The new arrogant Liverpol

[floyd the barber]

gotta say, there has blatently been a change behind the scenes...the whole club seeem intent on not taking any more s*** from the rest of the league...

 

For years we have been the nice guys....hardly any controversy, fair play in the premiership with a lack of sendings off or bookings, a manager that hardly got flustered...

 

This season..and really you first saw the first signs against PSV....a side who shall take no more crap.

 

We`ve seen arguments in every game, an aray of booknigs, Rafa mouthing off about how we are treated, Carra on the radio slamming a pathetic "DJ", the mental celebration when stevie got the winner against villa.

 

This is what we need and i dont give a to$$ what the other sides think....we needed this.

 

and i love it.

 

Bring on a massive brawl on saturday!

[Ethan]

I can see it now - Keane lying on the sideline unconsious after Rafa KTFO the MOFO

[BDB]

I agree, the team seems to have more edge about it this season.

 

And I also welcome our new overlords.

[floyd]

BAN THEM

Kop boss blames Chelsea for ref's blunder Rafa demands FA action on Terry & Co

By David Anderson 24/08/2007

Rafael Benitez last night called for John Terry and his Chelsea team-mates to be banned for hounding blunder ref Rob Styles.

 

The angry Liverpool boss believes the Chelsea players pressurised Styles into wrongly awarding the Blues the penalty for their equaliser at Anfield with their behaviour during the match.

 

Benitez is annoyed because Premiership managers had agreed at a meeting before the start of the season not to badger officials and claims the Football Association must now step in.

 

He believes the FA should use video evidence to punish Terry and Co for deliberately putting pressure on Styles to make decisions in their favour.

 

AdvertisementBenitez, who could be without Steven Gerrard for 10 days because of his broken toe, claims this is the only way to hammer home the message that they can't unfairly influence officials.

 

Benitez is still furious at being robbed of two points and re-opened his war of words with Chelsea, saying: "People talk about technology and you could watch the video and see which players are pushing and pushing the referee to take a decision.

 

"The referee is in a very difficult situation and he was under pressure all the time from different players, big-name players, and it's difficult for a person to be calm and do the right thing all the time.

 

"I think if you used the video for disciplinary issues, it would be much better because all the players would know to be careful otherwise tomorrow they could be on TV and banned for three games.

 

That's important and it would then be easier for the referees. Every year it has been the same for the last 10 years and every year we talk about technology and refereeing.

 

"It's difficult to find a solution, but if you used the video evidence, and the players knew they would be suspended, then it would be easier for the referees." Benitez has accepted Styles' apology and claims Chelsea cynically piled the pressure on to him until he cracked.

 

He says this is in contrast to his approach and he tells his players before every game to respect the officials. "All the meetings we have are to try and help the referees to do the right things during the game and not to put them under pressure - players, managers, everyone," he said.

 

"But this is football and you have passion and it's not easy, but you must try to do these things.

 

Normally I say to the players to try to be nice and do the right things.

 

"So I was surprised the other day because far too many players weren't doing that. I've not seen a lot of our players doing that during the last few years and you saw another team taking profit from the situation.

 

"That is the reason why for me it is important to support the referee." Benitez has forgiven Styles and insists he does not have a problem with the Hampshire official taking charge of the Reds again.

 

"I don't have any problems with him," he said. "I can understand that referees can make mistakes. He apologised and it's OK.

 

"I know I can trust referees here. They are nice people and they are honest. But if they are under pressure, we must try and support them rather than just push and push."

 

 

Daily Manc

[R A Softlad]

Indeed, Rarfa has opened up a can of whoopass!

[StevieC]

Well said Rafa.

 

Why this sort of action has not been mooted or actioned before is beyond me. They should have taken steps when D'Urso cacked is pants when half the Mancs followed him screaming.

 

They should have refs who have balls to send of ranting f*ckers like Rooney- or perhaps an intermidary measure where such behaviour sees you sin binned for 10 minutes. Lets see how often he gobs off when he spends 40 minutes a game on the sideline.

 

Refs would be under less pressure and could apply more common sense, safe in the knowledge they would get less grief during the game, even for a sh*t decision.

 

We'd see a lot less of moaning c*nts like Giggs, Ince, Rooney, Terry, Keane (and Carra) but it would tip the balance back to fair teams rather than these cynical sh*ts.

[Will]

We`ve seen arguments in every game, an aray of booknigs

Can't say I've noticed any increase in the number of bookings we get. I'm sure some sad statto ( ) could work that one out easily enough...

[RafaShanks]

Can't say I've noticed any increase in the number of bookings we get. I'm sure some sad statto ( ) could work that one out easily enough...

 

Kaizer?

[Gunga Din]

Kaizer?

 

Will?

[Stevie H]

Will?

helm?

 

think there's a case to be made for this, the league could retrospectively punish players who put their hands on a ref or put him under undue pressure by surrounding him and screaming in his face. refs are under enough pressure to make accurate split second decisions in an ever-faster game as it is.

[JohnnyH]

Apart from Rafas complaining I don't notice any difference in Liverpool.

[Cobs]

helm?

 

think there's a case to be made for this, the league could retrospectively punish players who put their hands on a ref or put him under undue pressure by surrounding him and screaming in his face. refs are under enough pressure to make accurate split second decisions in an ever-faster game as it is.

They should have done it to Man u back in the day when they chased D'urso all over the pitch (still the worst example of it), letting them off with a warning has lead to everyone at it.

