Benitez not happy with Fergie

Mitch Connor

BastardPrince wrote: »

what usual ****e?

banning Evra for 4 games. Publicly having a pop at United players and staff.

Punishments that are not in line with what is given to other clubs......


See Man City player Christian Negouai missing drug test = £2000 fine and no ban.

Rio missing drug test = 8 month ban.

Mr Alan

Ardent wrote: »

Benitez needs to keep his mouth shut in future, especially just before big games. He's rubbish at mind-games. His comments cost us dearly in the CL last season and cost us again this weekend.

there was me thinkin it was an Riise that cost us

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

there was me thinkin it was an Riise that cost us

Well Rafa picked him, so as well as having a big mouth at the wrong times he has poor team selection aswell, a bad bad combination.

Mr Alan

Mr Alan wrote: »

there was me thinkin it was an Riise that cost us

Riise gave away an away goal, there was a whole away leg to play. it was the mind games about Drogba in the week leading up to the 2nd leg served to fire up Drogbas one man show to put you out.

Chardee MacDennis

Deleted User wrote: »

Punishments that are not in line with what is given to other clubs......


See Man City player Christian Negouai missing drug test = £2000 fine and no ban.

Rio missing drug test = 8 month ban.

evra incident from my reading of the situation seemed completely fair, rio deserved the 8 month ban as did Negouai - i dont see why he got off, but some may argue rio was being made an example of because of his high profile still doesnt justify the difference. anyway thats 2 examples and i am sure we can all point out how our club has been f*cked over by the fa before but the way refs treat united players on the pitch is ridiculous - did you honestly think Rooney didnt deserve a booking at the least for his attitude towards the ref yesterday when Mascherano gets sent off for a similar disresepect?

i ma not trying to rile anyone up but i dont understand how any united supporter can honestly say that united players (along with english players) dont get preferential treatment on the pitch?

Boggles

BastardPrince wrote: »

evra incident from my reading of the situation seemed completely fair,

Evra racially abused and reacts - 4 match ban

Drogba tries to take the eye out of someone - 3 match ban.

Could you sum up in no less than 50 words your definition of FAIR please?

I agree Rooney needs a booking for the Roon-rage moments but Madcherano wasnt send off for the same offence...he was booked. And he was dumb enough to do it having been booked already while Rooney hadnt been booked by that stage and was only booked later. U may WANT there to be a perceived injustice but it's not on the scale you're making out.

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

Evra racially abused and reacts - 4 match ban

See this is the issue, and why the FA came down on Utd for it imo.

I also said this at the time at the end of last season.....He was NOT racially abused.

Utd, imo, muddied the waters to bring the "race" thing into play....but there was no proof he was racially abused, Utd didnt say directly he was racially abused afaik, it was just rumours coming out of the club that he was called an immigrant (which incidentally, is not racist abuse, he is an immigrant)

Evra got in a fight with a member of Chelseas staff, he deserved his 4 game ban.

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

I also said this at the time at the end of last season.....He was NOT racially abused.

I have watched it a couple of times, where were you standing?

Mr Alan

Deleted User wrote: »

I agree Rooney needs a booking for the Roon-rage moments but Madcherano wasnt send off for the same offence...he was booked. And he was dumb enough to do it having been booked already while Rooney hadnt been booked by that stage and was only booked later. U may WANT there to be a perceived injustice but it's not on the scale you're making out.

Rooney should have been booked about 5 times yesterday before he picked up his yellow card late on. the ref bottled it cause he knew if he booked him, with the temper rooney has, he'd more than likely have to send him off.

its a joke wat he gets away with.

Mr Alan

Deleted User wrote: »

Riise gave away an away goal, there was a whole away leg to play. it was the mind games about Drogba in the week leading up to the 2nd leg served to fire up Drogbas one man show to put you out.

you dont know that Neil, Drogba has put in plenty of performances like that with no extra motivation.

we would have gotten through had it not been for Riises o.g. saying Rafa ****ed it up is ridiculous.

Xavi6

Deleted User wrote: »

Punishments that are not in line with what is given to other clubs......


