The Liverpool FC Thread

[Jez]

I dont get all the uproar, this happens all the time to other clubs.

Dont see any mass media outcry when Wesley has this done to him for Villa (but worse) last season (he's still not back)? Also lost our keeper to the same injury in the same game (accidental).

[AdamBrunt]

Originally Posted by Jez

I dont get all the uproar, this happens all the time to other clubs.

It really doesn't. It is a claim that has been made a lot since Saturday - mainly by people trying to defend Pickford and the refs - that "those sort of tackles happen in every game every week" and it is a complete fallacy to the point of being dangerous. They are, for most players, extremely rare whilst for some they seem like 2nd nature.

I am just waiting to see a completely different reaction from the FA when, an undeterred, Pickford does exactly the same thing to Kane putting him out of the Euros

[AdamBrunt]

Maybe a VAR decision will eventually go our way one game this season.

A perfectly good tackle outside the box becomes a penalty Almost as funny as VAR not even looking at Maguire's chokehold but spending 3 minutes desperately trying to give a penalty for a nothing challenge on Rashford.

And once again ... the PL changed their story on what VAR did for the 'penalty'; first the VAR didn't consider whether it was actually a foul but just where it took place and then, a few hours later, the VAR did consider both things. Utter farce now.

[Jez]

Originally Posted by AdamBrunt

It really doesn't. It is a claim that has been made a lot since Saturday - mainly by people trying to defend Pickford and the refs - that "those sort of tackles happen in every game every week" and it is a complete fallacy to the point of being dangerous. They are, for most players, extremely rare whilst for some they seem like 2nd nature.

I am just waiting to see a completely different reaction from the FA when, an undeterred, Pickford does exactly the same thing to Kane putting him out of the Euros

It happened to two players in one game for Villa and I doubt they’re not the only ones in a season to lose a player to cruciate injury. The Burnley player wasn’t held over hot coals for days, this has been going on for almost a week, the Villa player who still isn’t back got a mention the following day and that was it.

[cheeseypuffs]

But one of the Villa injuries was a non-contact freak event and the other saw the defender slide across, get the ball and tangle up in the follow through, with VAR reviewing and making the decision on the tackle as not being reckless/dangerous. Pickford was high, late & reckless and VAR failed to follow the correct process, completely ignored the "challenge" and then put out conflicting reports on what actually happened in an obvious attempt to cover their arses.
A better comparison of the officials incompetence would be the complete failure to punish Maguire against Chelsea - although that obviously didn't result in any sort of injury.

The point is the failure of the VAR process rather than the injury, but also Adam is wrong in saying it doesn't happen to other clubs as it is clearly does. They are hampering a potentially good system by being incompetent and/or trying to justify their colleagues on field decision over the correct decision.

[AdamBrunt]

Originally Posted by cheeseypuffs

The point is the failure of the VAR process rather than the injury, but also Adam is wrong in saying it doesn't happen to other clubs as it is clearly does.

When did I say that ??

I said it didn't happen all the time; 3 cases in 1 year (one of which was a freak accident) doesn't indicate something that happens all the time. All the time would result in 20+ players getting ACL injuries as a result of reckless/dangerous tackles EVERY SEASON.

[cheeseypuffs]

Reckless tackles happen all the time, not always resulting in ACL injuries, but certainly other injuries and knocks. Although there's a lot where the tackled player is fortunate to escape as well. It's up to the officials to correctly penalise the offences to try and act as a deterrent but is unfortunately not always the case

Jez said it happens all the time to other clubs (about offences not being penalised), to which the reply was:

Originally Posted by AdamBrunt

It really doesn't.

apologies if I read it wrong, but that's what I inferred from it

[AdamBrunt]

I see the "Salah is a diver" narrative has started again LOL ... and mainly from the same pundits who would rather than cut their own balls off than level the same accusation at Rashford, Kane, Sterling and Fernandes when they get far more softer penalties than the one yesterday (which was a stonewall penalty)

[The Bear]

It's started again because he did dive yesterday. It was so blatant it was laughable.

[AdamBrunt]

He got a blatant kick - Shearer's usual response is "any sort of contact is enough to warrant a player going down". Seems that only applies to certain players.

If you watch the Arsenal v United game this afternoon you will see the usual United suspects "diving" under far less contact, than what happened yesterday, and nobody will say a word net alone accuse them of "diving" or "cheating". Oh, except to say how it should be a penalty.

[nutter45]

The game seems to condone it. Shearer, Neville et al are usually quick to call a player ‘clever’ for causing contact and going down.

I don’t like it but it’s pretty much the same for everyone.

[AdamBrunt]

But that's my point - it's not the same for everyone. Yesterday, Salah was a "diver", "cheat", "he does it time and time again". You will never hear that levelled at any of the others.

EDIT: Case in point ... Grealish has just done a blatant dive to win Villa a penalty and ... not a word.

EDIT 2: And lo and behold, a penalty in the United v Arsenal game where there was far less contact than the Salah one but the verdict ? "A definite penalty"

[The Bear]

Salah's wasn't contact that could reasonably unbalance him though. He was standing still, got the back of his foot kicked, planted his foot and weight down afterwards, took a split second to realise he'd been kicked, then chucked himself over.

It's not even comparable to someone getting clipped slightly whilst running.

[nutter45]

https://twitter.com/garylineker/stat...430229509?s=21

[cheeseypuffs]

It's in the IFAB laws that if you kick an opponent it's a free kick - doesn't say a thing about knocking him over - that blatantly happened and it is a clear foul, not sure how anyone can argue against that TBH? Only problem is that refs do not give anything in the penalty area if you don't go down (which is wrong) but this is why players "go to ground" to make the ref make the decision. Been like that for decades, and long since accepted as just the way it is. For anyone who still trusts VAR, I'm sure it confirmed that Salah was definitely kicked, so it's a penalty
Then you get Shearer and Murphy banging on about Salah again, despite their many previous usual utterings about clever play, etc. when it's the likes of Kane, Hazard, Vardy,...

Then how about just from today's games:
Grealish is already rapidly on his way down when he makes contact with the defenders leg - not even replayed or discussed in the MOTD2 studio.

Fair do's to Keown for pointing out exactly what Kane was up to to "win" his penalty, but then they don't say a thing about Son and Kane both diving for penalties in quick succession, and it hasn't lead to a studio rant about Kane being a serial diver has it!

The Pogba foul on Bellerin, much less contact than that on Salah and he goes down at least as slowly as Salah did - no uproar

So why is it MOTD are only bothered about Salah diving?
Or maybe it's just a case of less self-righteous egos in the motd2 studio

[AdamBrunt]

That Kane penalty was totally crazy - fair dos to Keown for pointing it out. It is totally dangerous play from Kane ( in rugby it would have been a minimum yellow card ) and yet he wins a penalty for it ??!!??

[HenryKrinkle]

Pogba clearly fouled the guy, he's a useless lump who I sincerely wish was anywhere but United...Salah did get very minimal contact and did go down easily...it was actually pathetic to watch a grown man feign such pain when their clearly was none at all!

Football is fast becoming a zero contact sport, very sad indeed!

[AdamBrunt]

For me ... there was far more contact in the Salah penalty than yesterday's one

[HenryKrinkle]

It wasn't even a foul for me...ludicrous!

[AdamBrunt]

So Pogba kicking Bellerin is clearly a foul but Masuaku kicking Salah is not a foul ?

Ok then ...