In his post-match press conference last night, Everton manager Roberto Martinez defended Kevin Mirallas over his horror 'tackle' on Liverpool's Luis Suarez, and insisted that the Belgian attacker held no 'malicious intent' towards the Uruguayan. Whilst that is certainly a possibility, I submit that Mirallas intended to foul - and perhaps injure - Suarez, and there is (IMO) persuasive evidence to back up that view.
When asked about the incident, Martinez told reporters:
"I don't think it is a red card because it is not a malicious incident, he tries to win the ball but gets there late. I think a yellow card, bearing in mind the emotions you bring into a derby, was the right decision".
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers took the complete opposite view. He told BT Sport:
"I thought Mirallas should’ve went. It was a really poor challenge. He was nowhere near the ball and he’s gone for his knee. It was a career threatening challenge, which we’re trying to eradicate from the game, and it definitely should’ve been a red card".
Rodgers is spot on IMO. Mirallas' challenge - plus his clear stamp on Suarez later in the game - were disgraceful incidents, and he should've been sent off for one or both of those fouls.
Is there any 'malicious intent' here, though? In last season's Goodison Park Merseyside derby, Suarez stamped on both Mirallas and Sylvain Distin, and reading between the lines, it seems probable (to me) that Mirallas wanted revenge on the LFC striker. Here are the incidents from last season:
Suarez Stamp on Mirallas
Suarez Stamp on Distin
At the time, Reds legend Dietmar Hamann blasted Suarez for his actions. He tweeted:
"After seeing the highlights I have to say Suarez should have been sent off. I'm talking about the 2nd foul in the same area of the pitch [against Mirallas], which should have been a 2nd yellow".
Rather hypocritically, however, Rodgers refused to condemn Suarez for these incidents, but he's very quick to slate Mirallas. Liverpool's boss also rolled out the tedious Suarez conspiracy theory yet again with his comment that it 'would've been interesting to see what happened if it was Suarez making the tackle'.
Well, we already know what would've happened! Suarez didn't get a yellow card for his stamp on Mirallas last year, so the ridiculous idea that referees target the Uruguayan is just pie in the sky.
In my view, Suarez arguably brought Mirallas's challenge on himself. That doesn't make it condonable in any way - the Belgian's tackle is a disgrace, but you reap what you sow on, and some footballers don't forget bad challenges (just ask Alf Inge Haaland, the subject of an infamous revenge tackle by Roy Keane!).
In this case, I think it's very likely that Mirallas set out to take revenge on Suarez, and it's deliciously ironic that those fans vociferously castigating the challenge are (probably) the same fans who - like Rodgers - refused to condemn Suarez for his blatant stamps in last year's Merseyside derby.
EDIT: 11pm - Mirallas' statement on the Suarez tackle
"The first thing I thought was that it was going to be a red card. I was genuinely going for the ball but I know I caught him on the knee and I said sorry straight away. There is a lot of pressure on the players in these sort of games. Sometimes when you put a tackle in you think ‘oh sh*t,’ like this one.”
“I said to Suarez soon after kick off when we were standing close to each other ‘do you remember last season, you kicked me?’ He laughed and said ‘yes, fair enough,’ but that tackle was nothing to do with a year ago".
The bold section proves that Mirallas had Suarez's stamp from last season on his mind, which adds weight to the possibility that - subconsciously or otherwise - he was out for revenge.
Author: Jaimie K
When asked about the incident, Martinez told reporters:
"I don't think it is a red card because it is not a malicious incident, he tries to win the ball but gets there late. I think a yellow card, bearing in mind the emotions you bring into a derby, was the right decision".
Reds boss Brendan Rodgers took the complete opposite view. He told BT Sport:
"I thought Mirallas should’ve went. It was a really poor challenge. He was nowhere near the ball and he’s gone for his knee. It was a career threatening challenge, which we’re trying to eradicate from the game, and it definitely should’ve been a red card".
Rodgers is spot on IMO. Mirallas' challenge - plus his clear stamp on Suarez later in the game - were disgraceful incidents, and he should've been sent off for one or both of those fouls.
Is there any 'malicious intent' here, though? In last season's Goodison Park Merseyside derby, Suarez stamped on both Mirallas and Sylvain Distin, and reading between the lines, it seems probable (to me) that Mirallas wanted revenge on the LFC striker. Here are the incidents from last season:
Suarez Stamp on Mirallas
Suarez Stamp on Distin
At the time, Reds legend Dietmar Hamann blasted Suarez for his actions. He tweeted:
"After seeing the highlights I have to say Suarez should have been sent off. I'm talking about the 2nd foul in the same area of the pitch [against Mirallas], which should have been a 2nd yellow".
