Post Match Thread Scum Vs Liverpool

[El Jefecito]

Do you think if masher hadn't been sent off it would have made much of a difference? It gave them an advantage sure, but to me there is a fatal flaw in our mentality and approach to these games that needs to be overcome

Mascher, completely negated their midfield. He was a big miss.

[jonseyboy]

I have to say with perfomances and ref intervention aside, I find it difficult to believe that almost any of 'our' players out there today really understood what playing against the scum really means. Obviously 'we' are told that every match is important and that 'we' go into every match looking for a win. But when I have to sit and watch such a 'lack luster' performance, when we all already know that the undeniable difference in quality between us and the other top 3 is so massive. We should have gone out today, not just looking to win but to show the rest of the premiership that we also deserve to be on top....... Unfortunately we dont!!! FACT!

[Kenneth]

if we never won again at OT it wouldn't mean we couldn't win the league. These aren't the games we need to be winning. Win at home, and get results away against teams outside the top 6. Disappointing. But not as disappointing as all of those draws.

[Slim]

Why do some people believe that there is more or less impossible to bribe a ref in the PL?

It clearly happens, Riley was United's payroll for years and Styles was clearly bribed in our game against Chelsea at Anfield this season.

It's so much money involved so it will happen from time to time.

No offence mate, but you're mental.

[AFII]

No offence mate, but you're mental.

Do you really believe that not a single game this season in the PL has involved a bribed ref?

Do you believe that the FA would do anything about it if they knew about it?

[Slim]

Do you really believe that not a single game this season in the PL has involved a bribed ref?

Do you believe that the FA would do anything about it if they knew about it?

Yes I really do believe that not a single game this season in the PL has involved a bribed ref. Sorry mate if you think I am naive or something but I think you are paranoid.

We're all disappointed with today's result but really, going on about the ref being bribed is just ridiculous IMHO. So was the ref who sent off Aliadiere and let Masher stay on the pitch a few weeks ago bribed by our club? We all get bad decisions from time to time and we get good one too. It's not ideal but that, I am afraid, is football and it was always this way.

[chadrtc]

Do you really believe that not a single game this season in the PL has involved a bribed ref?

Do you believe that the FA would do anything about it if they knew about it?

No, you're right he was bribed, but if that was the case, why didn't he send Carra off in the first 10 minutes.......because he was to busy shooting JFK from the grassy knoll!?

[AFII]

Yes I really do believe that not a single game this season in the PL has involved a bribed ref. Sorry mate if you think I am naive or something but I think you are paranoid.

Were all disappointed with today's result, but really going on about the ref being bribed is just ridiculous IMHO. So was the ref who sent off Aliadiere and let Masher stay on the pitch a few weeks ago bribed by our club? We all get bad decisions from time to time and we get goods one too. It's not ideal but the I am afraid it's football and thus ever was that way.

Take Styles in our game against Chelsea.

He got a lot of money from Roman a few weeks before our game against them. It was for some work he wanted done, his driveway if I remember things correct.

Then he acts the way he did in our game against us. Clearly bribed, sorry but I think that you are naive, you can call me that to if you want most people probably think that I'm that.

I believe that there isn't a single pro football league that hasn't some games every year involving a bribed ref.

[Slim]

Take Styles in our game against Chelsea.

He got a lot of money from Roman a few weeks before our game against them. It was for some work he wanted done, his driveway if I remember things correct.

Then he acts the way he did in our game against us. Clearly bribed, sorry but I think that you are naive, you can call me that to if you want most people probably think that I'm that.

I believe that there isn't a single pro football league that hasn't some games every year involving a bribed ref.

I'm really not sure if you are taking the piss now or not!

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

We're ok in Europe, it's Rafa's shortcomings when it comes to the league - not necessarily the players.

Fair observation.

Will probably be lost in all the hysteria though.

Let's face it when we went down to 10 Rafa did nothing to change the game.

Why Crouch didn't come on to play alongside Torres at 1-0 beggars belief, even with 20 minutes left it was still only 1-0 and the mancs were having a bit of a wobble.

In the end he took off Babel for Benayoun and we ended up losing 3-0 not having a full go at getting back into it, maybe it's just me but I'd rather see us lose 5-0 by having a real go than sitting there doing nothing in hope rather than expectation.

But as we saw at Reading Rafa has no clue how to chase a game.

[the rev leeroy brown]

**** me...a lot of negativity on here tonight.

the game was disappointing granted, but IMO we didn't do much wrong in the game. UTD are a good team who probably are going to win the EPL quite comfortably and up unitll masher was sent off we weren't excactly over-run by them. 2 terrible pieces of goalkeeping by reina gifted them 2 goals and masher (no matter what he said or dind't say) getting worked up and confronting the referee in a week where anyone showing dissent was going to be made an example of, was all that seperated us today...apart from nani scoring a really good goal and reina made a couple of great stops.

if masher hadn't been sent off i beleive we could have nicked an equaliser and left with a point.

