LOLiverpooLOL - Next Season

[Hoop Blah]

It's not sour grapes (honest) but is VAR used or not? When Mane was shoved over by Pique early doors it was probably 50/50 in the old days whether a pen would be given but with VAR it's almost a certain pen. Yet it wasn't even reviewed last night as far as I can tell

Equally Mane was lucky that the VAR officials didn't take a dim view of him 'pushing his hand' into a defender's face.

I remain convinced VAR is right for football, but it just doesn't get used properly.

Both Vidal and Mane could've seen red for that incident. And Matip could possibly have given away a penalty for his accidental handball as well, although I'd say that would be extremely harsh (ie wrong).

The challenge on Mane could easily have been given as a pen though. I was pretty surprised they didn't review it, although it may well have been looked at by the VAR whilst the game went on and he just confirmed there was nothing to it so the ref didn't need to stop the game to review.

In terms of the overall performance, I thought Livepool did really well and had Barca up against the ropes for parts of the game, especially the start of the second half. I don't think Barca had another gear to go to at that stage, they just couldn't handle the pace and power of Liverpool's attack, hence bringing on a defender for Coutinho to try and stem the flow.

As usual though it came down to taking chances. In Suarez and Messi they have two players more clinical than any in the Liverpool squad (Salah last year probably matched them) and they made and took their chances better than Liverpool.

A cracking game though.

[Silver Fox]

All valid, on Suarez it was interesting, having been a defender of his antics when he was at Anfield, to see that maybe everyone was right all along and he is indeed a horrible pcunt

[Hoop Blah]

All valid, on Suarez it was interesting, having been a defender of his antics when he was at Anfield, to see that maybe everyone was right all along and he is indeed a horrible pcunt

He's the perfect example of a player you love to have on your side, but hate if he isn't.

Such a talented player though.

[John Smith]

Just had a vision - Liverpool will be held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday and will in turn lose the title. Ayoze Perez' name will be written into Manchester City folklore come 10pm that evening.

[Silver Fox]

Except City won't have clinched the title at 10 on Saturday

[Ascotexgunner]

It's not sour grapes (honest) but is VAR used or not? When Mane was shoved over by Pique early doors it was probably 50/50 in the old days whether a pen would be given but with VAR it's almost a certain pen. Yet it wasn't even reviewed last night as far as I can tell

There was an offside in that move (so it was mentioned on BT Sport). Could be the var chap whispered in the refs ear and the ref let it go and the play continued?

[BR0B0T]

How is TAA still on the pitch?

[Victor Meldrew]

How is TAA still on the pitch?

I thought you never watched the super reds.
You really do have a massive inferiority complex.

[BR0B0T]

How is TAA still on the pitch?

I thought you never watched the super reds.
You really do have a massive inferiority complex.

deLOLuded

[Old Man Andrews]

How is TAA still on the pitch?

Would have been sent off had Newcastle failed to score in that phase of play.

[BR0B0T]

How is TAA still on the pitch?

Would have been sent off had Newcastle failed to score in that phase of play.

so the punishment is dependent on outcome...something they have tried to avoid.

I can see both arguments here and it's hard not to be biased!

[Stranded]

How is TAA still on the pitch?

Would have been sent off had Newcastle failed to score in that phase of play.

so the punishment is dependent on outcome...something they have tried to avoid.

I can see both arguments here and it's hard not to be biased!

It was simply a case of the ref playing a very brief advantage and Newcastle scoring. If the ball had dropped to a Liverpool player then without doubt the whistle blows, penalty & red card. As soon as the advantage occurs though then the offence is essentially didn't happen.

[BR0B0T]

Would have been sent off had Newcastle failed to score in that phase of play.

so the punishment is dependent on outcome...something they have tried to avoid.

I can see both arguments here and it's hard not to be biased!

It was simply a case of the ref playing a very brief advantage and Newcastle scoring. If the ball had dropped to a Liverpool player then without doubt the whistle blows, penalty & red card. As soon as the advantage occurs though then the offence is essentially didn't happen.

So the punishment totally dependent on the outcome? We could put an expected value on both punishments etc

...and Vic we put to bed the idea that certain teams cheat more than others after that game, right??

[Victor Meldrew]

so the punishment is dependent on outcome...something they have tried to avoid.

I can see both arguments here and it's hard not to be biased!