Rather hypocritically, however, Rodgers refused to condemn Suarez for these incidents, but he's very quick to slate Mirallas. Liverpool's boss also rolled out the tedious Suarez conspiracy theory yet again with his comment that it 'would've been interesting to see what happened if it was Suarez making the tackle'.
Well, we already know what would've happened! Suarez didn't get a yellow card for his stamp on Mirallas last year, so the ridiculous idea that referees target the Uruguayan is just pie in the sky.
In my view, Suarez arguably brought Mirallas's challenge on himself. That doesn't make it condonable in any way - the Belgian's tackle is a disgrace, but you reap what you sow on, and some footballers don't forget bad challenges (just ask Alf Inge Haaland, the subject of an infamous revenge tackle by Roy Keane!).
In this case, I think it's very likely that Mirallas set out to take revenge on Suarez, and it's deliciously ironic that those fans vociferously castigating the challenge are (probably) the same fans who - like Rodgers - refused to condemn Suarez for his blatant stamps in last year's Merseyside derby.
EDIT: 11pm - Mirallas' statement on the Suarez tackle
"The first thing I thought was that it was going to be a red card. I was genuinely going for the ball but I know I caught him on the knee and I said sorry straight away. There is a lot of pressure on the players in these sort of games. Sometimes when you put a tackle in you think ‘oh sh*t,’ like this one.”
“I said to Suarez soon after kick off when we were standing close to each other ‘do you remember last season, you kicked me?’ He laughed and said ‘yes, fair enough,’ but that tackle was nothing to do with a year ago".
The bold section proves that Mirallas had Suarez's stamp from last season on his mind, which adds weight to the possibility that - subconsciously or otherwise - he was out for revenge.
Author: Jaimie K
Well, Suarez should have been sent off last season for two yellow cards.
ReplyDeleteBut this is a clear straight red, and Mirallas had two more fouls he should have got a yellow card for.
The judge was terrible. It just has to be said.
I will never read another article by this author- I urge all genuine Liverpool fans to do the same. The lad can't write, he spends half his time writing formulaic rehashes of other articles and uses stupid rhetorical lures in his headlines to generate interest- lures that barely warrant investigation. Silly sensational statement followed by the inevitable question. His dislike of Suarez clouds his articles to the point of ridiculousness. Time for talentless bloggers to stop pretending to be journalists...
ReplyDeleteObviously it's my own theory (!) And I didn't say or suggest my theory is absolute. I asked the question (hence the question mark in the post title).
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is not an attempt to 'provoke' people at all. After all these years, people like you still don't get it. This is how I think. What I post on this site are my genuine views on LFC. I never post anything just to 'provoke' - that is false and pointless. It just so happens that my views tend to provoke people, usually narrow-minded fans who see things restrictively and refuse to accept that other fans may have different views.
I find that so many people think the same about LFC, and this group-led mentality means that any views that diverge from the group norm are attacked and denigrated.
If you can't handle different views, that's not really my problem.
Jaimie hates suarez blahh blahh blaahh. off topic:- I think we need to overhaul our whole midfield, starting with Joe Allen. how we got rid of shelve but keep allen Is beyond me but ive completely had it with this guy now. he makes 0 attacking contribution despite playing further to lucas and literally just isn't good enough to play for a CL side. he has work rate but no ability, tbh any1 can pass a ball 5 yards because there scared to dribble forward, even if they have space to dribble into. we need to sell allen and buy Nemanja Matic. a real commander in midfield. even if we have to fork out £20M it must be done. hes tall, quick, strong and contributes both defensively and attacking. Joe Allen, Fabio Borini and Aly Cissokho are the worst signings LFC made in the past decade. all worst than Voronin, Degen, Riera and Jovanovic. Joe Allen the worst, for the fact we paid £15M for him and he should never start again. he always passes unneccesarily and when he was meant to make the necessary pass yesterday (to suarez) to get him an assist he missed the opportunity and chance all together.
ReplyDeleteNemanja Matic-£20M
Stefan El-Shaarawy-£20M
Will Hughes-£10M
£50M worth of midfield quality to get this Liverpool team back to the top.
who gives a fuck if it was deliberate, he didnt do what we all wish someone would do; and thats break suarez's leg. im disappointed in you kev.
