Liverpool v Besiktas Match Thread

[BubbaZanetti]

Mischievous Mario FTW

[danperkins]

Disagree, he backed down and looked meek. He can still let Balo take it if that's his wish but as he said himself he wanted to take it but he just backed down and let the kerfuffle happen. It was the right decision though but arrived at in the wrong manner.

He reacted the right way IMO. Didn't make a big deal about it and didn't drag the situation out... as it was a crucial peno. I'm sure Hendo will have a word privately...which is the right thing to do. Behind closed doors

[BubbaZanetti]

poor performance and poor win. 1-0 ain't going to help us that much in the second leg.

It wasn't much fun to watch but they didn't score. A couple of months ago we'd have lost that game.

[BobTheCharmer]

What is it with the armband and getting first dibs on all set pieces? Henderson hits **** corners and **** freekicks. Can only assume his penalty skills would be similar. The reaction was like a child. The best taker should get it. Simple.

[calvoboy]

Real talk henderson needs to **** off from taking the fee kicks. I've noticed since he became captain he's always lining up to take the free kicks. He's **** at them and now he wants to take the peno's.

Took a great one first half that only just missed. You can tell he's been practising them too - he lines up like Beckham/Johnny Wilkinson these days before he hits the wall!

[Gazzla]

Gerrard has done us no favours whatsoever with those comments, there was no need to make them and all it's done is heap more pressure on both Balotelli and made us look a bit of a circus. As captain Gerrard should have known better, regardless of who was right and who was wrong, have it out behind closed doors not on live television, accusing Balotelli of disrespecting the captain Henderson is a journalists dream and instead of the headlines being about how well Balotelli played and turned the game, it'll be about how Gerrard has called him out for showing disrespect to the captain on the pitch. Not happy with Gerrard

[Buzzo]

Mario should have been all over that free kick at the end too.

[calvoboy]

Gerrard has done us no favours whatsoever with those comments, there was no need to make them and all it's done is heap more pressure on both Balotelli and made us look a bit of a circus. As captain Gerrard should have known better, regardless of who was right and who was wrong, have it out behind closed doors not on live television, accusing Balotelli of disrespecting the captain Henderson is a journalists dream and instead of the headlines being about how well Balotelli played and turned the game, it'll be about how Gerrard has called him out for showing disrespect to the captain on the pitch. Not happy with Gerrard

He's gone demob happy, while Henderson is looking more like a captain every game.

[BobTheCharmer]

Mario should have been all over that free kick at the end too.

can you imagine? He never went near it.

[shanks69]

Real talk henderson needs to **** off from taking the fee kicks. I've noticed since he became captain he's always lining up to take the free kicks. He's **** at them and now he wants to take the peno's. Mario is the next in line after Gerrard it's as simple as that. I actually think Gerrard came across as a right tit the way he's having a go at Mario

Anyway Marioooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo get in

who should have taken them then,out of the free kicks today for instance hendo came closest with a free kick,mario's have been crap and sturridge not much better in fact non can really be that boastful this season?

[BobTheCharmer]

He's gone demob happy, while Henderson is looking more like a captain every game.

Henderson's reaction on the pitch wasn't that of a winning captain. It was that of a spoilt child.

[Red Wino]

Mario offers the great set ball pieces that we lost with Suarez. He should take freekicks and penalties when he's on the pitch. Well, at least when he can be bothered - like today.

[Redspin]

Strachan and Reid having a whop off argument ha ha ha! Do you know what, I take it back now. Balotelli has been an absolute cunt there. Good on Sturridge to butt in but not happy with him not celebrating.

I seem to be alone in that I really couldn't give a steaming **** who was supposed to take it; whose ego was bruised by not taking it; whether or not Sturridge celebrated; and what Steven Gerrard's view of it was.

Balotelli was the best man on the pitch to take it. He did so and scored. That'll do me. The rest is all unimportant froth

[Buzzo]

can you imagine? He never went near it.

He could not have distanced himself further from it.

He always hits the target, he should definitely have gone for it

[G]

He reacted the right way IMO. Didn't make a big deal about it and didn't drag the situation out... as it was a crucial peno. I'm sure Hendo will have a word privately...which is the right thing to do. Behind closed doors

Like I said, I disagree. None of the three of them acted correctly, Sturridge had a strop at Hendo for backing down, Hendo meekly backs down, probably to not let a situation occur but then he had a moan at Balo before he took it and walked off shaking his head, certainly didn't look like he wanted him to take it.

The main issue for me is Hendo shouldn't be the designated taker but if he is and he wants it he should take it.