Benitez has a duty to put England first

[Cobs]

And if England feck up the Russia game, then a win against Isreal is going to start looking pretty irrelevant. If Gerrard playing against Israel makes him less likely to play against Russia, it is surely in England's interests not to play him on Saturday. If he can only play the one game in a week, you'd think TCS would want him playing the tougher one.

looks like TCS will have Lampard available for the Russia game so is prepared to risk Gerrard v Israel

[Bailo]

I don't get this

Gerrard is either fit to play or he's not.

 

If he isn't Rafa should pull him from the squad. If he is then TCS is well within his rights to play him.

Depends on which medical team you listen to doesn't it though? We can't pull him out on our medical team's say-so if the Team England medical team say he's OK.

 

Should have independent medical advisors employed to make these decisions without bias.

[Lee W]

I hope England get beat 1-0 in the last minute (own goal by Ferdinand) and TCS get's the boot.

 

Useless clunt.

[Rimbeux]

looks like TCS will have Lampard available for the Russia game so is prepared to risk Gerrard v Israel

 

50% shot at best.

 

Why carry on this failed cult of going in with and banking on injured and unfit players? Desperate

[Stevie H]

and?

they all hate us anyway...

whatever.

[Puskas]

I'm certain Gerrard will play both games - he wants to play and that will decide the issue.

 

Having said that there are some indications today that Gerrard might not be playing after all - Barry might play instead:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle2388753.ece

[Woodsyla]

So Fourth Choice Steve has now noticed that Gareth Barry is quite a good player. He really is a f***ign idiot.

 

Cole Barry Hargreaves SWP

 

That's more than f***ing good enough (at least it should be)

[D.Boon]

Barry is a fine player.

 

As i said earlier if England cant beat Israel without Gerrard then you have to laugh

[Snookie]

The Woolnough article from the star reads like something scratched on the back of a toilet door after a British National Party meeting. Its the illiterate ramblings of a small-minded odious bigot.

[CarraLegend]

Be disgusting if they're allowed to give him a painkilling injection, no national team should be allowed to do that during the season, a World Cup or whatever fine as long as its with the clubs permission as theres loads of recovery time after but not at a time like this. It's us who will suffer the consequences not the woeful national team. You can already see it now, he'll play one or both of these games and be absolutely f***ed and wont be able to play Pompey or our toughest group game in the CL in Porto.

 

COME ON YOSSI, DESTROY THESE SCUMBAGS (LFC players not included obviously).

Edited September 5, 2007 by CarraLegend

[owenthomas]

The Woolnough article from the star reads like something scratched on the back of a toilet door after a British National Party meeting. Its the illiterate ramblings of a small-minded odious bigot.

i was the one who originally brought the Woolnough article into this thread - i couldn't agree more with you.. i'd go as far as to say it's bordering on fkin racism!

 

"When you have a Spanish manager and a club owned by Americans, I suppose this is always going to be a problem... The build-up has started badly and Benitez is to blame. He has sent out completely the wrong message, that England does not matter. It does. More than he realises. Correction. More than he wants to realise."

 

i was kind of looking over the shoulder of someone reading the article when i noticed that end bit (Benitez is to blame) and couldn't believe it so after the lad went i picked the paper up and had a quick shufty of it but i couldn't read it all.. he fkin winds me up..

[Gilps]

i was the one who originally brought the Woolnough article into this thread - i couldn't agree more with you.. i'd go as far as to say it's bordering on fkin racism!

 

It's almost Jeff Powellesque

[Stevie H]

The Woolnough article from the star reads like something scratched on the back of a toilet door after a British National Party meeting. Its the illiterate ramblings of a small-minded odious bigot.

playing to his audience.

 

why the horrible scrote is considered an authoritative voice on football i don't know. and having sat near him at the stamford briedge press box last season, his head is f***ing MASSIVE. it's freakish.

[Huyton_Red]

England should never be allowed to give a player a pain killing jab

 

That is wrong and Liverpool should tell the f'ckers in no uncertain terms that they are not allowed to patch up an injured player and play him. We pay his wages

 

If he is fit to play without an injection then by all means play, if not then he doesnt. If england give him an injection it is an absolute disgrace and I hope rafa does throw a wobbly about it

 

I would hope that gerrard does not force the issue as well and demands an injection or I will be well p'ssed off with him

Edited September 5, 2007 by Huyton_Sissoko

[Lee W]

Trouble is that McClaren will hide behind the fact that Gerrard wants to play, which by all accounts he does.

 

Can see Rafa not playing Gerrard in both the Portsmouth and Birmingham games if he plays Saturday.

[Jarg Armani]

the only thing that surprised me about the article from the large headed brian woolnough is that he didn't call rafa 'senor benitez' at any stage. shorely shome mishtake?

[Rimbeux]

Trouble is that McClaren will hide behind the fact that Gerrard wants to play, which by all accounts he does.

 

Can see Rafa not playing Gerrard in both the Portsmouth and Birmingham games if he plays Saturday.

 

 

 

He's wanted to play for us too, but the manager has been professional about it, as has Gerrard in being honest about how the injury is affecting him and looking long term. I dont think Rafa would act in that way

[Gilps]

If you let the players decide, most of them (and definitely Gerrard) would want to play in every game where they were fit enough to stand up. It doesn't mean that they should.

[MarkD]

The Woolnough article before the sub-editor got to work;

 

"Manuel from Barcelona won't let our great English player play for Ingerlund. It's not right. Foreigners should not be able to stop Ingerlund winning."