ReplyDeleteJaimie would you say we lost 3 points yesterday because of allen? he replaced in the line-up and already removed a threat from the team. he then bottled a chance when he should have squared it to suarez. I was very angry when we signed Allen, even though he had a decent start. as I knew he would not take us to the CL. hes a terrible player and has talked about getting his chance and taking it, like skrtel. he will never get a chance again, and he doesn't deserve. has been a poor signing with no signs of improvement. the joe allen we see today is the same joe allen that joined the club. he wont improve now or in 5 years. should be released for that howler yesterday. cant believe we missed out on 3 points. looks like united will be our top 4 contenders as City have really turned up the heat now
ReplyDeleteI think it's unfair to say LFC lost the points because of Allen. Poor defending is more to blame IMO. Using that logic, you could argue that Suarez lost LFC points too with his missed header near the end.
ReplyDelete"Blogger scared to publish views" - predictable?
ReplyDelete...and you allow THAT comment from a blue nose below? Unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteAs the fa now bring in retrospective punishment I expect the yellow to be upgraded to red otherwise it's yet another conspiracy to punish fouls against united players. The stamp against januzaj wasn't nearly as bad as this leg breaking challenge. The fa re-assessed their rules to allow retrospective punishments even though the incident was spotted and punished by the ref.
ReplyDeletejust hope for consistency to appease my worries about what rules apply to what teams.
bitter and twisted prick
ReplyDeletelast time am reading this damn blogg or whatever it is. dude are you a Liverpool supporter. All you're posts are largely unsupportive of the club. WTF bitching about the coach, players etc. The tackle was unacceptable bitch
ReplyDeleteAbove dickhead!!!
ReplyDeleteI know there will be very few Blues who agree with me but I remember the whohar then and I think despite knowing that Suarez is very capable of being dirty that the pace at which both those incidents happened and especially the Distin one where his foot slips before it happens you could argue that they were accidental. I Don't think Miralas' was intentional either but it was so late so high and so reckless that it deserved red. I do think that Suarez could and maybe should have been given cards for the two incidents shown above too but I do think that you cannot say they were intentional without a shadow of a doubt.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. We scored three goals! The fact that we defended so badly and conceded three is the reason we didn't get three points.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see all the reds only seeing what they want as usual -despite being a great player Suarez is a horrible nasty cretin and if he gets some of the treatment he dishes out to others then that is good enough for him - the only bad point was that he did not get carried off . He will never be remembered as a great player. Mirallas should though has been sent off on reflection but in real time i missed it totally and i had a good view
ReplyDeleteThe problem with what you are saying apart from being so skewed its sideways is that Suarez is already seen as a brilliant player. Is Ravaldo only remembered for the dive at the corner flag? Is Cantona only remembered for the kung fu kick? Is Keane only remembered for ending a players career? Get off your high horse mate, how many dives and hand balls did you ex captain do? How many incidents in that game could Miralas have gotten sent off for?
ReplyDeleteAndy Carrol, for price alone.
ReplyDeleteWe lost 2 points! We still got 1 point for the draw, unless you now get 4 points for a win?
ReplyDeleteJamie Kanwar you my friend are an absolute Bellend.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd just said "ironic", your comments would have been a valid viewpoint, but by adding the adjective "deliciously", you seem to get some pleasure in Suarez being on the receiving end of such a poor tackle.
ReplyDeleteIf it's revenge, well what goes around comes around seems to be your attitude. You've always loathed Suarez' cheating, but earlier you pointed out that Gerrard used "gamesmanship" to take the free kick 5 yards nearer. Not sure if you were quoting Martinez or making your own observation, but if you hate all forms of cheating in the game, why not castigate Gerrard?
You talk about hypocrisy!
Also, two wrongs don't make a right. Whatever Suarez did in the past does not excuse, or even mitigate Mirallas behaviour. Suarez is without doubt our most important player currently.
How many other players could put themselves through the punishment that he has for the sake of LFC (I'm mainly referring to his schedule over the last week or so) and still get on the pitch for a full 90+ minutes, score a really important free-kick, get an assist and torment the opposition, despite having his knee gashed by a careless or vindictive opponent. He even managed to keep his temper in check and not get red-carded.
Hats off to Suarez!!!!!
yep and my comment wa s deleted and I only informed him he was a bitter and twisted p!ick
ReplyDeletefuck me I didn't know they had bt sports in north wales
ReplyDeleteJamie when you spent all your time defending Hicks and Gillette I was convinced you were Alan Myers ex of Sky - he now works for Everton.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but this is nonsense. My comment about irony has nothing to do with Suarez, and if you read the article properly you'd see that. I'm referring to the *reaction from fans* to Suarez's stamps, and not to Mirallas's foul.
