COLUMNIST KEN BUCKLEY
From my seat: Liverpool (H)
By Ken Buckley :: 01/10/2011 The derby was with us once again and the day started in true fashion with an early kick-off that didn?t deter anyone from having a few brews and a bet. The walk up to the ground was punctuated with how things might pan out with the team as announced via text.
40 Into the ground and the feeling was one of optimism and the opening encounters were of a promising nature. We were the dominant side and were attacking from both flanks. The Liverpool contingent were quiet compared with previous meetings which reflected the superiority shown by the Blues.
We created chances that saw a Cahill towering header goalbound only for Reina to tip over. We then had a passage of play that saw us rip them apart only for Distin to show some superb approach play from the left but fire just over. We were now on top and looking good for the points until that fateful 25th minute when Rodwell dispossessed Suarez and for some unknown reason the Liverpool player collapsed as if targeted from a sniper in the stand and the Referee Mr Atkinson (Remember the Name) immediately produced a red card.
Jack was off; Everton down to ten men... and the derby ruined.
From my seat, although some 100m away, it looked a strong but fair tackle but I conceded that the Ref was just yards away and maybe I had missed something. Mayhem broke out with Everton players remonstrating with the Ref but to no avail and Jack had to walk. On his way to the tunnel he variously shook his head, held it in his hands and kicked anything in his way. Hardly the actions of a player who really knew he had been rightly red carded.
The game was dead as a contest ? both sets of players and fans knew it ? and it produced an atmosphere of acceptance and malevolence toward the Ref. From the high tempo start that put us on the front foot we had to become a more deep-lying unit and hope against hope that we could at least salvage a point. Cahill was forced to operate in midfield leaving Saha stranded upfield and to be fair on occasion he did well to hold things up; we just could not get the bodies required to support him.
The game was now up as a contest and we all deep down really knew it so we got behind the team as best we could and did manage to get all sides of the ground singing with gusto "You?re not fit to referee." Jags floored the odious Suarez and gave away a penalty that we just could not argue with. What an ovation when Howard dived to his left and saved the Kuyt spot-kick. It gave us something to hang on to and taunt the Liverpool contingent with.
Half-time could not come soon enough for us and this was borne out when Adam from a standing start rattled our bar with Howard beaten...
The second half started with us looking to give it a right go and maybe get one and hang on but our chance came and went when Saha hit a beauty that beat Reina but flashed inches wide. As the half wore on it, became evident that the 11 were getting the better of the (Ref induced) 10. Saha cleared from the line. Howard had to turn a Carroll effort around the post and luckily Kuyt deflected an Adam free kick wide.
We tried to attack and Saha hit one just wide but on each counter-attack we looked more and more vulnerable. Gerrard came on and did nothing but the other sub Bellamy created the breakthrough by getting down the left and feeding Enrique to cross for Carroll to tap home after our rearguard was cruelly exposed. Ten men or not, I doubt the manager will be pleased with that passage of play.
On 80 mins, another cock-up at the back as fatigue set in saw Distin hit Kuyt with a clearance and the ball fall to the odious Suarez who pounced and slid home. The idiot Suarez decided to celebrate in front of the Gwladys Street and was pelted with missiles various. Will we get a censure and fine for throwing them and will Suarez get censure and a fine for prompting them? Don?t hold your breath.
Kuyt hit a post, the odious Suarez complained to the ref regarding something thrown but by now who the hell gave a damn when once again the Merseyside derby is ruined by a wannabee referee and once again in the favour of our neighbours. It can?t be coincidence ? can it?
Variously we threw on Drenthe, Vellios and Neville but to little avail. My view was why take Hibbert off when he was up to pace and putting in a few very good crosses? But in the end it didn?t matter...
MotM ? Take your pick: mine was Baines/Howard. I said earlier that, although I thought Rodwell?s tackle was fair, the Ref. was much better placed than me. On returning to my North Liverpool Alehouse, a lad showed me a replay on his mobile from YouTube and ? oh dear ? a bloody travesty.
I hope the authorities take note of this referee?s actions and do their utmost to stop him inflicting such misguided actions by way of further training. Failure to do so will surely inevitably begin the decline of large crowds who come to see a contest between two teams and NOT the whim of an official who, like some others before him, believe they are more important than the players.
The evidence is there for all to see. He judged the derby and it?s meaning rather than the incident. Shame on him and the authorities if they don?t take action that is seen to be fair and just and publicised.
People paid good and hard earned money to have an expectant day out ruined by one man?s ego. FA ? watch the replays and, for the sake of football, ACT!!!
UP THE BLUES
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Went to the Rugby League playoff semi final last night when Warrington lost (yes, bad weekend for me sportswise!) but a sport with so little money swashing about, still manages to get most of the decisions right with the aid of technology.
The referee has to have the final say in local parks games but surely, in the richest league in the world, the referees have got to get the majority of decisions right.