BRING ON EVERTON!!!! LETS ****ING HAVE EM!!!

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Take Styles in our game against Chelsea.

He got a lot of money from Roman a few weeks before our game against them. It was for some work he wanted done, his driveway if I remember things correct.

Then he acts the way he did in our game against us. Clearly bribed, sorry but I think that you are naive, you can call me that to if you want most people probably think that I'm that.

I believe that there isn't a single pro football league that hasn't some games every year involving a bribed ref.

So we bribed Clattenburg earlier this season then?

Let's face it, a more realistic explaination is that the standard of refereeing in this country is, in general, of a poor standard. Too many refs are either weak on discipline, or are easily influenced by their surroundings.

Steve Bennett falls into the category of a weak referee, today influenced by his surroundings, as well as having a big hit for himself. I suspect he probably enjoyed sending Mascherano off for nothing, and in light of recent events he probably felt justified.

[the rev leeroy brown]

So we bribed Clattenburg earlier this season then?

Let's face it, a more realistic explaination is that the standard of refereeing in this country is, in general, of a poor standard. Too many refs are either weak on discipline, or are easily influenced by their surroundings.

Steve Bennett falls into the category of a weak referee, today influenced by his surroundings, as well as having a big hit for himself. I suspect he probably enjoyed sending Mascherano off for nothing, and in light of recent events he probably felt justified.

ref standards in this country are laughable.

[lfcruleus]

Bribed, ffs ive heard it all now, Bennett responded to the current climate in the wake of the Cole issue in the week, someone was goin to be sent off for dissent this weekend guaranteed, Mascher should have thought about his actions before he did it.
United are a better side than us, we have been on a good run recently but havent really played anyone Inter aside. When we looked at this fortnight of fixtures a few weeks back everyone had no expectation, ita amazing what some home wins can do.
Oh and Marky, drop the Gerrard **** he was no worse than anyone else and virtually everything positive we did produce came from him, he was in the box when the Masher stuff happened. Just because he didnt score from 40 yards doenst mean and i quote "he is a ****in disgrace". You have had a strange agenda against our captain for a while, if you think we would be better without him you are missing a sandwich from your picnic box, Jog on.

[AFII]

Steve Bennett Wins It For United
Written by Gerry on March 23rd, 2008

Well I hate to say I told you so, but in the last blog, I told you so. No matter how good your form is going into the game, strange things can happen at the Theatre of Illusions and yet again this proved to be the case in today’s game.

As I said last time, every time we go there it seems like we not only have to take on their team and their crowd, but also the match officials and the lob-sided coverage of Sly Sports. Their 3-0 victory sounds like a pretty convincing score-line but clearly their man of the match and the man that had the biggest influence on the game for them, was the total knob-head referee Steve Bennett and he ensured that we never really stood a chance.

How this clown would be allowed to officiate an under-12’s game much less a top Premier League game, is beyond me. As a referee he has consistently proven to be about as useful as a milk bucket under a bulls bollocks. It’s high time for the Premier League to kick him out of the game because clearly they are depriving some poor village of its idiot!

Regular readers of the blog will be aware that I’m a big fan of Pepe Reina but for some reason our normally calm-headed keeper seemed to be very nervy and unsure throughout the game and had a bit of a nightmare, particularly in the first half. I thought we were coping with them and doing quite well for the first 30 minutes but then we conceded a really sloppy goal. We had plenty of defenders in the box to deal with any problems but a nothing cross from the left comes in, Reina comes for it but completely misses his punch and Wes Brown climbs all over the back of Skrtel to head the ball home.

Firstly, I don’t think the goal should have stood and I’m sure Peter Crouch would be the first to agree. I’ve lost count of the amount of times Crouchy gets penalised for doing far less climbing then that in similar positions, sometimes it seems like we are playing under different rules then everybody else. That said, we should have defended the situation better and it really was a stupid goal to give away, but for some reason we are often guilty of such stupidity against the mancs. Still, you felt that we were playing well enough to get ourselves back into the game but then in stepped Bennett to kill off our chances.

Firstly, I know I’m biased but I didn’t see a lot wrong with Mascherano’s challenge early in the game for him to merit a yellow card after just 10 minutes of the game. Clearly he was wound up about it particularly when he is looking at some of the manc players making similar challenges throughout the half and getting away with at a talking to at best and in a lot of cases, not even that. In such circumstances I really can’t see any problem with him asking the referee why he has been booked and they haven’t.

Whether Bennett was embarrassed by Masch’s legitimate questions, I guess we’ll never know but clearly they played a part in his absolutely ridiculous decisions before half-time. Torres goes down after being clipped by two manc players and then turns to the ref and throws his arms out and asks him what going on, and is given a yellow card for daring to ask the question! It was laughable of him to book Torres for his harmless actions, and if the ref was daft enough to think it was a bookable offence then why didn’t he even speak to Ronaldo, when he was doing exactly the same thing every time he was challenged by a Liverpool player?