ReplyDeleteIt really amazes me how people repeatedly fail to comprehend the simplest things. I don't take any pleasure in Suarez being on the receiving end of a bad tackle. The whole article is my arguing that Mirallas did it deliberately.
However, the fact that Suarez did the same to Mirallas last season cannot be overlooked, and human nature dictates that Mirallas probably had that on his mind before the game.
Plus, I didn't say Mirallas' tackle was excusable because of what happened in the past. I specifically state that it's not condonable. Again, you simply didn't read the article properly.
As for Gerrard and his 'gamesmanship'. Do me a favour. That's not cheating. It's entirely possible that Gerrard genuinely believed he was taking the free kick from the right place.
bitterfoulmouthblue - that's you
ReplyDeleteAnother ridiculously inaccurate comment. All you ever seem to post is simplistic gross misrepresentation of my views. I didn't 'defend' Hicks and Gillett in the way you suggest, but I can't be bothered to waste time explaining the reality to you, yet another person for whom everything is black and white, and the nuances are impossible to grasp.
ReplyDeleteMirallas was congratulated heartily coming off the field by hose carreras - he had done his job getting Suarez.
ReplyDelete"In my view, Suarez arguably brought that Mirallas's challenge on himself." Even though you went on to say it wasn't condonable, you are still saying he's to blame due to his own past conduct, "arguably."
ReplyDeleteIf Suárez had gained 5 yards on a free kick you would have said he was cheating. As you've pointed out in the past, cheating is cheating, at whatever level.
I did read your comments very carefully and I'm afraid, that whatever you intended to say, the impression your comments made is that it is a "delicious irony" that Suarez got tackled this way.
If you meant the comment to refer to fans who supposedly believe that Suaréz can do no wrong and is always the victim of some conspiracy, do us a favour and credit us with some intelligence.
Suaréz may be no saint, but there aren't many saints on the football pitch these days and therefore he's not alone. Gerrard cheated with the free kick and Gerrard has dived in the past. He too is a cheat, but at the same time, he's been probably our best servant after Carragher over the last 14 or so years.
Suaréz has the capacity to become an LFC all time great should he decide to create his success organically, rather than walk into a ready made CL team. Let's hope he drags us to at least a top four slot with his sheer force of will and extraordinary skill.
If Mirallas holds and enforces a grudge from a season ago, then all the more reason he should be fined...and now banned to sit and think about it a bit. Look at his eyes as he lunges at Suarez. He doesn't care a wit where the ball is. He is focused on Suarez' knee and nothing else. The ball is at least two feet away from where he is aiming his boot. That could have been career-ending and he knew it. Indeed I believe it was his intention to end Luis Suarez' career right there.
ReplyDeleteEl Shaarawy is just Jordan Henderson with weirder hair...all velocity...no vector. No goals, no assists...and presently riding the pine.
ReplyDeleteJamie I merely told the truth you Hicks and Gillett all the time never once rebuking them - like you are ani Suarez all the time never once giving him credit - you may notice if I criticize Rodgers I still give him some credit because to deny the truth is only self denial.
ReplyDeleteGood balanced opinion, yes I'm a blue and Mirallas should have got a red card but Roger's hypocracy considering Suarez'z two fouls last year shows a lack of class not disimilar to Dalglish defending Suarez racial slurs. It was a great game and in the end a fair result
ReplyDelete"As for Gerrard and his 'gamesmanship'. Do me a favour. That's not cheating. It's entirely possible that Gerrard genuinely believed he was taking the free kick from the right place. Just because Martinez's perception is different, doesn't make it right."
ReplyDeleteNo, you do me a favour and next time you get onto the M62 in whatever Jaimiemobile you drive, wind it up to 120mph and when plod stops you, or you get a little envelope in the post with your picture in it and the word "summons", say that you really thought your speedo was reading 70mph and you therefore weren't speeding!
You provided the pictures to prove Gerrard cheated, whether intentionally or not. Yes most players do it, many dive and do other dodgy things. It's the way of life sadly and Suárez is no worse than most.
I could just as easily say that Ivanovic placed his arm in Suarez' mouth just as he was about to close it.
Show me a player who hasn't cheated. It's the ref's job to deal with each incident on it's own merits as it arises and not based on a player's reputation or past.
ok kevin, you got away with it. just remember......we have to play you again.
