Football 2011-2012

[Alcatraz]

there's a club by club breakdown for the Prem in today's Guardian. The Liverpool bit only mentions Bent of the players named above, but also suggests that it's hugely unlikely.

I've personally never thought too much of Bent because his all-round contributions are pretty limited, but Suarez obviously needs a particular sort of player alongside him to prosper. I don't really know what sort of player that is, but maybe Bent might be it.

[The Nal]

Henry back! Really hope he doesnt tarnish the past.

Cahill gone to Chelski. 7 million.

[kaosmark2]

Isn't Cahill still having personal terms negotiated?

We were shocking today, about 20 minutes where we played some quite nice stuff, but otherwise we just sat off Liverpool and got punished for it. Poor show.

Gerrard and Bellamy will probably grab the headlines, but Skrtel's clearance off the line from Ba's shot was magnificent. Wonderful defending. If that had gone in, 2-2 and we might just have rallied to get a result, but that was brilliant. At the other end, what the fuck was Simpson doing for Bellamy's free kick? Not impressed by that, I don't get why he ran back, and then getting in Krul's way without actually getting in the way of the shot was disgraceful. He's been pretty inconsistent this season, I feel he was actually a lot better last year.

[pink_triangle]

I think your lucky Newcastle had such a good start, can see you sinking in the second half of the season with the likes of everton and Newcastle overtaking you. Personally glad Liverpool won, think their points total entering the new year is at least what they deserve.

[thetime]

Blimey liverpool and gerrard remind me of man utd and bryan robson in the 80's.

[kaosmark2]

I think your lucky Newcastle had such a good start, can see you sinking in the second half of the season with the likes of everton and Newcastle overtaking you. Personally glad Liverpool won, think their points total entering the new year is at least what they deserve.

[Alcatraz]

Liverpool deserve a lot more points than they've got IMO. They certainly deserve to be above Chelski.

Edited December 31, 2011 by Alcatraz

[kaosmark2]

When you're drawing with the likes of Swansea and Norwich (goalless draws, with that much money invested up front!!) and Blackburn, I'm not sure I can agree with that

[strummer77]

Just got back from the match. Just want to say that Steven Gerrard is fantastic.

Have a good new year people!

[thetime]

And Chelsea drew against QPR with the amount of money they invested up front.

Liverpool's performances have generally outdone Chelsea's this season. They've outdone a lot of Man U's. They've hit the woodwork far more than any other team. They create shedloads of chances, they have large numbers of shots on target. They've come up against stunning goalkeeper performances.

I don't think that it's all bad luck, they definitely need to improve their finishing, whether in training, confidence, or the transfer window, but Sturridge has been the only prolific Chelsea player this season, and Liverpool are constantly as close to scoring as you can get without doing so.

[eFestivals]

Isn't Cahill still having personal terms negotiated?

yep, and according to today's footie gossip Liverpool are now trying to usurp Chelsea.

[pink_triangle]

If I was cahill I would go to chelsea. The way Liverpool have defended this season, he may end up on the bench.

[eFestivals]

The table does not lie, half way now and you are where you deserve to be.

That's 100% right. Liverpool haven't scored the goals so they're where they should be.

But that doesn't change the fact that Liverpool have dominated* just about every team in just about every match they've played, and have created a hatful of chances* in just about every game, and that they're out performing Chelsea by doing that. Chelsea haven't had the same dominance over the opposition; Chelsea haven't been creating so many chances.

(* about the only match I've seen where neither of those things have applied was against Spurs, but even in that one - and with nine men - they were starting to dominate the game towards the end of the match till they inevitably got hit on the break by Spurs.)

Liverpool have had the performances (tho without the actual goals to match), while it's been Chelsea who've picked up the greater number of points. That's how it goes sometimes, and it's points that count so Chelsea are deservedly above them.

As I posted a few days ago, Liverpool are by one view just a smidgen short of being at the very top fighting for the title - it would have only needed a handful of extra goals (by less hitting the post and fewer great keeper displays against them).

But as I also posted many times thru October and November, Chelsea traditionally have a bad spell in those months but manage to pick things up and finish the season playing much better. While they're older and in transition I'm not entirely sure it's going to be too much different this year.

For the second half of the season either team could improve or either team could slide, and much the same applies with Spurs and Arsenal too. It's going to be interesting to see those four teams slug it out for the last two Chumps places.

[eFestivals]

If I was cahill I would go to chelsea. The way Liverpool have defended this season, he may end up on the bench.

I think there's a bigger possibility of that happening at Chelsea too than most people are thinking. If Cahill is all that's said of him would Bolton be shipping as many goals as they are? Wherever he ends up his reputation might not remain as high as it's been recently.

But Liverpool's defence - yeah! Carra can't get back into the team, Enrique has been fabulous, Agger is starting to look like the quality he's mostly been talked of having and Skrtel has been great. Even Johnson has been far better, and it's not like he's got poor competition for that right back spot from Kelly.

[Wooderson]

Skrtel has been incredible.

[strummer77]

Skrtel has been incredible.

