Football Focus

[Annasfield]

No, but it is on Thursday and even if you were to play and win all your games in hand, we'd still be top! ;-)

Undefeated at Anfield in the league in 2008.

[Sandperson]

And there's me thinking the league finishes in May...;-)

[????]

F*ck your northern shnanigans, Hammers in the top 10 and Spuds back in the pooooo

[Sandperson]

lol, tell it like it is Squids!

[Annasfield]

Eh, who said anything about May?

"What a fantastic start to the New Year" :-S

[Rolo Tomasi]

Gerrard arrested in assault probe

[mockney piers]

Crazy season when you can go top half of the table and still worry about relegation; still, not complaining one little bit!!

[Keef]

Hmmm, Gerrard charged. Obviously don't know all the facts yet, but why has he even put himself anywhere near that sort of situation, there is no excuse for it. Hate to say it (and wouldn't put him in the same league as Barton), but if it i proven that he got physically involved in giving someone a kicking, I hope they throw the book at him (which they won't)!

Fingers crossed some CCTV footage will clear him, but it's a worry that he was charged with 2 other men, whilst 3 others were not charged. Suggests he was more involved than he should have been...

Don't think it makes me at all anti Liverpool saying that. I will support them on the pitch, but off of it, they need to be answerable to the same laws and punishments as the rest of us!

[mockney piers]

hear hear keef, I'm sick to death of celebrity being taken into account when sentencing.

Mind you, I'm also in favour of community service instead of custodials where sensible (regardless of celebrity) and footballers really can be good role models, so giving them 600 hours of training kids clubs in run down estates can't e a bad thing either.

Mind you, he's still a twonk if it turns out he got involved in a fracas, he's old enough to know better frankly.

[Ladygooner]

At 2.30am in the morning I am guessing he was well oiled - maybe some Everton fans were taunting him with the parentage of his children again?

[mockney piers]

Genius as ever.

"There would also be regular dinners at the Dorchester where players would be awarded points for correctly identifying the dessert fork and then bonus points for not jamming it in someone's windpipe."

[Keef]

LadyG I'm sure he gets people trying to wind him up, but he should surround himself with people who can calm such situations, not dive in to a ruck.

[ratty]

Will be very interesting to see the reaction of LFC, IF he gets found guilty.

[Sandperson]

Hmm, let me think. Gets paid millions. Is one of the best all round midfielders in the world. Has an incredible work rate and can pull a team up by their bootlaces on those rare occaisions when no-one else looks like they want to play. I can't see them treating him like Joey Barton. And, before I get slapped, I don't think United would be any different and I also am not assuming he is guilty.

[matthew123]

Based on what they said on Sky Sports and also in the Times and Daily Mail it seems Authorities are trying to make an example of Gerrard however flimsy the case for a successful conviction.

The newspapers have not been able to dig up much except Gerrard using his elbow to get past the DJ, a Manchester United fan according to Daily Mail and Times, as he brushed past him after the said DJ had verbally abused him. Sky Sports claim a eyewitness had testified that Gerrard then acted as a peacemaker trying to break up an altercation between his friends and the DJ.

[SimonM]

>>Hmmm, Gerrard charged. Obviously don't know all the facts yet, but why has he even put himself anywhere near that sort of situation, there is no excuse for it.<<

Not sure that is entirely fair. You cannot expect him to sit at home watching TV every night. I suspect he gets these situations almost on a weekly basis and has strategies for handling them. Occasionally things will go wrong. He's going to meet Everton or Man Utd supporters everywhere and there'll always be some twerp ready to have a pop or chuck the old taunts at him. It's probably all a plot by Chelsea anyway...

And I would love to know who the creative geniuses at the Daily Mash are...Is there anyone else in the UK writing such consistently funny and perceptive stuff? The final paragraph about Nevin & Le Saux was totally on the money

[mockney piers]

I did have a look into it once, and it from what I recall it was set up by a couple of frustrated journos on the Daily Record, but don't quote me on that,

[Keef]

Not sure that is entirely fair. You cannot expect him to sit at home watching TV every night. I suspect he gets these situations almost on a weekly basis and has strategies for handling them. Occasionally things will go wrong. He's going to meet Everton or Man Utd supporters everywhere and there'll always be some twerp ready to have a pop or chuck the old taunts at him. It's probably all a plot by Chelsea anyway...

You're probably right Simon, and I certainly wouldn't expect him to stay indoors, but even if his mates jump on someone, he should have the brains to just make sure he doesn't put a boot in, as he is basically being watched all the time when he's not at home.

[mockney piers]

ok, pulls finger out and fnds out a bit more

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-daily-mash--satirical-scatological-and-already-profitable-899541.html

Scotsman, Daily Record, all the same innit?

[matthew123]

Lot of quotes in this article about what happened. It seems Gerrard was involved in the initial confrontation with DJ which reads more handbags at ten paces than anything - it's after Gerrard has stepped back that one of his party has broken a bottle over the DJ's head.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1102512/England-football-star-Steven-Gerrard-faces-years-jail-charge-assaulted-DJ-bar-brawl.html

Daily Mail is talking about 5 years in the slammer for Gerrard if found guilty. Before anyone get's carried away about finding the innocent guilty let us remember some of these other sensationalist media reports on alleged rapes and assaults performed by famous footballers in recent times: -

Ronaldo: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-365943/United-star-arrested-rape-inquiry.html

Johnny Evans: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-503251/Man-Utd-star-Rape-victims-jealous-boyfriend-attacked-I-danced-her.html

Roy Keane: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-339472/Keane-court-assault-charge.html

Nicky Butt: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-183210/Butt-quizzed-club-assault-claim.html

Wayne Rooney: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-418465/Police-send-file-CPS-Rooney-nightclub-assault.html

[Jah Lush]

Well, that's the Daily Mail for you. Sensationalist right-wing fecking bullshit written and published by a bunch of cunts just so they can sell a few extra copies. Also check for The Sun and their appalling reporting on the Hillsboro disaster - who do much the same.

[SimonM]

Could not have put it better myself!

[nutty]

Just joined the EDF fantasy league - apologies for late joining, especially as I may push most people down a place :)

[mockney piers]

part of recent poll on WHTID:

"Who would you most like to see destitute under Waterloo Bridge, begging for a cup of tea?

Kevin McCabe 64%

Neil Warnock 16%

Frank Lampard 15%

Paul Ince 4%"

The question made me chuckle, but as it was a bit of a leading question/list, and there was no 'none' option, the result is hardly surprising, and reflects the author's mind rather than your average reader if you ask me.

Still made me laugh though (sorry Simon, not flaming you, honest).

[SeanMacGabhann]

Haven't you got enough to be worried about hmmmm?