ReplyDeleteYour speeding analogy is not representative in the slightest. Doing 35 MPH in a 30 zone is more accurate. It's a tiny margin, and many case, the cops will let that slide.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to cheating, like most things in life, the most serious instances need to be prioritised. In football, when stamping out cheating, stuff like diving, deliberately reckless challenges, feigning injury etc are the most serious threat to the integrity of the game. Moving the ball a couple of yards away from where it's supposed to be is of no real consequence. If it's blatant, and the ref spots it then yes, action should be taken, but in this case, the margins are so small that the fuss you're making over it is utterly pointless.
Gerrard may have moved the ball forward a few yards, but equally, he may have genuinely believed that he was taking it from the right place.
Comparing that to serious cheating like diving etc is just laughable, and if Suarez did it, I wouldn't say a thing, for the very reasons I've outlined above.
Suarez has done lots of borderline stuff since being at LFC, like shirt-pulling; minor late fouls etc, but I've never highlighted those. Why? Simple - I'm concerned mostly with serious cheating, not piffling, irrelevant stuff like taking a free-kick 5 yards from where it's supposed to be taken.
You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, and the fact that you say I 'never rebuked then' is proof of that. Get your facts right before talking nonsense.
ReplyDeleteYes, Gerrard has cheated in the past, and I have highlighted that on this site many times.
ReplyDeleteYour perception of the article is wrong. Sorry, it is. The 'irony' comment is clearly referring to the fan reaction, not to Suarez himself, and if you can't get that, then I can't help you.
Cheating is cheating, I agree, but the only reason I highlighted the Gerrard free-kick thing is because Martinez brought it up, and it's a good talking point. It wouldn't matter which LFC player was involved, the article would've been the same, and if was Suarez, the only difference would've been his name in the post instead of Gerrard's.
As for giving the pro-Suarez brigade 'credit'. No chance. People who think Suarez can do wrong, and blindly ignore, implicitly condone, and even *encourage* his negative behaviour, deserve nothing but derision IMO.
It's fashionable amongst my many detractors to spin the myth that I supported H+G during their tenure, which is just not true. I *defended* them against spurious, unfair criticism, but only related to very specific things, i.e.
ReplyDelete* The complete misrepresentation of LFC's financial status at the time.
* The contention that they never did anything good for LFC.
* The embellishment and blatant lies spread by fans over some of their statements.
H+G were ultimately bad news for LFC, but that (IMO) doesn't mean fans should make up lies and embellish the negatives of their reign. They made a lot of mistakes, but whether people want to accept it or not, good things also happened during their tenure (improved commercial standing; biggest transfer spend in LFC history etc).
I have acknowledged H+G's bad points *many* times, as the following three articles prove:
* Shut up, Hicks. You're making a mockery of everything LFC stands for
* Liverpool hit by the Texas Hicks-Saw Massacre
* Hicks raps Rafa in unprofessional public outburst
Here is a selection of quotes from the above three articles:
-- “In yet another childish display of one-upmanship, Tom Hicks has dragged his rift with Rafael Benitez back into the public domain”
“Such behaviour is petulant, unprofessional and destabilising in the worst possible way”.
-- “Before Hicks arrived in a blaze of glory, the club had gone 115 years without the ignominy of internal strife being splashed across the media”
-- “In just ten months associated with the club, Hicks has destroyed this long-standing harmony with key involvement in a very public spat”.
-- “Tom Hicks is not fit to run Liverpool FC. He is not deserving of the honour and privilege of owning the club and he is woefully bereft of the personal qualities needed to be an effective leader and ambassador”.
-- “Hicks would do well to take a look at Mr Smith’s conduct during his tenure as Chairman and try and learn something about grace, professionalism and humility - concepts of which he clearly has has no understanding”.
-- “Tom Hicks and George Gillette are turning Liverpool FC into the footballing equivalent a three-ring circus, and Hicks’ latest ill-advised public comments are yet more evidence that this particular Texas Cowboy has no idea what being the owner of Liverpool FC means”
-- “Hicks has taken a Chainsaw to Liverpool’s exemplary media practices and turned the club into a laughing stock”.
-- “Come back, DIC! Buy-out these clowns and give Rick Parry his marching orders whilst you’re at it, so we can all quote John McClane and shout 'Yippee-kai-ay...You know the rest”.
-- “Hicks' response shows a dispiriting lack of class and tact. There is NO EXCUSE for making critical public comments”.
-- “Public attacks of this nature are not the Liverpool way, and choosing to ‘deal’ with the situation this was hugely amateur mistake on Hicks’ part”.
You wouldn't be suggesting they'll be some kind of revenge are you? Surely that would be disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteyo bob, you rhyme like a 5 yr old.