See Man City player Christian Negouai missing drug test = £2000 fine and no ban.

Rio missing drug test = 8 month ban.

To be fair, Negouai NOT getting banned was more of a punishment for us.

Chardee MacDennis

yes masch was only booked, but a second booking is never given as lightly as a first and he never once cursed or abused the referee - i am not saying it wasnt absolutely retarded to push the ref into making a decision though...

Mr Alan wrote: »

See this is the issue, and why the FA came down on Utd for it imo.

I also said this at the time at the end of last season.....He was NOT racially abused.

Utd, imo, muddied the waters to bring the "race" thing into play....but there was no proof he was racially abused, Utd didnt say directly he was racially abused afaik, it was just rumours coming out of the club that he was called an immigrant (which incidentally, is not racist abuse, he is an immigrant)

Evra got in a fight with a member of Chelseas staff, he deserved his 4 game ban.

Mr Alan wrote: »

Rooney should have been booked about 5 times yesterday before he picked up his yellow card late on. the ref bottled it cause he knew if he booked him, with the temper rooney has, he'd more than likely have to send him off.

its a joke wat he gets away with.

perfectly sum up my feelings on the two issues...

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

I have watched it a couple of times, where were you standing?

the onus for proof is on you Boggles. You cant say he was racially abused with NOTHING to back it up.

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

the onus for proof is on you Boggles.

No it's not. :rolleyes:

The arguement was United get special treatment because of their chairman. Which has been proved with examples that they don't.

Mr Alan

i think when this issue dies down after we win the league this year (;)) this thread should be left open as the Liverpool/Utd bitch-fest thread.

super_furry

Yesterday's game proved just how correct Benitez was in everything he said. If Wayne Rooney had played for another team, he would have been sent off, but he plays for United so can get away with repeatedly telling the referee to **** off, walk away from him and turn his back on him.

Respect my arse.

BastardPrince

BastardPrince wrote: »

yes masch was only booked, but a second booking is never given as lightly as a first and he never once cursed or abused the referee - i am not saying it wasnt absolutely retarded to push the ref into making a decision though...

How exactly do you know that? Were u mic'd up and listening to what he said to Bennett or are you a lip reader? He sure said an awful lot and repeatedly refused to go away when instructed to do so.


I agreed about Rooney.


Saying Riise fcked it up is ludicrous. U had a week to prepare and fix it. Chelsea would have laid down and died would they? Jesus. Benitez certainly didn't help.

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

No it's not. :rolleyes:

The arguement was United get special treatment because of their chairman. Which has been proved with examples that they don't.

you are talking to me now. not whoever you were arguing about Gill with.

you were talking about Evra being racially abused, in other words, you were making stuff up.

also, citing times Utd recieve a punishment, does not mean they dont get special treatment.

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

i think when this issue dies down after we win the league this year (;))

Have you finally come out of the closet and declared for Man U?

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

also, citing times Utd recieve a punishment, does not mean they dont get special treatment.

Could you cite this special treatment?

astrofool

I think the only thing we can say for certain so far, is that after this incident, Benitez still looks like a fat spanish waiter (albeit, with a bit of a lip on him now) .

Chardee MacDennis

Deleted User wrote: »

How exactly do you know that? Were u mic'd up and listening to what he said to Bennett or are you a lip reader? He sure said an awful lot and repeatedly refused to go away when instructed to do so.

i would say most people could spot an english language abusive word most of the time they are generally quite distinctive along with aggressive body language

also

Mascherano wrote:

"I do not know why I was sent off," he was quoted as telling the Liverpool Echo. "I asked the referee what was happening. I did not swear, I was not aggressive and I did not confront him.
"So when he showed me the second yellow card and sent me off I could not believe it."

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

Could you cite this special treatment?

how about Rooney chopping Bosingwa down & getting no yellow. then telling the ref to **** off a few times before walking away & throwing his arms in the air in disgust at the ref having the audacity to give a foul against him, refusing to turn and speak to the ref as he is asked to.

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

how about Rooney chopping Bosingwa down & getting no yellow.

Boswingwa and Bellati were lucky to stay on the pitch.

