Taking Sides: Liverpool vs Everton

:(

However, the reason for me thinking this is he invited Ron Saunders back, and he is a born again Christian fundamentalist.

What on earth am I talking about? I don't know.

(That was my Martin O'Neill impersonation.)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dONtFBuCztM

It's true, they are into both Dubya and Giuliani. I agree that you don't expect billionaires to be nice, but it would help if these ones were tactfully discreet and enigmatic about their views.

My sense was that Benitez didn't call Everton a small club: he said (something like:) they had done what you would expect a small club to do - which is not really the same thing. Yet I have read in more than one newspaper that he made a point of going around and sounding off on this point repeatedly, so perhaps my judgement is too generous.

I think that Moyes said that Everton were 'one of the big clubs in England', didn't he? I think I agree with him. Possibly even one of the great clubs of Europe.

...But Liverpool's new co-owner George Gillett denied the attraction was to take advantage.

"If you were to put down the list of objectives we have, money would be nowhere near the top," he said when announcing their Anfield arrival to a room of cynical onlookers.

"It would start with winning, it would start with passion, it would have respect for tradition and history. It would have the word legacy very near the top and it would have the word thank you to David Moores for giving us the chance to own this wonderful franchise and hopefully add to its history."

Kind of spoils it there

I can't find the picture I saw on someone's back page, which I would have amusingly captioned "No, he's the one with the short fat hairy legs". But you have probably all seen it and thought the same thing. Or perhaps you thougth something better.

PPS: It was Lampard who was really mardy about Joey B's comments.

-- Sir Tehrance HoBB (j__...), February 6th, 2007. (later)

Oh well, if we're top of the table this time next year we can stop giving a toss anyhow right?

www.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news.php?Psection_id=2&Psub_section_id=1&Open=2449

Oh well, if we're top of the table this time next year we can stop giving a toss anyhow right?

Don't worry - it's still fucked. I've just tried to limit my grumbling (or do it in other places) to avoid sounding like a single-issue madman.

"genuine scouser" on the radio this morning saying "If it makes us more like Man Utd or Chelsea then it can only be good thing."
-- I don't know whether to play the trumpet, read a book or be a lesbian. ([email protected]), February 6th, 2007 12:43 PM.

It's taken me quite a while to realise that business about the trumpet and the lesbian is a new username, and not a baffling response to the thoughts of the scouser.

I suspect my screen name will change again after the next TV Burp.

Benitez seemed to be sort of revelling in the petty spite of the small club remark when he made it, but I may be misremembering it.

We need more comedy loose cannons in football, though I do not approve of Barton's cigar stubbing antics.

*possibly not directly, with his bare hands

Evidence of possible Christianity:

"But we are not changing the name Villa Park - and we are also not opening a super casino. We are not in the casino business. In fact, I have never been inside a casino."

See? I told you so.

We really are woeful. Completely outplayed until the penalty. At least we managed to string some passes together then. I guess the second penalty was a goal we fashioned from open play but still, wouldn't inspire you with confidence. Leiva looks pretty good.

Even I must apologise to Michael Jones for that last decision. No doubt it was a penalty. Possibly the one earlier too with Finnan.

What's the opposite of schadenfreude? Gluckschmerz?

Worst refereeing ever.

</pfunkboy>

Awful, awful, awful. First time I've used the c-word in front of my kids. (Fortunately only the 11-m-o was present).

Andrei Lolonin. He was pretty terrible. Gerrard's face when taken off was semi-classic, and the manager's 'reason' totally classic. Enjoyed the game as a neutral though.

I didn't think Voronin was that bad. Midfield was and is still the problem. Judging by yesterday Leiva might be able to pass a ball. We might as well give him a run if Xabi is still injured, since nobody else can!

What was Benitez thinking with that weirdo formation?

I only saw the last half hour, but Liverpool looked easily the better team. Having said that, Everton were down to ten men. And Liverpool's goal scorer shouldn't even have been on the pitch. And Carragher could easily have been sent off too. And the Everton 'penalty' right at the end and right in front of the ref was about the most blatant I've ever seen not given. Maybe Twatenurg was about to give it, but Gerrard had a word with him and he changed his mind. No, that can't be right, because Gerrard had been subbed for being too passionate.

Yeah Liverpool were a lot better at that point but only due to 10 man Everton and tiredness on Everton's part.

Before that they were horrendous. Still, a game like that might give them a confidence boost.

Some good news

Yeah, that makes me feel a whole lot better. I've checked the BBC website and it would appear that we still lost.