ReplyDeleteLook what Mirallas does directly after contact. If he has made a mistake, then why does he continue with the left leg to accenuate the foul by going for the take down? If he made an honest mistake, the instinctive reflex would be to attempt to halt the forward motion. Mirallas doesn't. He actually accelerates through the contact. The answer of course is that he didn't make a mistake. It was intentional. Suarez knows it is coming too. Look at him rotate his right hip away to ensure his body is not positioned against the strike.
ReplyDeleteyo bob, you rhyme like a 5 year old.
ReplyDeleteWell look at that - two wrongs DO make a right.
ReplyDeleteHow's your celebration DVD coming along, you g@bshite????
ReplyDeleteHe only caught him because Suarez was already limping, otherwise Luis would have been long gone leaving Mirallas kung-fuing gracefully through the air before ploughing a deep furrow in the turf.
ReplyDeleteNot sure you can compare a badly timed tackle (Suarez) with a reckless lunge (Mirallas), but it was a great game and I think the majority went home pretty happy. Which is how it should be, surely...... ??
ReplyDeleteNo need to resort to that sort of sh!te. Just wake him up one morning with the news that Fellaini got more votes than him for Belgian Player of the Year. Utter humiliation, and punishment enough surely......?
ReplyDeletewill you jaimie give it the fxxk over it was a horrendous challenge and he should have been sen t off mirallis is a dirty pig and suarez can be aswell but if suarez done that it would be headline news aswell as a sending off
ReplyDeleteSuarez has been in devastating form this season, and his behaviour has been impeccable. Yet you still have to put a snidey slant on everything.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't "stamp" on anyone last year.
If we get knocked out of the FA Cup with a handball, you'll blame him. Scary and bitter man, you, JK.
While the slow motion clips help show exactly what happened, they don't really provide the context in how quick they happen.
ReplyDeleteMirallas the more you look at it does look intentional, late foot is going nowhere near the ball - or where the ball would have gone, and his foot is not in a position that would be going for the ball.
For the 2 from last season, hard to say about the "stamp" on Mirallas, Suarez goes for the ball, and his foot comes down on M,. The second one is definitely not intentional, if you see it at regular speed, both were in zig-zaggy sprint, and it's bad timing - Suarez immediately apologized for that.
Either way to say he brought it upon himself is ridiculous.
Even if it wasn't intentional, the fact the Suarez had bleeding stud marks on his knee, should have been all he needed for a sending off, the fact he stayed on after drawing blood from a second player is beyond belief.
Now, question is at what point do you accept Suarez as not only a good player, but a decent person too? He's played 8 games since his ban, and has been a model professional in every sense of the word. He got a yellow yesterday, but was taking one for the team, other than, spotless, and not a bad goal return either.
there is no comparison to suarez header miss to joe allens miss , a lot harder to direct a header on target than a point blank shot , if allen had scored that goal it would of put us 3 to 1 up at a crucial part of the game , and then we could of shut them out , sorry to say that was amateur , i feel for the dude , but at the end of the day the reason they get so highly payed is put chances like that away ,and the difference between the tackle on suarez and the ones he made last year are that his were not career threatening like the one he got dealt with during the game , if its revenge tackle for someone stepping on your foot the year before then sorry to say you need your head testing because that tackle was woefull
ReplyDeletei agree the distan one it looks like suarez slips , but still a stamp on a foot doesnt compare to a knee high tackle that could end a players career
ReplyDeleteAlmost every free kick is moved forward from original position, or backwards in Beckham's case, if too close to goal.
ReplyDeleteWalls encroach, throw ins are taken metres from where ball crossed the line, corner kicks are taken from outside arc, almost every penalty kick should be retaken due to encroachment. Soccer rules are not very well enforced.
Referees in Argentina had aerosol spray cans to mark position of wall etc, this could easily be employed.
Miralles clearly did not pull out of the challenge on Suarez, and it is not unreasonable to assume that there was some revenge for last year. Referees are afraid to send off players. There are so many game changing mistakes each week, US sports routinely use video evidence as do Rugby Union, New Zealand's last ditch try today was reviewed for a forward pass to make sure that Ireland weren't robbed
Suarez was a naughty lad that day, but he only fouled Mirallas AFTER he had tried to bully 17 year old Sterling. Suarez gave him his comeuppance, but it is very foolish of Mirallas to risk his sides chances with such a challenge.
The Distin incident was very nasty.
