Football Focus

[Atticus]

So. LFC reign supreme once again. 'You'll never walk alone' . Try telling that to Roy Hodgson. Greatest fans on earth, indeed.

[Keef]

To be honest, I still expect United to win the title, but it should be a close run thing. Nani really looked an idiot today, hope his manager gives him a tongue lashing.

[Mick Mac]

He'll probably throw the boot at him.

[Narnia]

Anyone got sympathy for Nani today? It looked to me that he was close to tears and completely in shock and I'm guessing it was because someone deliberately tried to do him serious damage. His career could have ended today. Someone of a different disposition would have shrugged it off if there was no serious physical injury. I don't think he was so physically injured that he couldn't have continued (how else could he have got up to confront the ref). I do think he was mentally scarred by it though. I'm not sure I've seen anything quite like his reaction before.I guess most people on the receiving end on a tackle like that would be nursing a broken leg. I wonder will it inhibit his progress towards being a top class player in this league. He may want out. It's all very well saying it's a tough league but if the better players aren't protected you will have a league full of old fashioned cloggers.

Fergie is getting some stick for having a go at the ref at Chelsea. Well he was right. There should have been a sending off for Chelsea and they shouldn't have had a penalty. Today, two Liverpool players could have been sent off and probably should have been. Of course Rooney should have been sent off at Wigan, but he wasn't. How can the ref have possibly seen that and equated it to a free kick offence. I don't know. Something stinks. Anyway. if we can sell Rooney for ?30M at the of the season I wouldn't mind. Don't like his attitude and he is over-rated. But lets keep the pretence up until the money is in the bank.

[Narnia]

Keef Wrote:

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> To be honest, I still expect United to win the

> title, but it should be a close run thing. Nani

> really looked an idiot today, hope his manager

> gives him a tongue lashing.

That's bollix about Nani

[Keef]

In your opinion. My opinion is that he was making the most of it and trying to get the player sent off.

[Mick Mac]

Keef Wrote:

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> In your opinion. My opinion is that he was making

> the most of it and trying to get the player sent

> off.

I only saw it on the news but for me it was a red card tackle, without a doubt.

[SimonM]

I was trying to remember whether that shocking foul on Nani was before or after he gifted Liverpool that second, crucial goal? Whatever, although Nani has played sublimely at times this season, today was a really bad day at the office for him. I tend to agree with Keef - Gerard put a land lightly on Nani's shoulder after the Carragher foul and he promptly dropped as if shot..

[Narnia]

I watched the game and didn't see Gerard's intervention as having anything to do with what happened. The guy was in shock. Why else would he be substituted?

[Keef]

Because he was having a stinker?

To be fair, I was some distance from the TV in the pub. I shall watch it on MOTD this evening, and then see if I stick to my opinion, or hold my hands up.

Nani is a very good player, but for me, he has been quite dishonest at times.

[Narnia]

But this was a most bizarre situation.Carragher could have broken his leg. I'm sure he was shocked. They subbed him just before half time. I don't think it was a physical injury and certainly not because he was having a stinker.That could have been applied to 10 others on that basis. Watch it and see what you think.

[matthew123]

Not bad Liverpool performance but still room for improvement. Looked like a footballing incident from my vantage point but the Rafael challenge seemed quite different.

[Narnia]

If Rafael had reacted to the tackle on him like a lot of players would, then whatshisface would have been sent off. There would not have been a Rafael tackle on anyone else.

[Jah Lush]

Narnia, it's a banana skin when playing a club down at the bottom and other team is up the other end. Certainly wasn't suggesting a superiority complex. Wolves were very good today and can count themselves a little unlucky in that a couple of decisions went against them but on the whole I thought a draw was a fair result.

[Mick Mac]

Well with all the scorn that was poured upon the old firm in midweek i would have to say that the pushing and shoving in the aftermath of the carragher and rafael tackles was much worse imo.

[Jah Lush]

Either you're taking the piss Mick or your doing the ironing.

[Annasfield]

Carra should have been sent off for his tackle today, but in my opinion he wasn't because of the way Nani conducted himself. Jumping around after the ref and throwing himself to the floor like there was a sniper in the Kop. The boy who cried wolf?

Fair result I think. And if we're talking about sending players off it should have been 10 v 10 after that two footed lunge.

