba, Torres, or Mascherano for plenty of examples of that.

However he did keep his card in his pocket when a lot of premiership referees wouldn't have. For instance I was pretty sure Mascherano was going to be booked for cynically taking out Malouda (I think) but he wasn't. I also suspect Mascherano's theatrical fall got Terry the only booking of the game, but that's what football players do and I know Ballack or Lampard probably would have done the same thing in his position.

Anyway I thought he did pretty well over all. The only two henious errors I can remember is when Cole took out Dirk Kuyt and the ref gave nothing, and when he gave a free kick against Terry because he stood next to Reina.

For someone talking about 'fan blindness' there is a fair bit if Chelsea bias in there

Take a look at the amount of fouls conceded by Liverpool last night. 20? Really, was there 20 fouls by our players? No way. The ref was whistle happy and generally in favour of your boys.

Mascherano's theatrical fall? He was taken out cynically by Terry. It reminded me of watching Franco Baresi.

That 'foul' on Reina by Terry was silly but I couldn't believe the commentators being surprised by it. Goalies are always over protected. Look at Cech at the other end of the pitch when Torres supposedly fouled him just before we were going to get a corner.

[Commander Jameson]

You'd rather have that than a 1-0 lead?

Of course not, but the fact we are underdogs will still help our mentality and attitude to the game.

[ras el hanout]

That 'foul' on Reina by Terry was silly but I couldn't believe the commentators being surprised by it. Goalies are always over protected.

It didn't go in anyway.

But I do think we should stop looking for excuses. We didn't play until the final whistle but we'd played really well for 93 minutes. These things happen. If we do get to the final we won't be lucky Liverpool, and that will be cool.

Of course not, but the fact we are underdogs will still help our mentality and attitude to the game.

I agree.

As RadioactiveMan would say " Up and at them".

[Graham S]

He's black, isn't he? If that's offensive then there's no hope. If I took offensive to every black person who's ever noted my whiteness I'd have lost about six months of my life. And his camp demeanour is there for everyone to see, and last I saw Duncan Norville is the only one in the British camp comic pantheon to be heterosexual. Maybe it's offensive to suggest that someone is gay, but I've known gay people who do that all the time merely by looking at someone. I'll go and phone all of them now to apologise.

You'll have to excuse me if I don't put this in a sufficiently convincing way, as previously mentioned I'm in a black (!) mood this morning.

Describing someone as black is fine. Describing someone as black + a pejorative term ("black cunt", for instance) is racist abuse.

Repeatedly referring to someone as a rent boy, as a Graham Norton, or whatever else in that way is homophobic abuse.

Calling someone a black rent-boy is racist, homophobic abuse.

I'm not calling you a racist. You might not even be an actual homophobe. Calling someone a poofter for falling over in football matches has a long inglorious tradition behind it. But it would be great if you could cut it out in this thread. We don't need a big argument about it this morning, we're all sufficiently miserable already.

[Chewylegs]

I don't think you were a bit harsh really. I certainly don't think you should apologise.

There's a surprise. You don't think calling the rest of us what he did 'not harsh'?

Cool, we can all be lumped in with everyone else. That's not generalising at all is it?!

[ras el hanout]

There's a surprise. You don't think calling the rest of us what he did 'not harsh'?

Cool, we can all be lumped in with everyone else. That's not generalising at all is it?!

Well you didn't call him out on it. Nor did I. Why? Because it was in the Liverpool thread and us fans stick together. If he'd said it in any other thread I would have said something. So, I don't think calling the rest of us out on it was harsh, no.

[rjpageuk]

But I do think we should stop looking for excuses. We didn't play until the final whistle but we'd played really well for 93 minutes. These things happen. If we do get to the final we won't be lucky Liverpool, and that will be cool.

I dont think anyone is looking for excuses, it was a good performance that would generally have resulted in a win.

I was just giving my comments on the game about the ref and would have done the same if we won, but I guess it wouldnt have been jumped on by someone else if we had have.