Anyway, we are lucky to have the 3rd best player in the world, his passing stats let him down ;), and he really seems to have matured recently. His restraint was admirable. Enjoy him while it lasts. His price is going up by the minute. £100 million minimum, or maybe Alonso, Benzema, Di Maria plus £30 million
The 'ping-pong' arguments below over cheating (or deliberately gaining an unfair advantage per/gerrard) are too futile to employ any 'grey-matter' so why bother. Concentrate instead on the FA who simply refuse to move with the times and use technology to aid referees. The stewards of the rules and regulations would prefer to follow the example of motor sport's F1 administrators and have retrospective penalties imposed after having a couple of days to consider potential breaches than adopt on the spot penalties as imposed by rugby football.
ReplyDeleteBut of course if they did that we would then have nothing to beef about!
He won't be going to Real any time soon. Spurs are offering Lamela, Paulinho, Eriksson, Chadli, Soldado, and AVB in exchange for Bale. They'll be flush full of players soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd what is this center backs bring out the ball from deep? There were so many times that both Skrtel and Agger almost got dispossessed in the middle and center of the field. Must be either the constant preaching of ball on the ground or the over-hyping of the players abilities by BR. The defense must really go back to the basics, which are to defend not to attack. If they can attack it's good, a bonus, in fact. But to risk that, to concede a goal unnecessary is really something we can't afford to do especially in this league where a single silly mistake you will get punished.
ReplyDeleteLol. You REALLY don't like Suarez do you!?
ReplyDeleteAnd Martinez saying it was only a yellow ?
ReplyDeleteClassy.
Mirallas did that BEFORE his tackle. At the start of the game.
ReplyDeleteNO way can that tackle be called handbags. It was FAR worse than many red card tackles which were not even disputed.
And third, he was on a yellow card...
ReplyDeleteThere is a difference between and bitchy little stamp and what Mirralas has done here. That was a potential career ender and meant to be. If not for Suarez' incredible reaction time pivoting away from the tackle a split second before it occurred, he would have been out for the season. There should be a league suspension after the fact and BR is weak if he does not seek it. The video does not lie. In any case, great derby ! P.S> BR should have pulled Gerrard instead of Lucas, who was shutting down the middle on defense the whole first half. That alone would have won the game for the reds... I swear I don't understand what game these coaches are watching sometimes...
ReplyDeleteHilarious
ReplyDeleteWere you watching the game or just a hater. Lucas was intercepting every single move made against us. In fact, if you were not blind to the role he was playing I would tell you that for those 60 odd minutes he played was our best player. Possession was 60:40 against us and if it was not for Lucas things could have gone horribly wrong for us. Go Jon, Go Jon.
ReplyDeletekopites can't read
ReplyDeleteyou think we can buy el shaarawy for 20m , even if he wants to quit milan for lfc? seriously? matic maybe. January window.... are you pulling those figures from your hat mate?
ReplyDeleteworld champion cryers!!! - wow! you need to look at yourselves for tha lad - you scream for a foul or pen on ever challenge! as for the incidents Martinez decribes - thiu must be too inocent to be allowed out alone! - in the so-called elbow-ng incident, BOTH players go in ith arms up but clearly only as protection with neither making a 'thrust' towards the others face (unlike Distin and Mirallas who bot drew blood) and for the free kick - has RM NEVER seen a player alter an angle or steal yards before??? he should be ridiculed for these lam attempts to deflect critisism away from KM but as a media darling will no doubt get a hearing - Dowds performance and the on-going 'punishment' of Suarez should be the topic up for debate todayJamie
ReplyDeleteI think u have misreported the Roy Keane revenge tackle as Keane badly injured himself trying to deliberately foul haaland and because haaland and wetherall stood over him having a go while he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament he wanted to get him back
ReplyDeleteCoutinho just stood and did nothing to stop Lukaku for their second goal. If i was the manager he would get a series talk.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if that was to me but we still didn't pick up three points, which is what I said. If it was not to me then ignore this.
ReplyDeleteCoward referee that's all there is to it.
ReplyDeleteAnd ya also in the context that Suarez had problems with his knee going threw moments before.
Referees this season are shameful and seem to support a lot of teams but not LFC.
Loved how HW judged the City Spurs game though.
Yes, he wanred revenge for Haaland's reaction.
ReplyDeleteSent from Samsung Galaxy Note
-------- Original message --------
LOL!!! Pot calling kettle come to mind.You lot are all too quick to forget and a play the poor victims yet again. Last season, suarez put Kevin Mirallas out action in the derby at Goodison with a typical cowards tackle from behind and down the achillies, he did the same to Sylvain Distin, you lot have got short memories!
