Penaltygate ...

[wiw]

Walked away clearly swearing and pissed off. His first test and he failed spectacularly.

Neither here nor there though because I don't think he's going to be our first choice midfielder in the long term.

The test is in the coming games.

I think you're going to surprised/disappointed then in that case

[captainfog]

What was he supposed to do then? Just stand over Balotelli and make himself look like a tosser?

Its best to have it out in the changing rooms than on the pitch. Just because there are cameras all over the place capturing his every facial expression doesnt mean he failed.

No he should have made it look like it was his decision MD looked happy about it even if he wasn't. Of he had done that then Studge wouldn't have got involved. Henderson showed incredibly poor leadership skills.

[Rafa Justice]

ive no doubt that mario [by default] was the best person to take the pen. he takes the ball off hendo and then tells him he is the penomaster, hendo relents.

studge then wades in cos hendo wont let him take it but has allowed mario, or studge wades in cos he doesnt like mario taking the ball off the captain.
hendo walks away, muttering and shaking his head. looks like he didnt want to give up the ball.

mario scores a great pen, hendo seems reluctant to get too happy about it.

this is all bad enough, our acting captain looking flakey.

then gerrard wades in, about his own team on live tv. a ****ing disaster. out future manager

Pretty faultless summary that

Gerrard, club captain or not, should have kept his mouth shut rather than openly criticising a member of the team.

And people wonder why he gets called Stevie Me

[wiw]

I think you're being very harsh foggleberry. He's shown excellent leadership skills in dealing with the ref, organising players and leading by example. It's one moment of a game where he could've handled it better. Balotelli is notoriously difficult to manage but he's still relatively young and will learn from it. No captain is perfect! It's how he reacts to this that is important. He can't let his arse go.

[captainfog]

The test is in the coming games.

I think you're going to surprised/disappointed then in that case

He's very good at a couple of things, but overall he's pretty limited and I'd be amazed if Rodgers didn't look to upgrade in the next couple of years. He reminds me a bit of Dirk.

[wiw]

Also don't think Gerrard would've said what he did if he wasn't off next season.

[DannyMan2006]

He's very good at a couple of things, but overall he's pretty limited and I'd be amazed if Rodgers didn't look to upgrade in the next couple of years. He reminds me a bit of Dirk.

He's not limited. He brings drive & energy to the team, as well as having the most assists in the team. You should also watch him closely, he has the best instant control off anyone in the team. He gets the ball blasted at him from all heights and he controls it instantly 99% of the time. Not even Coutinho or Sterling are better in that regards.

He's also getting better at forcing the play, or putting us back on the front foot. Clearly, what lets him down in a big way is his shooting. Hiś energy gets him in good positions, hence the amount of assists tbh, but he needs to have far more goals to his name. If he can add that he'll be in the team for years to come.

[BigChief]

I want to wade in and add Balotelli showed balls of steel knowing he was enemy number 1 in the dressing room and in the crowds. He knew the team needed to win and only he had the skillset to ensure it.

He could have backed down and hidden but held his courage to do the right thing. If this was the Apprentice Alan Sugar would be applauding him and telling the rest to have a good look at themselves. Specially the project manager who was determined to fck things up.

I'm warming to Balotelli slightly. Not much, but slightly.

[SB]

I want to wade in and add Balotelli showed balls of steel knowing he was enemy number 1 in the dressing room and in the crowds. He knew the team needed to win and only he had the skillset to ensure it.

He could have backed down and hidden but held his courage to do the right thing. If this was the Apprentice Alan Sugar would be applauding him and telling the rest to have a good look at themselves. Specially the project manager who was determined to fck things up.

I'm warming to Balotelli slightly. Not much, but slightly.

"Knowing he was number 1 enemy in the dressing room " ? or risked becoming the number 1 enemy in the dressing room by insisting on taking the penalty?

You saying he's not popular mate?

[BobTheCharmer]

Sorry but am I getting this right, you think in a situation when Sturridge gets angry at Mario for taking the penalty from his captain, Henderson, that demonstrates Sturridge was thinking about himself ahead of the team, not Mario? ****ing hell that's some crazy logic dude.

You cut out the part of my post that referred to the picture that had been posted. Shame. Sturridges non celebration or smile even though the team has gone one nil up so late in the game, spoke volumes. He trudged off and instead of being delighted we are winning, he's sulking over either a) not being allowed the pen himself, b) that Henderson had it taken off him or c) because Mario is stealing his limelight.

[fah-q]

Mind you, as someone brought up in Palermo should know, if you disrespect the chain of command things have a habit of falling apart.

[BigChief]

"Knowing he was number 1 enemy in the dressing room " ? or risked becoming the number 1 enemy in the dressing room by insisting on taking the penalty?

You saying he's not popular mate?

I think he's under no illusions nobody wanted him from the word go. Not the manager, not the fans and probably no one in the dressing room. The petty reactions to the penalty kind of confirmed that rather than be the cause.

So he knew/knows he's not loved before penaltygate. It just so happens he also knows penaltygate will make it worse. But he still didn't/doesn't care as he wanted the team to win. For which I applaud him.

To me the team is everything. Always has been. If any player, no matter how great they are, gets in the way of the team then I'm no fan of theirs.

[captainfog]

He's not limited. He brings drive & energy to the team, as well as having the most assists in the team. You should also watch him closely, he has the best instant control off anyone in the team. He gets the ball blasted at him from all heights and he controls it instantly 99% of the time. Not even Coutinho or Sterling are better in that regards.

He's also getting better at forcing the play, or putting us back on the front foot. Clearly, what lets him down in a big way is his shooting. Hiś energy gets him in good positions, hence the amount of assists tbh, but he needs to have far more goals to his name. If he can add that he'll be in the team for years to come.

That made me chuckle.

[Fierce]

Gerrard asserting the premacy of the captain role and supporting his successor makes him a prick and a c*nt, oh and Henderson is a cock too basically just for being the captain? **** me I think I've woken up in a parallel dimension

Reading some of the bile against sg tonight, utter ****e most of it, makes me realise why I visit this site less and less.

[MrMichael]

You cut out the part of my post that referred to the picture that had been posted. Shame. Sturridges non celebration or smile even though the team has gone one nil up so late in the game, spoke volumes. He trudged off and instead of being delighted we are winning, he's sulking over either a) not being allowed the pen himself, b) that Henderson had it taken off him or c) because Mario is stealing his limelight.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_igRd4DMBmE&t=1m10s"]L'Episodio Balotelli-Eto'o - YouTube[/ame]