I wonder if Mr Ferguson will be fined for blanking the press. I thought it was part if the rules that you had to do a post match press conference?

[Sandperson]

I've only just seen the tackle as I was in and out the kitchen as we had visitors. Absolutely disgusting. Carragher should have been off and Kuyt's response was pretty bad too. I think Declan is right, outrage and adrenaline got Nani up off the floor to show the ref his injury. Watching the last few games United have had he's had lumps kicked out of him so I'm not surprised at his reaction. I don't mind string tackles (I'm not a Gooner;)) but as a player it must be wearing.

[Sandperson]

Out of interest Anna, which United player should have been off? Fergie will probably get fined but who cares? Apparently none of the media organisations have complained about his refusal to give interviews at any time in the past.

[Keef]

I basically agree with Anna. Having watched it again last night, both tackles were shocking. At least Carra's was just crap, whereas Rafael's was done out of anger. Haven't changed my mind about Nanh/p reaction though, it was pathetic.

[Atticus]

I think carragher's was worse than a crap tackle. He followed right through. He's a dirty player with plenty of previous.

[Jah Lush]

Caragher's challenger was a leg-breaker and he should have been off but Nani's reaction was silly. Maybe if he'd just stayed on the ground and waited for treatment instead of acting like a big girl (no offence ladies) the referee may then have sent Carragher off.

Raphael's challenge was also very poor and he was lucky to stay on the pitch too. I thought the referee just about got that one right with a booking. It's a tough one for the referee because in matches with great rivalry like this you're always going to get a bit of needle and a few bone shaking challenges and in keeping 22 men on the pitch he kept the game flowing and not have it ruined by sendings off. A very well deserved win for Liverpool though. The new number seven looks worth every penny and my man of the match despite Kuyt's hat-trick.

[SCSB79]

Narnia Wrote:

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> Anyone got sympathy for Nani today? It looked to

> me that he was close to tears and completely in

> shock and I'm guessing it was because someone

> deliberately tried to do him serious damage. His

> career could have ended today. Someone of a

> different disposition would have shrugged it off

> if there was no serious physical injury. I don't

> think he was so physically injured that he

> couldn't have continued (how else could he have

> got up to confront the ref). I do think he was

> mentally scarred by it though. I'm not sure I've

> seen anything quite like his reaction before.I

> guess most people on the receiving end on a tackle

> like that would be nursing a broken leg. I wonder

> will it inhibit his progress towards being a top

> class player in this league. He may want out. It's

> all very well saying it's a tough league but if

> the better players aren't protected you will have

> a league full of old fashioned cloggers.

> Fergie is getting some stick for having a go at

> the ref at Chelsea. Well he was right. There

> should have been a sending off for Chelsea and

> they shouldn't have had a penalty. Today, two

> Liverpool players could have been sent off and

> probably should have been. Of course Rooney should

> have been sent off at Wigan, but he wasn't. How

> can the ref have possibly seen that and equated it

> to a free kick offence. I don't know. Something

> stinks. Anyway. if we can sell Rooney for ?30M at

> the of the season I wouldn't mind. Don't like his

> attitude and he is over-rated. But lets keep the

> pretence up until the money is in the bank.

JC's tackle looks to have split open his leg and gone through to the bone:

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/7629/nani.jpg

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Annasfield]

If thats the pic I've seen on another forum, it has been photoshopped.

Nani walked out of Anfield, so lets not make mountains out of molehills.

[Emerson Crane]

There were many very poor ref decisions over the weekend. Hutton, Bramble, Rafael and Carragher should have taken the walk of shame.

Hutton denied the wolves player a clear goal scoring opportunity, and how the ref chalked off Wolves goal is beyond me. If anything it was a foul on the player and not the keeper.

Rafael and Carraghers fouls were both shocking.

Bramble should have walked for a blatant pull back on Arshavin, and his goal should have stood.

Now, on the topic of shocking tackles. Perhaps those clubs on the receiving may (but I very much doubt it) understand why the Arsenal get annoyed by such outrageous challnges.

Can someone tell me why Ferguson made the decision not to speak to the media a day before the game at Anfield?

Good to see Bobby Zamora back in action and back on score sheet.

Still all of this should make the league run in very interesting.