Edited December 31, 2011 by strummer77

[kaosmark2]

Was a monster last night. Most improved player this season.

[joe1990]

HAPPY NEW YEAR I THINK SO, UNITED 2. 3 BLACKBURN HAHA LOVELY STUFF

[kaosmark2]

Man U and Chelsea both losing at home today. Great to see. Arsenal the only home side to win today, quite a shock really. Lots of surprising draws as well, is that the first of Bolton's season? Noone really looks stranded at the bottom at the the halfway point, 5 teams all with fewer points than games. Spurs are faltering slightly, although so are all the top teams. Looks like being a good 2nd half of the season.

[lost]

FA statement is out on Suarez:

The FA's case, in short, was as follows. In the goalmouth, Mr Evra and Mr Suarez spoke to

each other in Spanish. Mr Evra asked Mr Suarez why he had kicked him, referring to the

foul five minutes previously. Mr Suarez replied "Porque tu eres negro", meaning "Because

you are black". Mr Evra then said to Mr Suarez “say it to me again, I’m going to punch

you”. Mr Suarez replied "No hablo con los negros", meaning "I don't speak to blacks". Mr

Evra continued by saying that he now thought he was going to punch Mr Suarez. Mr

Suarez replied "Dale, negro, negro, negro", which meant "okay, blackie, blackie, blackie".

As Mr Suarez said this, he reached out to touch Mr Evra's arm, gesturing at his skin. Mr

Kuyt then intervened. When the referee blew his whistle and called the players over to

him shortly after the exchanges in the goalmouth, Mr Evra said to the referee "ref, ref, he

just called me a fucking black".

[lost]

This is pretty damning :

"Not only did we reject this evidence of Mr Suarez, but we found it remarkable that he

sought to advance a case that was so clearly inconsistent with any sensible appreciation of

what happened."

"Mr Suarez's account of his admitted use of the word "negro" changed several times. He

seemed unsure of when the admitted use took place and what triggered it. His account

seemed to change in an attempt to fit in with the video evidence."

"We found that Mr Evra did not use the words "South American" when speaking to Mr

Suarez. The language experts were not familiar with its use as an insult, Mr Evra's denial

of his alleged use of it was plausible, we found Mr Suarez's evidence unreliable in many

respects, and we found Mr Evra generally to be a credible witness." In other words Suarez invented an insult from Evra in order to try and deflect attention from his own wrongdoing and falsley implicate Evra in similar behaviour.

Edited December 31, 2011 by lost

[kaosmark2]

Full statement here:

http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/2011/luis-suarez-written-reasons

Suarez's inconsistencies is incredibly damning, but it grows to assert that they completely trust and believe Evra as a witness. Suarez DEFINITELY deserves a heavy ban.

I'm not convinced by their level of faith in Evra though, shown in this bit:

We considered it improbable that Mr Evra would act

in such a dishonest way in order to damage the reputation of a fellow professional whose

footballing skills he admires, with whom he had had no previous run-ins, and who he

does not think is a racist.

[kaosmark2]

Length of the ban looks a political decision:

408. The FA submitted that an increased sanction was required both to punish Mr Suarez and

also to ensure that it is widely understood that the FA deprecates and will not accept racist

behaviour. In other words, a deterrent sanction is called for.

409. Furthermore, the FA submitted, a number of aggravating factors justifying a further

increase in the sanction are present.

410. First, Mr Suarez is an international footballer of exceptional ability, playing for one of the

best-known clubs in the world. His position carries with it a particular degree of

responsibility. His conduct amounts to a serious breach of that responsibility. The conduct

of Mr Suarez also undermines FA-supported programmes such as the anti-racism "Kick It

Out" campaign by suggesting to the young, naive and ignorant that racially offensive

language and behaviour is acceptable.

411. Secondly, the FA submitted that the nature and extent of the misconduct of Mr Suarez was

an obviously relevant factor. Given the number of times that Mr Suarez used the word

"negro", his conduct is significantly more serious than a one-off use of a racially offensive

term and amounts to an aggravating factor.

412. Thirdly, it was submitted by the FA that the conduct of Mr Suarez has damaged the image

of English football around the world, given that the conduct occurred during the course of

one of the most famous games in English football, watched by a huge number of people

around the world.

413. Fourthly, the FA submitted that the impact of the conduct of Mr Suarez on Mr Evra is a

factor tending to aggravate the seriousness of the misconduct. He had been badly affected

by the incident, and had been the subject of adverse comments in the media and on social

networking sites.

414. Finally, the FA invited the Commission to consider Mr Suarez's motivation. The FA

confirmed that it has not contended that Mr Suarez acted as he did out of deep-seated

racial prejudice, ie because he is a racist. The FA submitted that the likelihood was that Mr

Suarez was seeking to provoke Mr Evra, so as to cause him to be sent off, thereby gaining

a competitive advantage in the game. It was submitted that such behaviour is to be

deplored.

[Wooderson]

Seems very wishy washy.

[Kowalski]

Damning report on Suarez... Liverpool fans and Liverpool FC looking silly defending him now I feel...