Mikel could have gone for persistant fouling.

Ronaldo was booked for being raped in the box, although he didn't react.

It's a football match, you get some decisions, you don't get others.

Rooney was eventually booked. His manor prob contributed to it.

Please again Cite the special treatment?

Chardee MacDennis

Mr Alan wrote: »

how about Rooney chopping Bosingwa down & getting no yellow. then telling the ref to **** off a few times before walking away & throwing his arms in the air in disgust at the ref having the audacity to give a foul against him, refusing to turn and speak to the ref as he is asked to.

or the manner in which he and others spoke to the lino after the disallowed goal, iirc the lino was intimidated enough to have to step back from the players screaming at him. Respect campaign my hole...

BastardPrince

BastardPrince wrote: »

i would say most people could spot an english language abusive word most of the time they are generally quite distinctive along with aggressive body language

also

U didn't think Mascheranos body language was aggressive? Shoving team mates out of the way to get at the ref?


Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrright.

Boggles

BastardPrince wrote: »

or the manner in which he and others spoke to the lino after the disallowed goal, iirc the lino was intimidated enough to have to step back from the players screaming at him. Respect campaign my hole...

You mean Giggs asking him a question fairly?, Rooney ran away from it after intially reacting.

It's called passion, you need it to win things.

RasTa

lol I think I'm loving Rafa more then Pool fans, that Gill stuff is priceless.

Did anyone hear the Liverpool fans after the Stoke game "20 million on the bench...... that's a fact Rafa!" Ah well at least some of the fans have a sense of humour.

Extra gif bonus!

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

Could you cite this special treatment?

Boggles wrote: »

Boswingwa and Bellati were lucky to stay on the pitch.

Bellettis tackle deserved a yellow, same as Rooneys, and it got one, Rooneys didnt. and Rooney followed his up with one of many torrents of abuse thrown at teh officials

Mikel could have gone for persistant fouling.

no he couldnt

Ronaldo was booked for being raped in the box, although he didn't react..

only a Utd fan would call that "raped" he had his shirt pulled a little, and there was a muddle of legs between himself & Carvalhio (mainly himself)-techincally a penalty, but rarely given, even to Utd.

It's a football match, you get some decisions, you don't get others.

Utd seem to get away with more than most.

Rooney was eventually booked. His manor prob contributed to it..

This does not prove they did not get special treatment, if anything it proves the opposite, Rooney should have been sent off yesterday, a couple of times over. Him getting a yellow late on when the game is won, does not change that.

Please again Cite the special treatment?

i'm done with you. i have work to do.

the world and its mother knew how Rooney would behave yesterday & yet the officials still made no stand against him.

Rafa is right, trying to have a respect campaign while refs are too afraid to piss off Mr Ferguson, is embarrasing & a waste of time.

Mr Alan

Boggles wrote: »

You mean Giggs asking him a question fairly?, Rooney ran away from it after intially reacting.

It's called passion, you need it to win things.

Giggs behaved impeccably with the linesman, he respectfully spoke to him. Giggs is a model pro.= and a great example of how players should behave.

Rooney ran at him like a gargoyle on acid and screamed at him for a minute before walking away throwing his arms about like the spoilt child he is.

Chardee MacDennis

Deleted User wrote: »

U didn't think Mascheranos body language was aggressive? Shoving team mates out of the way to get at the ref?


Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrright.

i tried to find a video of it there but couldnt - the only part i seem to remember is when masch is there when Torres gets booked and seems to keep asking him why Torres is being booked, now i think he should have dropped it and his persistence was futile and there is absolutley no defence for his reacton after his sending off but i dont think you can compare the two incidents in terms of aggression. if anyone could find a video of rooney yesterday and maschs sending off i would love to compare...

Boggles

Mr Alan wrote: »

Rafa is right,

I'll stop There, I can't argue with the Fhacts!!!