It was simply a case of the ref playing a very brief advantage and Newcastle scoring. If the ball had dropped to a Liverpool player then without doubt the whistle blows, penalty & red card. As soon as the advantage occurs though then the offence is essentially didn't happen.

So the punishment totally dependent on the outcome? We could put an expected value on both punishments etc

...and Vic we put to bed the idea that certain teams cheat more than others after that game, right??

I suppose it is the modern game unfotunately and swings and roundabouts.
Ritchie scraped Salah's achilles but no free kick was given;Fabinho receives the faintest of touches from Ritchie and gets a free-kick that, incidentally, Newcastle had every chance to defend.

Two wrongs may make a right but it never feels like that if one's own team is involved.

[FiNeRaIn]

Gotta say I feel a bit sorry for Liverpool and Tottenham. Looked great at times during the season and are both almost certainly out of their ties due to the injuries the'yve had. The fact teams like Barcelona and Ajax can win most of their domestic games resting players and cantering about due to the lack of real opposition makes it a bit unbalanced. Liverpool and Tottenham are playing all 38 league games with sheer intensity and seem to just have a tonne of contact based injuries.

[BR0B0T]

Thank fook for that...caught the last 15 mins!

[Stranded]

Gotta say I feel a bit sorry for Liverpool and Tottenham. Looked great at times during the season and are both almost certainly out of their ties due to the injuries the'yve had. The fact teams like Barcelona and Ajax can win most of their domestic games resting players and cantering about due to the lack of real opposition makes it a bit unbalanced. Liverpool and Tottenham are playing all 38 league games with sheer intensity and seem to just have a tonne of contact based injuries.

Whilst it is a shame that both sides have injuries that is a pretty weak argument.

Spurs can only not rest players because they don't have enough to allow them to. If they had picked up one more win recently they could have easily taken the foot of the gas and played a few younger players at the weekend to protect their stars.

As for Liverpool, they are in a title race so always likely to put out strong sides but could easily rested players at times - for example, did they really need to put out a full strength side v Huddersfield. There is plenty of fodder in the PL at the mo.

What needs to be done, is that the PL needs to stop chasing the pound signs when it comes to TV money and allow clubs flexibility when it comes to league games around European ties. Liverpool's game being Saturday night for example, that was purely for TV - they should have been able to play Saturday lunchtime.

Compare this to the Netherlands - to give Ajax enough rest ahead of the first leg - they postponed a whole round of fixtures. A full round of games was scheduled for the 28th April - so the KNVB simply postponed the entire round of games and moved them to the 15th May so that Ajax had a 7 day gap between games. Could you imagine the FA doing similar?

[Sanguine]

Time to roll out an old cliche, but it's a fitting one - Kompany's goal worthy of winning any league, and of winning the league in this slightly ridiculous season. Liverpool won 16 and drew 3 of their first 19 games this season. If City beat Brighton next week, they'll have won 18 and lost 1 of their final 19. Even Liverpool's 'poor' second half of the season will be 14 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat (equivalent to a 92 point season), if they beat Wolves.

[Stranded]

Time to roll out an old cliche, but it's a fitting one - Kompany's goal worthy of winning any league, and of winning the league in this slightly ridiculous season. Liverpool won 16 and drew 3 of their first 19 games this season. If City beat Brighton next week, they'll have won 18 and lost 1 of their final 19. Even Liverpool's 'poor' second half of the season will be 14 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat (equivalent to a 92 point season), if they beat Wolves.

I know it's crazy that some will say that Liverpool will have mucked this up as they had a what 7 point lead at one point - that doesn't take into account that to win the league they will still have needed 99pts (assuming both win on Sunday).

To give an idea of City's current ridiculousness. Take last season and up to last night - they have taken 195 points from 225 available. They have dropped just 30 points in nearly 2 seasons.

In comparison, 3rd placed Chelsea have dropped 40 points this season alone.

[BR0B0T]

Time to roll out an old cliche, but it's a fitting one - Kompany's goal worthy of winning any league, and of winning the league in this slightly ridiculous season. Liverpool won 16 and drew 3 of their first 19 games this season. If City beat Brighton next week, they'll have won 18 and lost 1 of their final 19. Even Liverpool's 'poor' second half of the season will be 14 wins, 4 draws and 1 defeat (equivalent to a 92 point season), if they beat Wolves.

Yeah, give them a trophy for it1