This then led to Bennett compounded his error and reaching a whole new level of stupidity by sending off the Monster. We saw a great camera angle at half-time that gave us a perfect view of what went on in this incident and it showed us Masch going up to the ref, with no aggression and no bad language, and simply asking, “what’s happening?”, and for this he was given a second yellow card and was sent off for dissent!

Clearly Mascherano, an experienced international player who has played in games all over the world, could not understand why he had been sent off and was understandably incensed by the decision, and had to be literally dragged off the pitch. I know that Masch has become a victim of this recent issue regarding players being disrespectful to referee’s and perhaps some people will regard his actions as naïve, but I don’t agree. Like Mascherano, I just can’t understand how asking a referee a simple question can be regarded as being disrespectful or dissentful. If this is the direction the game is going in, we’ll be lucky if we get to the end of games with any players from either side left on the pitch!

Then of course we had the moronic commentating on Sky to put with, as the commentator went on to continually mention throughout the game, that everyone would have sympathy with Steve Bennett for his handling of the situation, particularly after the incident with Ashley Cole in midweek. What a load of complete bollocks! Why should Mascherano pay the price for the actions of Ashley Cole?

This was a completely different incident in a completely different game. Cole tried to break a players leg, then reacted extremely aggressively and disrespectfully towards the referee for daring to merely book him for the offence, how can this possibly be compared to Mascherano simply asking the referee a question? As it happens, Bennett was the fourth official in that game and came in for some criticism for his failure to take any action in that incident and it seems to me like he was trying to make up for that at our expense.

Back in the studio, I found it amazing to hear Jamie Redcrapp supporting the commentators point of view but I was even more amazed to actually hear Andy Gray strongly disagree with them both and support Mascherano. Maybe he is aware of the fact that some Reds fans have been complaining to Sky about his often anti-Liverpool comments, but for whatever reason, he was the only one to talk sensibly about the incident.

He complained about the referee not taking into account the passion of the game and finished off his comments by saying, “Mascherano has just gone over and legitimately asked the referee a question and he’s been sent off for it, well done Mr Bennett!”. The “well done Mr Bennett” bit, was obviously said with sarcasm, but well done Mr Gray for finally talking some sense, I guess even a blind squirrel can occasionally find an acorn, but I’m sure this is just a blip and he will be back to his anti-Liverpool best just in time for next week’s Merseyside Derby.

It’s just a shame that Jamie Redcrapp couldn’t have grown a few brain cells during the rest of the game because he was given an opportunity to redeem himself at the end of the match, but not only did he continue to criticise Mascherano’s actions, but he also made a complete fool of himself by turning into Vicky Pollard (from Little Britain) under the questioning of Richard “Wolfman” Keyes.

Jamie: “Mascherano is already on a yellow card and he’s crazy to come 20 yards to question the referee about why Torres was booked. He should have stayed away and left it to Alonso or Gerrard to ask the question.”

Wolfman: “So Jamie, if Alonso or Gerrard had asked the referee the question, do you think they would have been booked?”

Jamie: “No but…….yeah but……..no but……yeah but.

What a complete plank. There’s no doubt he was a great player for us in the past and I don’t take any pleasure in criticising him but its easy to see why Sky have given him a job, because as a football pundit he is one of the few people that can make Andy Gray seem intelligent!

I’ve obviously totally focused on the Mascherano in this blog because for me, that was the big deciding factor in the game. It’s difficult enough to get anything from the mancs when we have eleven players on the pitch, but when were reduced to 10 men, it was almost impossible. Because in my view, Mascherano was the one player we couldn’t afford to lose. Without him, Gerrard had to play deeper and this weakened our attack and dramatically reduced our chances of getting back into the game.

In fairness, we did show some character and came back at them in the second half, but with us short on numbers and chasing the game they were always likely to pick us off and that’s exactly what happened. I don’t really have any problem with the mancs on this occasion, because they were handed an advantage by the ref and made full use of it and I would expect our players to do exactly the same in a similar situation (not that we ever manage to find ourselves in a similar situation).

All we can do now is pick ourselves up and try to not let this defeat effect us too badly, because we still have some very big games coming up and we have to stay focused. It won’t be easy though, because the stupidity of Bennett means that Mascherano will now be suspended for the next three league games at least.

So once again, bad luck and a bad referee has cost us dearly in a game against the mancs. Sometimes I think God has Alzheimer’s disease, as he seems to have forgotten that we exist. But I really hope this isn’t the case because I’m praying he smiles on us in the Champions League. I would dearly love to see us get through to the final and face the mancs in Moscow. Because, at a neutral venue with a proper referee in charge of proceedings, I would really fancy us to break their hearts for a change and end this hoodoo they seem to have over us, once and for all!

Keep the Faith

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