It's ok people saying that decisions even themselves out but how does an unjustified sending off in the 89th minute when a team is leading 3-0 balance out one in the 23rd minute when the score is 0-0? Why do the "bigger" teams always seem to get the majority of favourable decisions?
Sorry, rant over.
If the FA had an ounce of integrity it would drop the incompetent buffoon from premier league duty.
It is time all referees were made to explain dodgy decisions.
I was there too ? Upper Bullens ? and saw it just as you did. Saurez really is a an obnoxious twat, unfortunately I just knew that he'd have something to do with the outcome of the game. He's an out-and-out cheat and makes me very fucking angry, he's a particularly unlikeable person.
Maybe I am pathetic but this game has a social aspect as well. Message is that you should act like Suarez and you'll be fine. You can prepare, you can be brave but at the end, some theatrical fall is easier and more effective than anything.
I still can't believe that this is happening again against Liverpool. We should stop playing derby games because there is no point any more.
From where I was, it looked like Sourarse handled the ball to get it under control for his goal.. But I could have been looking through blue tinted glasses at thast point..
Shame about today as it was my lads first derby game.
Problem is, if the FA do decide to do anything about the ref, it won't help us one little bit.
Anyway forgetting that incident one thing that does concern me is the stupid goals we have started to concede. FFS both goals today should have been avoided. the lads done well today though and I thought Saha did well and shown some neat touches. I'm convinced that team we started with is the best we have got and hopefully we will play it in 2 weeks at Chelsea.
I hate us loosing but if it is by fair means then I can cope, but really that was such blatant cheating again that I feel I no longer want anything to do with football whilst sky are involved.
Moyes said that this person had been sent to both training grounds during the week. What was that about? And what happened at theirs, and ours? Was it something we said? Or perhaps didn't say. Perhaps like Clattenberg before him, he got a personal audience from Stevie GBH.
Anyway Ken, from early indications it looks like its not only Evertonians who have seen the injustice of it all today. Fat lot of good that will do us I know, but we are right.
I suppose there were some positives; Saha looked lively for one,and I was just wishing that he would get one of those chances on his left foot. Secondly, it was a fantastic penalty save by TH - top marks. We were well in control of that game before the 'incident', and may well have gone on to win it.
It's still difficult to swallow though.
Howard, Excellent baines decent, Jags needs a few games on the bench, two more horrid mistakes today, Hibbo, good.
Rodwell was doing well until the sending off, Felli mostly good, Osman not very visible today, Coleman had a really poor game offensively, Cahill, well he does his thing and was ok. Saha, not quite there yet, but went close a couple of times. Would have scored atleast twice if he was on form
Good sub from Drenthe, Neville was so-so and Vellios never really got time to make any impact today
But I will not be holding my breathe, main reason being, that the FA cannot do a Clattenburg for every Reff that shits on us because soon there will be none left to ref our games....It's no wonder we're bitter.
On performance note Moyes sent out a team that in formation and intent that was worlds apart from City, and for 25 mins it showed...NO BACKSLIDING DAVIE.
Three players; Carrol, Suarez and Bellamy.
Carrol, In the pig and whistle Brisbane the blue accord was what a big 35mill waste of space...my reflection this morning is that if ' ALL ' he does, as in Ken's discription, is tap it in well 20 or so off them is well worth the price. Though to be fair it was a well struck volley from about 8 or 10 yards and aia have seen plenty of those go over the bar or skid off the foot.
Suarez, or sourarse as some one called himis, again as someone else stated is example and a poor one at that of all that is sick in the game with his diving.
Bellamy; I like him and think he would have took to our team ethos like a duck to water. Sourarse was trying to bringing the officials notice to the missiles, when Bellamy was taking a corner and getting the same treatment he was laughing about it.
Yet again we are done over;
R.S. !! why are we suprised? you get exactly what it says on the tin.
Watched the game on Foxtel here in Adelaide. The tackle was shown maanyyyy! times as the commentators were flabergasted with Atkinson's decision. It didn't even warrant a yellow. Saurez's cheating makes him fit in well with the RS.
COYB
why does it always happen to us!!
thought the boys did well but disappointed with the goals. we were weak on both counts and felt throughout the game that we allowed too many crosses to come in the box and shots on goal as we don't seem to close players down quick enough. anyone else feel like we defend to casualy at times?
That being the case, I guess Atkinson had no option. The law is an ass!
Cahill's booking when both players went in identically studs to studs -- just the redshite Adam, like his baby sister Suarez, screamed like a stuck pig.
I would rather we got nothing than play like that.
2011-12: 39,510
2010-11: 39,673
2009-10: 39,652
2008-09: 39,574
2007-08: 40,049
Bellamy got far worse 5 minutes later and fair play to him just shrugged it off, laughed and got on with it.
But one last plea to the pricks that did throw coins/bottles etc? well done, you're just the type on morons we don't want.
COYB
I look forward to when he has something to really scream about - in the return fixture!
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1 Posted 01/10/2011 at 20:46:29
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