:D:D

Mr Alan

BastardPrince wrote: »

i tried to find a video of it there but couldnt - the only part i seem to remember is when masch is there when Torres gets booked and seems to keep asking him why Torres is being booked, now i think he should have dropped it and his persistence was futile and there is absolutley no defence for his reacton after his sending off but i dont think you can compare the two incidents in terms of aggression. if anyone could find a video of rooney yesterday and maschs sending off i would love to compare...

he is right neil, mascherano only went spare after he was sent off. he was not aggressive before. it was silly of him, but he wasnt aggressive before the sending off. he was smiling for a start iirc.





Rooneys behaviour yesterday was far more aggressive & equally as persistant. as well as coming on the back of a tackle deserving a yellow card anyway. Mascheranos came after his team mate was fouled and picked up a yellow card for his troubles.

Again, i am not arguing that what masch did wasnt stupid, but for Rooney to get away with it week after week is favouritism and preferential treatment, there is no other way to describe it.

Boggles

This is exactly how it happend!!

Jazzy

didnt rooney stamp on someone the other week and that went completely unpunished?
i still chuckle at the world cup where ronaldo got him sent off cos he knew exactly how to wind him up.

As for Utd getting preferential treatment, i dunno its a weird one. they certainly know how to work referees and that sorta thing. man to man marking at half time ^^ as souness said the other night, fergie is an old fox at this sorta thing. hes been doing it for years and knows how to get utd the advantage. ultimately they do get preferential treatment but they work hard to get it. plus they are smart about how they do it

PHB

Anyone who thinks United get favoritist treatment from the FA is joking themselves. Any sensible person can see this. In some areas, they get away with stuff, just like everyone else does in some areas. Fergie knows how to manipulate refs, as do the United players. At the same time, the amount of penalties we should get is nowhere close to the amount of penalties we deserve. Ronaldo was defo fouled in the box by Carvalho yesterday, no doubt about it, defo penalty, nothing done, except book Ronaldo and Carvalho. That said, I think that problem is of Ronaldo's doing to an extent. On other stuff, United are used to set examples, which is pretty ****ing annoying, see Evra this year.

Rooney is extremly aggressive to refs. No doubt about it. Refs need to book him. Then again, if they stopped ****ing up so much, maybe he wouldn't have so much to give out to them about. I don't want him to stop, because it works and he gets away with it. As for the Mascherano debate again, I don't really care anymore. Maybe refs should be more consistant, but ultimately, Mascherano was stupid to do what he did, and we would have won the game anyway, so

As for this being a sign of Benetiz cracking. It was a weird comment. But I don't think its why United beat Chelsea, and I don't think its why Liverpool drew with stoke. It's just an easiest explanation than Liverpools attack lacks some potency and Chelsea's defending leaves much to be desired. Also, it's more fun. That said, his following comments about Gill are pretty weird, so maybe he is cracking. But I really can't see Rafa cracking under pressure personally, he seems too chillaxed for it. I think he's just distracting attention from his teams inadequcies, something that Fergie has been doing for years, something Mourinho loves to do.

Mr Alan

PHB wrote: »

Rooney is extremly aggressive to refs. No doubt about it. Refs need to book him. Then again, if they stopped ****ing up so much, maybe he wouldn't have so much to give out to them about.

you're kidding yourself if you think that Rooney protests are to do with the injustices done to him by refs.

his attack yesterday after he fouled Bosingwa, refs fault?

no its just the way he is, and while SAF is at Utd refs are afraid to book Rooney for dissent bar the odd time because it would result in him getting sent off most games.

Mr Alan

Mr Alan wrote: »

his attack yesterday after he fouled Bosingwa, refs fault?

he was fouled just before that, that's why he was p1ssed off. Not defending it as he shouldn't go mental like that, but to say he just hacked down Bosingwa is wide of the mark.

jesus_thats_gre

Regardless of everything else being argued, nothing can be said to justify Rooney's behavior. He has serious anger management problems and regularly oversteps the mark.

It is obvious that the quality of refereeing is quite poor but all players are at the end of these decisions - not just Wayne Rooney..

There are countless examples of him overstepping the mark. The Aalborg match in the CL recently is the perfect example.

Nothing can justify that kind of thing.

Mr Alan

he did just hack down bosingwa....whether or not he was fouled 1 min or 10mins before is of zero relevence.