 

I had the dubious pleasure of sitting opposite him on the train from London for the Champions League semi 2nd leg in 2005. We talked a bit and the match came up - as it would. The guy knew nothing. At one point he mentioned that "Xavi Garcia" was too lightweight, Steve Finnan had played for "Bolton or some other team that played in white", and Benitez had not even proved himself in Spain and as such was lucky to get the Liverpool job. It was totally embarrassing, his lack of knowledge and tact.

[Rimbeux]

The Woolnough article before the sub-editor got to work;

 

"Manuel from Barcelona won't let our great English player play for Ingerlund. It's not right. Foreigners should not be able to stop Ingerlund winning."

 

I had the dubious pleasure of sitting opposite him on the train from London for the Champions League semi 2nd leg in 2005. We talked a bit and the match came up - as it would. The guy knew nothing. At one point he mentioned that "Xavi Garcia" was too lightweight, Steve Finnan had played for "Bolton or some other team that played in white", and Benitez had not even proved himself in Spain and as such was lucky to get the Liverpool job. It was totally embarrassing, his lack of knowledge and tact.

 

 

They get by on their contacts book, or what's left of it, and their ability to come up with exclusives. The actual analysis of the game, knowledge of football is only pub level, which to be honest is probably an advantage, man on the street demographic they go after not being into tactics or foreign stuff.

[Bootle Buck]

If a player wants to play for England when injured then he should sign a waiver that his club doesn't have to pay him if he gets injured. The likes of Owen and Kewell missed large parts of last season because they chose to play in the WC after mising large parts of the prvious season.

[Cunny]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A26644322

 

Should Gerrard get the needle?

Euro 2008 England

by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 05 September 2007

 

 

England's hopes of Euro 2008 qualification appear to be balanced precariously on the end of Steven Gerrard's toe.

 

To inject or not to inject? That is the question that is currently rivalling the previous pains various metatarsals have caused to England's managerial regime.

 

Gerrard is vital to England's cause. He is even more important to Liverpool - so who will win the latest battle between club and country?

 

Coach Steve McClaren seems willing to give Gerrard a pain-killing injection to ensure he plays against Israel, in defiance of Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez's wishes.

 

It is an indicator of the importance of the upcoming games against Israel and Russia that Gerrard's absence cannot be countenanced by McClaren.

 

It is also a sign of how far England's stock has fallen that players need to be injected to give McClaren a greater sense of security against a nation that is hardly one of football's giants.

 

England should be able to beat Israel with or without Steven Gerrard - but it seems they can't.

 

This, in itself, is worrying for England and McClaren.

 

The Gerrard situation is fraught with risk, both in terms of his own fitness and the delicate relationship between club and country.

 

And it is easy to see both sides of the argument.

 

McClaren's own future is on the line if he fails to get results in the next week.

 

And robbed of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and David Beckham, it is easy to see why he does not want to lose Gerrard.

 

McClaren, rightly, has only England in his sights but will be aware of the potentially frosty reception any jab at Gerrard's toe will receive at Anfield.

 

At Anfield, Benitez has overseen Liverpool's best start for years and understandably does not want to see a major part of their title challenge sacrificed on the altar of England's Euro 2008 challenge.

 

Liverpool and their supporters - completely understandably in my view - don't give the proverbial about England and will be infuriated by any unnecessary risks McClaren may care to take.

 

No "Three Lions" for them. They only care about the Liver Bird and my sympathies, in this instance, lie with them.

 

McClaren may counter that Benitez was happy to see Gerrard receive an injection in his troublesome toe before the game against Chelsea recently.

 

But Liverpool's answer to that will be that, unlike the Football Association, he is their employee and is paid £100,000-plus weekly for the privilege.

 

And Benitez was very quick to point out that it took Gerrard four days to return to training after that game.

 

My own view is that if England feel they have to send a patched-up and injected Gerrard out to feel confident of beating Israel, then it is a sad reflection on the rest of the squad.

 

The final decision must surely, however, have to come from Gerrard himself.

 

If he is happy with his fitness, and happy there are no long-term risks, then he should play.

 

But in the back of his mind - make that front of his mind - at all times should be an image of Benitez's face if this back-fires.

 

It would not be pretty being Gerrard or McClaren if he plays when less than 100% fit and is subsequently side-lined for Liverpool.

 

Benitez is not a man to cross and is not a respecter of reputations, Gerrard's or anyone elses.

 

It would be an interesting, and potentially very one-sided, conversation should Gerrard report back to Liverpool's Melwood training base having aggravated his injury.

 

These are all factors that Gerrard must weigh up, because in the end it will be his decision.

[Lee W]

He's wanted to play for us too, but the manager has been professional about it, as has Gerrard in being honest about how the injury is affecting him and looking long term. I dont think Rafa would act in that way

 

But you're assuming McClaren is professional.

 

Desperate and clueless, yes.

 

The silly thing is. if I was McClaren (thank the Gods) I would rather have Gerrard fit for the Russia game, which is potentially a more difficult game.

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Think we suggested that he plays against Russia & not Israel.

 

Ultimately it should be Liverpool's decision whether he plays. So, he played against Cheslea? He didn't play in the following two games. That surely says he's got a f***ing injury?

 

What if he knacks his toe completely & is out for 2 months? All it takes is a cart-horse who's aware of the toe to go steaming in

[Gomez]

Think we suggested that he plays against Russia & not Israel.

 

Ultimately it should be Liverpool's decision whether he plays. So, he played against Cheslea? He didn't play in the following two games. That surely says he's got a f***ing injury?

 

What if he knacks his toe completely & is out for 2 months? All it takes is a cart-horse who's aware of the toe to go steaming in

 

Surely there is an insurance issue as well. If he is not fully fit, and could potentially miss a lot of games how can they get him insured? They have set a precedent with Owen in admitting liability for players injured on international duty.