ReplyDeleteWhat a horrible lot you are!
I do think it was deliberate to be honest. I don't know how he was aiming for the ball and hit his knee instead in such a manner.
ReplyDeleteHis eyes were closed as well. Regardless if it was intentional or not it should have been a red card, like Suarez stamps last season on Distin and Mirallas.
I just don't understand how the ref did not send him off? I mean wasn't the ref right there?
ReplyDeleteDecisions like these and cheating are killing football.
rich, as much as i disagree with jaimie for a lot of things, he is intelligent by using questions as headlines which people read on newsnow and have an opinión on. sorry jaimie, sometimes you drive me nuts with your opinions (which people are entitled to (it's not china lol) but i always read the articles and peoples opinions, i think this is the whole point of being a fan....
ReplyDeleteif thats the case jamie then why didnt u stick to the point instead of bringing up suarez" challenge from last year?your article was about mirallas not getting sent off,why bring suarez into the equasion at all,didnt matter who got caught in the challenge the fact remains that it was a clear red and for mirallas to go on and set up 2 goals only adds insult to injury.
ReplyDeletelisten,keane didnt end haalands career ok...sick of reading that nonsense,jamie referred to it aswell.haalands OTHER KNEE was the one that put him in retirement.
ReplyDeleteFair analysis - I'm a blue and whether he meant it or not, Mirallas should have been sent off for that tackle - did he mean it? I think he did, it was definitely payback for last year.
ReplyDeleteWould Suarez have been sent off, no, in the past he has constantly been guilty of stamping on players and has constantly gotten away with it - he has never been sent off for a stamp, yet he used to do it all the time.
I say used to because this year, I can see a change in him (hopefully permanent). He still has that edge, but he seems to have taken the snideiness out of his game, and I think he is all the better for it.
He did dive for Uruguay in their world cup qualifier, but that is the only one I can think of recently. I think he is finally cleaning up his act.
Mirralias should have broken his leg the sewer rat is a cheating slimy c**t and deserves everything he gets he should have walked on 2 occasions last year and if he didn't injure our best player we would have won that derby game. Remember before you go spouting your useless knowledge. Armchair supporters. COYB
ReplyDeleteWhilst it might have had something to do with last seasons stamp. His tackle was much much worse, and could have ended his career.
ReplyDeleteAnd for a professional player to hold a grudge that long, is quite frankly pathetic, and disgusting.
I'm getting increasingly fed up of this kind of stuff happening in football, and going unpunished. It really puts a sour spin on the game, which on the whole was very enjoyable, and wasn't full of bad tackles.
The FA need to man up and start dishing out some proper punishment.
Also to say he was going for the ball? I don't believe it, if you look at the trajectory of the ball, and where Mirallas is looking. He isn't looking to win the ball. If he is going for the ball, he needs to get his eyes checked because he has no foot to eye coordination.
Plus Martinez's comments are laughable. Because after the part you included he also said, "if that had been against my team, I would've been thinking it would have been a red card."
What do you expect from a bitter bluenose.
ReplyDeleteShort memories?.......but can you remember when Everton last won anything? Your memory would have to be like an elephant's.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the blatant stamp on Suarez, by Mirallas after his booking. He could have been sent off twice!
ReplyDeleteMartinez is trying to divert attention away from Mirallas.
ReplyDeleteSame thing happened with the Tony Pullis smokescreen last year, when all his focus was on the Suarez swallow dive, diverting attention from the horrific Huth stamp.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteYou are right, Suarez should have been sent off last year. Just like Mirallas should have been sent off on Saturday. There can be no doubt about either.
The only difference is that Suarez didnt have a year to plan his revenge!
Proper paranoid you kopites
ReplyDeleteVictims
Good! Revenge is a bitch ay...:)
ReplyDeleteJudge?
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha, idiot. I believe that last year, Suarez wanted to end Distan's career.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy this making stuff up lark.
Two wrongs don't make a right. Just because Suarez was not sent off last year doesn't mean players should get a free shot on him in this game. And like the previous comment says there was three separate occasions where mirallas could and should of been sent off.
ReplyDeletejust like every other defender in the prem
ReplyDeletehe is a poor referee. the game, being so full of passion, could have got out of hand. dowd showed his usual lack of judgement.
ReplyDeleteAfter last night's game against Norwich, our defense is still far from OK. We need a defensive coach. Get former players like Henchoz and Mark Wright and sort out the defensive issues!!
ReplyDelete