Mitch Connor

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/4214075/Rafael-Benitezs-outburst-made-up-of-half-truths-and-disinformation-Football.html

Benitez is an almost compulsive intriguer. He has spent the last year engaged in a loosely concealed attempt to undermine his own chief executive, Rick Parry, employing innuendo and double-speak rather than come out and clearly define his position.

He left Valencia after falling out with the club's sporting director and has continuously tussled for every advantage behind the scenes at Liverpool.

Yet this attack on Ferguson is not the Machiavellian scheme some might attribute to Benitez.

Leaving aside, for a moment, the accusation that Benitez has risen to Ferguson's bait, it is worth examining the validity of Benitez's various accusations. Disinformation and half-truth abound.

Charge 1 "We have seen players sent off at Old Trafford and we do not see our opponents sent off."

There has only been one player sent off at Old Trafford this season. In September, Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz was shown the red card after he went in two-footed on Rodrigo Possebon. The young Brazilian midfielder was lucky to avoid serious injury and both the Boro manager Gareth Southgate and Pogatetz apologised. There can be absolutely no dispute.

Two players have been sent off for the opposition at Anfield this season. Wigan's Luis Antonio Valencia was sent off for two bookings in October in a game that Liverpool won 3-2. His first caution was for encroaching on a free-kick. Here's what Steve Bruce said about it: "I just thought all the little decisions in the second half went Liverpool's way. It's difficult enough coming to Anfield, but you need some fairness and strength. Two minutes after Valencia was dismissed, [Nabil] El Zhar tackled Mario Melchiot in the same way and... nothing. That's what annoys us to."

The other player to be sent off at Anfield? Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United.

Hardly fits Benitez's conspiracy, does it?

Charge 2 "During the respect campaign, and this is a fact, Mr Ferguson was charged by the FA for improper conduct after comments made about Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett. He was not punished. He is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things."

Ferguson was charged for making some pretty pathetic and disparaging remarks about Atkinson after the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth in March.

Carlos Queiroz, his then assistant, was also charged. Both were later cleared by an independent commission, not the FA.

In regards Hackett, Ferguson accused him of being biased towards Chelsea after John Terry's red card against Manchester City was rescinded. Ferguson looked paranoid – the decision to send off Terry had been considered pretty harsh – and not a little self-interested as Terry was freed up to play United. And perhaps the FA's failure to punish Ferguson was a weakness.

But to suggest other managers get punished misses the mark. Everton's David Moyes has been fined £5,000, Phil Brown has been fined £1,000 and Roy Keane received no fine at all relating to charges of improper conduct. All were warned about their future conduct. Joe Kinnear has two charges outstanding.

While this might show that the Respect campaign is a sham, it does not suggest the FA are cracking down on anyone. Not a touchline ban to be seen.

Oh, except for Ferguson, who was given a two-game ban for abusing Mike Dean after a the 4-3 win over Hull in November. He also got a £10,000 fine. So he is the one manager who has been substantially punished by the FA this season.

Charge 3 "Then he was talking about the fixtures. Two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays – and we didn't say anything."

Ferguson's claims of an anti-United bias in the fixture schedule are laughable. But so is Benitez's counter-suggestion that United were favoured in the past. True, Liverpool did play five away fixtures in the early Saturday slot in the 2006-07 season, losing two, winning two and drawing one.

But then United also played five away games for the Saturday matinee audience. Again, Benitez seems to have his facts wrong. He is right that United played more Sunday games that season – nine to Liverpool's five – but they are hardly advantageous if you are playing in the middle of the following week.

Jose Mourinho used to complain that the English league disadvantaged its Champions League competitors by failing to move games that undermined preparation for big ties. But then all teams have been disadvantaged equally.

Few managers take on Ferguson and come off unscathed. Benitez's courage might be applauded if only his claims had more substance. Ferguson is petty and irrational, and he will wind you up until you crack.

kida

Mitch Connor wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/4214075/Rafael-Benitezs-outburst-made-up-of-half-truths-and-disinformation-Football.html

Benitez is an almost compulsive intriguer. He has spent the last year engaged in a loosely concealed attempt to undermine his own chief executive, Rick Parry, employing innuendo and double-speak rather than come out and clearly define his position.

