Post Match: Southampton v Liverpool (EPL 4/1/21 8pm)

The more I see it the more I think Milner is lucky not to get a snapped ankle.

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It just gets worse every time you see it. At the age Milner is, any kind of full on connection with his leg from Walcott could be the end of his career.

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possibly, I just don’t think any of them are really fouls to be honest. But these days it is what it is.

But your point on consistency is 100% correct. It’s still miles off at the moment. Badly off. Smelly vision off.

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Pretty much ever since he gobbed that loogie out the car window.

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I saw this comparison of last night and Gomez:

I think the big difference is that Stephens actually throws himself in front of the ball.

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Carra did mention it quickly after the match and reviewed the tackle on Mane for the penalty,he said it wasn’t a penalty because he kicked his own leg and fell over.I thought it was a 50/50 myself and thought it could have gone either way BUT…didn’t Pogba kick the back of a defenders leg last week and trip himself up to win a pen?? on that basis it’s a pen for me.

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Last night’s match really just encapsulated all the issues that are affecting our season.

We are probably suffering a bit of mental fatigue, having had three intense seasons before this, and this is being exacerbated by us now being even more of a scalp, which itself is even more intense than other title winners experienced because of the widespread nastiness in this country towards our club and city.

We saw it over Hillsborough, when the country had to be dragged kicking and screaming towards the acceptance of a truth that was obvious right from the start to anyone with half a brain. We saw it in the hysteria evident in the spring when we were close to the title and everyone wanted the season cancelled. We see how deep it goes when United and City would rather each other win the title than us.

We are also suffering from officiating that is wholly consistent across various officials and thus represents a clear and obvious bias and prejudice against us. Exact same incidents get called different depending on whether they are for us or against us.

Penalties and offsides are one thing, pulling us up for fouls that then get let go when opponents do them are another, but there is now also a clear open house on reckless tackles and attempts to injure our players.

You can see the look on the refs faces during matches, there is both a nastiness and a smugness.

It’s hilarious to see referees take the knee against prejudice, only to then demonstrate clear and obvious prejudice for the next 90 minutes.

Corrupt officials, a corrupt league, a corrupt governing body, in a corrupt and horrible country.

That said, we have contributed to our own problems.

We did not address a clear issue at centre back. VVD had a rotating door of three partners for two years before he himself got injured. We’ve had enough warnings, and we made it worse by not replacing Lovren.

Even if the plan was to use Fab as the 4th choice, we knew Matip and Gomez would spend chunks of the season out given their injury records and that we’d have no rotation options for an intense season. Also, the most injury prone of our remaining centre backs (Matip) is also the best we have after VVD, Gomez for me has always been inconsistent and sometimes a bit dodgy.

For a year or more, we have needed to sign a partner for VVD who can stay fit and be the main man when VVD is rested or injured.

We didn’t and we are paying the price. Our two best midfielders are now having to be used as centre backs, and without either Fab or Hendo in midfield that department is just not the same.

It’s also no surprise that we’ve struggled up top, Palace aside, since Jota got injured in a meaningless match.

The only other real issue last night was the midfield team selection. Personally I’d have had Milner in there from the start ahead of Oxlade. To field two returning midfielders, in a midfield without Fab or Hendo, was a mistake in my view, especially when Oxlade has contributed very little even when match fit since his injury.

I’d rather have started Shaqiri than Oxlade, because although he too lacks match fitness, he has more quality in his right boot than Oxlade has in either, and Shaqiri is left footed.

We just have to hope our midfield group stays fit, especially if we’re having to use three of the seven senior midfielders in defence regularly.

I really cannot understand why the club allows the farcical centre back situation to completely undermine us, especially when we have a transfer window to tackle it.

I really do hope for the best even if we don’t sign anyone, but can easily see us ending up in a scrap for top four, and not getting CL would be a disaster in all sorts of ways.

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Is there a way to petition for refs to justify their decisions after every match? That kind of accountability would reduce these types of controversy.

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I think that is a fair comment. It’s the inconsistent decision making and application of the laws, that is the issue.

Either they are all penalties, or none of them are.

Strangely, only the manure one was given. :thinking:

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Do we know who the officials are for the Man Utd game yet? Because depending on who they are, will help me decide whether to bother my arse watching the game. I just don’t see the point anymore, when I know it’s nailed on that certain referees and assistants are going to stitch us up. Although, I’m starting to believe they’re all corrupt.

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I know you shouldn’t cast aspersions, but on the theory of football officials, some of them are really showing their colours, no pens, no yellow or red tickets, no fouls given…our boys are getting kicked to shit and hurt and no one is doing anything…This stinks of kicking LFC in the wotsits and letting either shitty or the mancs get the PL…(and it all started with ‘the flappy foul’) fixed,fixed,fixed…after last night I’m still sick to the stomach, p***ed off and venting for a rant…Thank you( see u later).

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Over here we have a Mickey Mouse competition but we do one thing right. After the match, the referees are invited to comment on their decisions. They see the footage and are asked to comment on it. The KNVB (Dutch FA) encourage it, but the refs don’t have to. On Monday the boss of the referees explains the VAR decisions and yes also the once they screwed up.

Still, they make mistakes, no problem with that, but at least it is out in the open and it helps to keep things fair and square.

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No not jet but I’ll bet it will be Atkinson and Taylor mark my words.

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Or jon moss.

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@Lowton_Red

Not relevant to the thread. Read the title, thought about Lowton, posted it.

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I guess the benefit for Moss is he’s just a fat incompetent twat. Whereas the other 2 are clearly manc cunts.

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That works in a sensible country, but wouldn’t work in a country that is corrupt from top to bottom, and which would never put anything in place that would expose this.

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Oliver and Coote named as 4th officials in midweek run-up to us playing the scum.
Might be holding both of them back for us and VAR :scream: :scream:

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Oliver isn’t bad he was just involved with Coote in that game who evidently didn’t give him any help and seemed hellbent on screwing us.

Moss is just really slow another I’m not to bothered with having, maybe him on VAR might be better, though I do wonder if half of them know how to use it.

Who was the one for the Fulham game, I know we had Mariner on the pitch but VAR that day seemed hellbent on giving stuff, that Fabinho challenge for instance, even Mariner looked confused why he had been asked to review it.

As for the Milner foul that is when VAR should be coming in and referring Mariner to the screen.

However again I will refer to the crux of the problem 1 shot on target and you can’t even call that, though we did have a good blocked shot from Mane.

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None other than Lee Mason. One of the usual suspects. Maybe he had a go at Marriner afterwards for making him look like a cunt and reminded him of his ‘responsibilities’.

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