Should Roy defend Torres?

[Chrono]

There's no way Roy would say that about Nani. Rafa probably would've done.

I still remember him telling a post-match interviewer that he didnt have a long time to do the interview, because he had to get down to the hospital to check on Robben

He added that Ferguson might have attacked Torres to "deflect attention from Nani, who certainly on one or two occasions was playing for fouls. Fernando Torres is not a cheat; he has proved that time and time again."

[Neil Young]

That's better.

[BobTheCharmer]

I think Roys' responses has been respectful and in the true keeping of Liverpool Football Club ever since he arrived.

He doesn't want to come out slagging off other managers and players in public. Leave that to the likes of Fat Head, Fat Sam, Fergie et al.

I know we're used to Rafa fighting our/his corner with witty one liners and pre writtens notes, but ultimately where did that get him? He managed to wind up every journo out there, hence the bad press we've/himself have received ever since. This only works if you end up winning the ultimate prize.

No one should doubt Roy's loyalty to the club and the players.

[Roboklopp]

Not sure how people can claim Rafa's facts had a negative impact. Our points tally was amazing after that and Scum finally got some players sent off.

Don't think Roy's being tough enough- all thus talk of him beingthat cunt's mate give he wrong impression and even his criticisms just scream "victim."

[cream]

Not sure how people can claim Rafa's facts had a negative impact. Our points tally was amazing after that and Scum finally got some players sent off.

Don't think Roy's being tough enough- all thus talk of him beingthat cunt's mate give he wrong impression and even his criticisms just scream "victim."

Not 100% sure, but I think we were sitting on top of the league at that point and went on to drop points straight after that press conference. whether it was that 'rant' that did it is anybody's guess.

[Vermilion]

Not sure how people can claim Rafa's facts had a negative impact. Our points tally was amazing after that and Scum finally got some players sent off.

Don't think Roy's being tough enough- all thus talk of him beingthat cunt's mate give he wrong impression and even his criticisms just scream "victim."

[Shaggy]

That's better Roy. A start. Someone should tell him that his 'friendship' with that cunt simply will not last if Roy is with us for longer than five minutes. Simple as that. **** him up.

[Vermilion]

And..Sky's take on Roy the attacker...

Hodgson launches Nani attack
Reds chief points to Portuguese as main play-acting culprit last Sunday

By Elliot Ball Last updated: 25th September 2010

Roy Hodgson has launched a belated retort to Sir Alex Ferguson's comments that Fernando Torres is a cheat by insisting Nani was the guilty party during last weekend's clash.

A fuming Ferguson chastised Torres after the 3-2 triumph for trying to get John O'Shea sent off when the Liverpool striker won the free-kick that Steven Gerrard dispatched to make the score 2-2 at Old Trafford.

O'Shea only received a yellow for the infringement and the United defender went on to help his team take the spoils as his cross set up Dimitar Berbatov's hat-trick header.

Ferguson has since denied those claims that he branded Torres as 'a cheat', but Hodgson has potentially opened a war of words with his close friend in his defence of the Spanish marksman.

The Reds boss was critical of the Red Devils' Nani for his theatrics last Sunday, which led to Daniel Agger being given a talking to by Howard Webb for letting the Portuguese winger know what he thought of a dive.
Deflect

"Alex is a good friend of mine and knows how to use the mass media and he's used it very well there," said the Reds boss, whose team are looking to bounce back from Wednesday's humiliating Carling Cup exit this weekend against Sunderland.

"And he might have used it to deflect from Nani who, certainly on one or two occasions, was playing for fouls in our opinion so I'm not concerned about that at all. Fernando Torres is not a cheat, he has proved that time and time again.

"He is a very respected player, he is strong and takes players on and not easy to stop and he is going to get fouls like he did for the equalising goals. There is no danger of us cheating.

"The players here have had years and years of criticism and crisis management every time they have not won a game or things have not gone their way and I think Torres will shrug those suggestions off just as I shrug them off."

Hodgson, who did not defend Torres following the game, added: "I didn't think it was necessary to say it because it was insulting people's intelligence.

"For me, it was one of Alex's inflammatory little digs to make his victory even sweeter and our defeat even harder and that's part of the game."

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11669_6399192,00.html

[Shaggy]

Hardly an attack on Nani, he should've gone balls out and mocked the cheating cunt. It's a start though.

[Neil Young]

Maybe it makes me a bit of a sad cunt, I don't care, but I am balls out behind Inter in the CL this season.

To be fair, there's a protest tomorrow and it won't only be SOS members. There'll be plenty of ordinary match-going Reds, non SOS members. Surely you support the protests? Whether or not you agree with SOS and how they go about their business (which I don't all of the time, far from it)...surely everyone supports the protests?

It's obviously not a balls out attack by Roy but he refers to the protesters as 'a group of people' as though they are a bunch of militant loonies.

Hardly an attack on Nani, he should've gone balls out and mocked the cheating cunt. It's a start though.

Put your balls away. You'll do yourself a mischief in this weather.

[dww]

Hardly an attack on Nani, he should've gone balls out and mocked the cheating cunt. It's a start though.

Overall I think he's played this more or less right. I'm not sure that there is that much point in wasting energy stoking up a rivalry with United. We need to get the feeling of a collective squad/team and if the manager doesn't feel that burning rivalry, being as we won't be competing with them for the title I think it would just be creating an unnecessary distraction.

[Roboklopp]

"Stoking up a rivalry? Where have you been - in another galaxy?

I kinda get your point, but a bit of aggression goes a long way. He should be trying to builds seige mentality. The fans & players need a leader right now, someone that'll fight for them.

[paulg]

As usual, Sky kiss manus arse. Roy has started a war of words? Taggart started it by slating torres. ****s.

[Craig_H]

I know he may not care. But whether he cared or not, his "Rant" back fired spectacularly and gave Fergie the edge in his team talks and provided the Old Trafford crowd fresh impetus when it was getting to the point they thought they had blown it.

I don't think it had any effect on our players, nor the refs who it was aimed at. But it had a positive effect on man Utd as a club. And that was why it failed.

I have to agree with this.

Ultimately, the fact that the FA and their refs didnt change how they did things in regards to Man Utd, the 'rant' subsequently served no purpose.

Everything Rafa said was true, but the consequence of him going out there at that point and saying those things was, at worst, it gave the mancs extra motivation, and at best, nothing.

At that moment, we were comfortably top and cruising, while the mancs were struggling to hang onto our coat-tails. Nothing needed to be said because things were running smoothly - just keep quiet and let the process continue going as it was.

The timing was unfortunate really and the whole thing was also completely unnecessary.

[DannyMan2006]

It wasn't a ****ing rant. Have a word with yourself

I didn't think it was, hence I put the word in " "