 

 

not sure about how much Styles was influenced on Sunday - they didn't even appeal for the penalty

[Billy Dane]

Apart from Rafas complaining I don't notice any difference in Liverpool.

 

Was up at the youth academy this week and one of the coaches was saying the attitude at the club has changed this season in a big way. He reckoned the whole club is up for a real crack at things, no more Mr Nice guy etc.

 

I think Rafa's rantings are just the tip of the iceberg.

[Kahnee]

helm?

 

:lol:

[Falconhoof]

Was up at the youth academy this week and one of the coaches was saying the attitude at the club has changed this season in a big way. He reckoned the whole club is up for a real crack at things, no more Mr Nice guy etc.

 

I think Rafa's rantings are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

I think its the influence of the Texan ranger. He comes across like he won't take any s*** and he's probably agreed with Rafa that we need to assert ourselves.

[Stevie H]

They should have done it to Man u back in the day when they chased D'urso all over the pitch (still the worst example of it), letting them off with a warning has lead to everyone at it.

not sure about how much Styles was influenced on Sunday - they didn't even appeal for the penalty

agree about the d'urso episode, though i think there's equally bad about these days. rooney and terry effing and screaming at the ref over every, single decision is f***ing nauseating.

 

they didn't appeal to styles for the peno you're right, but plenty of other calls they surrounded him, essien had styles by the shoulders. . . .

[Bailo]

helm?

 

think there's a case to be made for this, the league could retrospectively punish players who put their hands on a ref or put him under undue pressure by surrounding him and screaming in his face. refs are under enough pressure to make accurate split second decisions in an ever-faster game as it is.

It's really, really simple. Only the offending player OR the captain is allowed to approach the ref, EVER, over a decision. They raise their voice, swear or come unusually close to him, it's an instant booking. They touch the ref, it's an instant red card. They refer to the ref as "Sir". Take a leaf out of rugby's book.

[MindGuerrillas]

not sure about how much Styles was influenced on Sunday - they didn't even appeal for the penalty

 

That's the whole point though. They nag and moan at the ref from the first minute of every game. By the time a big decision like the penalty needs to be made the ref has already been influenced and pressurised into giving things their way meaning that there is no need for massive appeals. Just look at some of the soft penalties the mancs get, they don't have to appeal at all anymore.

 

It's a deliberate and effective drip drip effect on the mind of the ref that builds up over the course of a game or season.

[Gilps]

It's really, really simple. Only the offending player OR the captain is allowed to approach the ref, EVER, over a decision. They raise their voice, swear or come unusually close to him, it's an instant booking. They touch the ref, it's an instant red card. They refer to the ref as "Sir". Take a leaf out of rugby's book.

 

My only problem with taking such leaves out of posho rugby's book is that it could all to easilly lead to a league referred entirely by bonkers authoritarian clones of David bloody Ellery.

[Bailo]

My only problem with taking such leaves out of posho rugby's book is that it could all to easilly lead to a league referred entirely by bonkers authoritarian clones of David bloody Ellery.

True. Maybe change "Sir" with "ref". And purge all Ellery look-a-likes from the game. My only worry is publicity speaking a******s like Poll/Styles/Bennet would let their new-found power go to their head even more.

[Stevie H]

It's really, really simple. Only the offending player OR the captain is allowed to approach the ref, EVER, over a decision. They raise their voice, swear or come unusually close to him, it's an instant booking. They touch the ref, it's an instant red card. They refer to the ref as "Sir". Take a leaf out of rugby's book.

i wouldn't go as far as calling the ref 'sir'. but agree about the other elements. touch the ref and you're off. swear at the ref and you're off. simple.

[StevieC]

My only problem with taking such leaves out of posho rugby's book is that it could all to easilly lead to a league referred entirely by bonkers authoritarian clones of David bloody Ellery.

 

 

Very few rugby refs are like that.

 

The whole influencing the ref scenario happens in rugby too. Sean Fitzpatrick was famous for constantly appealing to the ref and nudging the law in order to tip the balance his way for 50/50 situations. You can argue that's good leadership and therefore also requires a strong ref but it will still happen.

 

That irritating habit of appealing for a corner when it blatantly came off your player being one example but any improvement on teams intimidating the ref would be welcome.

[Coyler]

they didn't appeal to styles for the peno you're right, but plenty of other calls they surrounded him, essien had styles by the shoulders. . . .

My Dad was watching the game with me and he said, "Oh-ho-ho-ho-hooo! You're OFF!" when he saw him do that.

 

I, too, had been of the understanding that you weren't allowed to reef the ref around by his shouldery bits.

[Cobs]

they didn't appeal to styles for the peno you're right, but plenty of other calls they surrounded him, essien had styles by the shoulders. . . .

he did and Styles shouted at him to get his hands off him

 

 

could have sent him off for that.

 

 

I blame Bryan Robson for starting that sort of thing.

[Cobs]

That's the whole point though. They nag and moan at the ref from the first minute of every game. By the time a big decision like the penalty needs to be made the ref has already been influenced and pressurised into giving things their way meaning that there is no need for massive appeals. Just look at some of the soft penalties the mancs get, they don't have to appeal at all anymore.

 

It's a deliberate and effective drip drip effect on the mind of the ref that builds up over the course of a game or season.

maybe

 

the penalty wasn't a big decision, it wasn't a decision to make at all, if their players had appealed i'd think maybe they've got to him there, it was just a monumental feck up. In that split second moment there was a failure of his brain between what actually happened and what his eyes saw.