(I suppose it's a little better than previous derby-wreckers like Thomas, Poll and Courtney being put forward for World Cup duty. Where they shone, obviously. Still time for Battenburg - who is only 32, damn him - to rise mysteriously to the top of his profession though).

'Z-Cars'

Actually, not good news after all

these things even out over the course of a season, just keep repeating that to yourself.

I know how annoying that sounded after Liverpool Vs Chelsea. But now it does seem less so!

Ronan, I said at the time that the Chelsea decision - and the ott outcry about it - would end up working in Liverpool's favour cos refs would be shitscared of making a similar mistake, appearing on the front page of all the papers, getting dropped and being forced to phone up rafa to apologise (how many managers have had that courtesy since?).

these things even out over the course of a season, just keep repeating that to yourself.

They don't seem to even out over the course of a lifetime, in the case of this particular fixture. But we'll see what the next 30-40 years bring, eh?

Football, like everything else, is all about contingencies and even though Bitters like me will point to five or six Clatterbridge decisions in the 2nd half which ranged from dubious to criminally negligent, you can only really go from Dodgy Incident #1 and extrapolate from that. So, Hibbert stays and Gerrard bends in a free-kick, inspiring his team-mates to a 3-1 win over 11-man Everton. Kuyt doesn't try to kill anyone and Everton never get near the Liverpool box for the rest of the game. There, that's "better".

They don't seem to even out over the course of a lifetime in the case of this particular fixture

http://football.guardian.co.uk/championsleague200708/story/0,,2264605,00.html

that is:

The slur could only go unanswered for so long and, with Internazionale added to Liverpool's list of routine European conquests, Steven Gerrard yesterday rebuked Rio Ferdinand's theory that Champions League success is no longer the mark of a great team.

Gerrard chose not to mention his Manchester United rival by name as he basked in Liverpool's victory at San Siro but believes Ferdinand displayed a deliberate lack of respect with the recent declaration that the Premier League title is a more accurate barometer of quality than the Champions League.

...

"People have said that teams have won the Champions League that are not great, but I think we can let our record answer that," he said. "We have been to the final twice in three years and we have won some big games in some important stadiums across Europe, and we have produced the performances of a great European side.

"In Europe we are a force. We do not fear anyone. We have got great experience in Europe, we have been there and we know what it is all about. I don't want to say who we want to play and who we don't but I think we can let the rest worry about us, because we have got the pedigree in this competition."

--

THE SLUR COULD ONLY GO UNANSWERED FOR SO LONG

"Borussia Dortmund one of the greats of European football" says diving Scouse cunt

Aren't they?

Merseyside police will today hold discussions with Liverpool and Everton regarding alleged incidents during Sunday's local derby match at Anfield. The investigation will focus on claims that Phil Neville, the Everton captain, was spat at and punched by Liverpool supporters as he prepared to take a throw-in, while Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard was forced to endure abusive chants about his daughter.

The alleged episodes occurred during the second half of Liverpool's 1-0 win, a result which saw Rafael Benítez's side consolidate their hold on the final Champions League qualifying berth. Dave Lewis, Merseyside police's football liaison officer, will lead the talks. "Police will be speaking to the clubs involved today," confirmed a spokesman for the force.

The inquiry was opened at the behest of Everton, who have expressed disappointment about the hostility directed at Neville and also at Benítez's post-match remarks about the abuse aimed at Gerrard. "We felt it necessary to try to involve the safety officers and police because we cannot have a situation where supporters are having physical contact with professional footballers during the game," said Everton's spokesman Ian Ross. "We want to make sure that doesn't happen again at the Merseyside derby or any other game.

"Whilst we would never condone the singling out of individual players for vitriolic insults, it is a shame that Mr Benítez chose to ignore the actions of his own club's supporters. Not only was Joleon Lescott subjected to an afternoon-long barrage of quite disgusting and quite audible abuse, Phil Neville was seemingly spat at several times and was also punched in the back by a supporter as he took a throw-in.

"We have asked Merseyside police and our safety officer to look into the matter. In calling for Everton supporters to respect his players, Mr Benítez should, perhaps, remember his comments of 12 months ago when he sought to belittle one of world sport's oldest and most respected institutions by describing us as a 'small club'. Respect is a two-way street."

http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2269902,00.html

--

I have just realized that the last sentence sort of implies that it's *no wonder* Everton supporters didn't "respect" Mr Benitez's players, as he has only driven one way down that two-way street - and in a dangerous fashion, at high speed, veering across the lanes and knocking over mailboxes and parking meters.

basically, fuck football.

In no other sport would this be even marginally tolerated.

I mean it's like a religious war conducted by 13 year olds.

...over a round bit of calfskin and some fishing nets. Brilliant!