Liverpool FC Forum

by **The_Rock** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 4:35 am

Have to agree with 1 point....we are the most ref friendly side in the league. There was the time when carra was still arguing with mike riley (against chelsea) and Baros telling the ref to book dafoe for taking off his shirt (1st league match this season).

But apart from these 2, i don't think we have seen our players trying to initimidate the ref.... I know it is not in the best interest of the game...but the scums do it. Arsenal do it (viera esp). Chelsea are learning to do it...Even the focking blue sh1t did it in the derby......

http://www.bootroom.org/forum/portal.php?topic_id=4733

No Mr Moyes. It’s Liverpool that weren’t protected.

Time to fight fire with fire…..

In the wake of last weeks Merseyside derby, and what happened both on and off the pitch, perhaps its time Liverpool FC started to employ the subtle tactics of referee intimidation on the pitch that some other clubs do.

Everton, playing with all the grace of ‘junkyard dogs’, having been clearly outclassed then proceeded to whine and complain about anything and everything to do with the match. Hardly surprising since their players spent a good deal of time doing just that on the pitch.

Liverpool on the other hand, rarely ever gesticulate with referees or become embroiled in such wild histrionics over challenges on the pitch. It’s a quality I greatly admire however its doing LFC no favours. Baros spent the majority of the match being fouled from behind whenever he went near the ball. This has become pretty common practice with him as his hard running style invites defenders to foul him so they can catch some respite. To Milans credit he seldom rolls around on the ground or carries on like he’s being victimized. However he doesn’t seem to get much protection from referees and as the game wears on it begins to wear him down, taking longer and longer for him to get up off the floor. Obviously Baros isn’t the only one getting chopped down, but his style makes him the most obvious target and hence the most common victim.

I think it may be time for LFC to start leaning on referees on the pitch right from the first whistle, because the team clearly aren’t being protected, and the media certainly don’t seem too balanced in their assessment of all matters Liverpool.

Case in point here’s how the media reported the foul on Garcia leading to our first goal….

"Liverpool took the lead from a free-kick on the edge of the box after Garcia had gone down a little too easily from Hibbert's challenge." – The Times

“For all Liverpool's dominance, Everton will argue - rightly - that luck still intervened heavily. For instance, they can point to the fact that the free kick from which Gerrard scored the opening goal should not have been awarded.
The referee saw a foul on Garcia on the edge of the box when it was clear he had already lost control and was looking for the award, when Tony Hibbert took ball and man with his tackle.” – The Mirror

"Instead, they fell a goal behind to a well struck Steven Gerrard drive from a free-kick which had looked highly dubious. It was 'earned' by Garcia." - The Liverpool Echo.

…and of course there’s this classic comment from Alan Stubbs….

"Continental players will go down a lot easier. Referees have to be big enough to see that but unfortunately they are not."

As the caption says….one earned an instant dismissal from the ref, having been instantly surrounded by blue shirts and after continuous whining throughout the game on each and every incident. The other didn’t even warrant a caution. One was a 50/50 challenge for a ball in dispute. The other was an attack on a player who had possession of the ball, before nutmegging his would be tackler…and yet the tackler followed through anyway with studs up. One club claims it was a “s**tbags challenge”, where the opposition tackler has dutifully apologized and accepted his punishment…..and yet that same club views the other challenge as their poor would be tackler falling victim to “continental” diving.

Its absolutely astounding that by the time Baros received his marching orders, Hibbert and Weir in particular, were still on the pitch. Not two minutes before Baros rash tackle, Weir had cannoned into the back of him for the umpteenth time. Needless to say that either of their sending offs…or a few more yellow cards dished out to Evertons defenders earlier on, and the game changes complexion completely. Baros runs verge on rampant and Liverpool become even more of an attacking threat as the Toffees can no longer recklessly clatter LFC players at will.

The game has changed, and its time for LFC to modify its culture and start playing under these new rules. ManU have been the masters of intimidating refs for years, ably led by Roy Keane. Chelsea are the new kids on the block and have since perfected the dual arts of ref intimidation and diving to suit their cause. Clearly Moyes has learnt from this and Everton have managed to follow suit. Unfortunately for LFC to start winning its fair share of referee decisions the seeds must be sewn into the referees mind right from the start. Its time for the leadership group on the pitch to at least start championing the cause of Liverpool FC during the match, and draw the referees attention to the continuous cynical tackles of opposition defenders and diving antics of opposition forwards.

by **A.B.** » Sun Mar 27, 2005 6:23 am

Well I am not all that shocked that most papers said that Garcia went down too easily afterall most papers wanted Everton to win so they had to find some execuses for Neverton.

F#ck em.

by **JC_81** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 2:57 pm

Hibbert's challenge on Garcia was a disgrace and looked worse in slow motion. A definite free kick and should have been a yellow.

Just sour grapes on Everton's part

Don't think charging the ref is a good idea, think I read somewhere that this is gonna be clamped down on more starting next season. I'll see if I can find where I read it

by **bRy** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 3:17 pm

To me getting on with the game and not trying to influence the referee is in sync with Benitez's style and philosophies. He doesn't make excuses and takes things calmly, stays out of the media unlike his higher profile counterparts that have been implementing these such tactics.

The fact that Everton are currently above us in the table and are a somewhat sentimental favourite among a large amount of football followers and media sources could very well act in our favour as it promotes a backs to the wall attitude that has seen Arsenal achieve phenomenal feats in recent years.

So while the media focus their attention on the big three and the trials and tribulations of these clubs, we are busy quietly building a force great enough to take everyone by storm in the wake of predicitions that we are a spent force and will forever be daunted by our illustrious past

by **zarababe** » Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:14 pm

..

it makes me blood boil .. reading some of the press' take on the Garcia tackle... are they truly blind.. looks like the truth got lost when the braille was transalted in to words ...

...as for employing some of the tactics of the likes of Ar.se.. well to be honest u end-up acquiring a reputation that deviates from the footie... and Ars.e have a disgraceful disciplinary record too...

.. Everton's reaction - moaning and groanong - highlighted just how frustarated and out played they were by us... they cud not handle it... we showed them-up as the "bit-part" team they are .. dunno about Frankenstein.. I'd call them "Everstein"...

We must not lower ourselves to that level.. let our football do the talking.. Liverpool were awesome.. and once our other players are bak... well well... it'll be even more happy days ..

by **LiverpoolFan00** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 3:14 pm

Definetly agree that we should not stoop to Arsenals and Man U's level

We let our football do the talking and should stick to that

Also i don't know what game the Journalist were watching but Hibberts tackle was an absolute digrace he could have seriously hurt Garcia

by **lfclfclfc** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 1:05 am

We should not go the scumway. Intimidating of refs, threats or inciting words.. no thanks, it is just not lfc.

However, I do agree that some of the senior players, and especially the captain, should make their presence felt if blatant injustice is done against us. (e.g. a potential career-ending foul by hibbert on garcia, ferguson's ranting and bullying tactics which carragher handled extremely well) I don't think there was even a squeak from anybody for most of the incidents!

by **akumaface** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 4:19 am

I believe it would do us no good by intimidating the ref. LFC do not argue much but when our captain or senior player want to say something, the ref would listen as they know we are not the kind that will get into an argument unless we have a point. I think if we lower ourselves to the Scum level, it could only make the ref against us even more.

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