He left Valencia after falling out with the club's sporting director and has continuously tussled for every advantage behind the scenes at Liverpool.

Yet this attack on Ferguson is not the Machiavellian scheme some might attribute to Benitez.

Leaving aside, for a moment, the accusation that Benitez has risen to Ferguson's bait, it is worth examining the validity of Benitez's various accusations. Disinformation and half-truth abound.

Charge 1 "We have seen players sent off at Old Trafford and we do not see our opponents sent off."

There has only been one player sent off at Old Trafford this season. In September, Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz was shown the red card after he went in two-footed on Rodrigo Possebon. The young Brazilian midfielder was lucky to avoid serious injury and both the Boro manager Gareth Southgate and Pogatetz apologised. There can be absolutely no dispute.

Two players have been sent off for the opposition at Anfield this season. Wigan's Luis Antonio Valencia was sent off for two bookings in October in a game that Liverpool won 3-2. His first caution was for encroaching on a free-kick. Here's what Steve Bruce said about it: "I just thought all the little decisions in the second half went Liverpool's way. It's difficult enough coming to Anfield, but you need some fairness and strength. Two minutes after Valencia was dismissed, [Nabil] El Zhar tackled Mario Melchiot in the same way and... nothing. That's what annoys us to."

The other player to be sent off at Anfield? Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United.

Hardly fits Benitez's conspiracy, does it?

Charge 2 "During the respect campaign, and this is a fact, Mr Ferguson was charged by the FA for improper conduct after comments made about Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett. He was not punished. He is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things."

Ferguson was charged for making some pretty pathetic and disparaging remarks about Atkinson after the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth in March.

Carlos Queiroz, his then assistant, was also charged. Both were later cleared by an independent commission, not the FA.

In regards Hackett, Ferguson accused him of being biased towards Chelsea after John Terry's red card against Manchester City was rescinded. Ferguson looked paranoid – the decision to send off Terry had been considered pretty harsh – and not a little self-interested as Terry was freed up to play United. And perhaps the FA's failure to punish Ferguson was a weakness.

But to suggest other managers get punished misses the mark. Everton's David Moyes has been fined £5,000, Phil Brown has been fined £1,000 and Roy Keane received no fine at all relating to charges of improper conduct. All were warned about their future conduct. Joe Kinnear has two charges outstanding.

While this might show that the Respect campaign is a sham, it does not suggest the FA are cracking down on anyone. Not a touchline ban to be seen.

Oh, except for Ferguson, who was given a two-game ban for abusing Mike Dean after a the 4-3 win over Hull in November. He also got a £10,000 fine. So he is the one manager who has been substantially punished by the FA this season.

Charge 3 "Then he was talking about the fixtures. Two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays – and we didn't say anything."

Ferguson's claims of an anti-United bias in the fixture schedule are laughable. But so is Benitez's counter-suggestion that United were favoured in the past. True, Liverpool did play five away fixtures in the early Saturday slot in the 2006-07 season, losing two, winning two and drawing one.

But then United also played five away games for the Saturday matinee audience. Again, Benitez seems to have his facts wrong. He is right that United played more Sunday games that season – nine to Liverpool's five – but they are hardly advantageous if you are playing in the middle of the following week.

Jose Mourinho used to complain that the English league disadvantaged its Champions League competitors by failing to move games that undermined preparation for big ties. But then all teams have been disadvantaged equally.

Few managers take on Ferguson and come off unscathed. Benitez's courage might be applauded if only his claims had more substance. Ferguson is petty and irrational, and he will wind you up until you crack.

ssh - don't bring facts into this

FatherTed

Mr Alan wrote: »

he is right neil, mascherano only went spare after he was sent off. he was not aggressive before. it was silly of him, but he wasnt aggressive before the sending off. he was smiling for a start iirc.



Rooneys behaviour yesterday was far more aggressive & equally as persistant. as well as coming on the back of a tackle deserving a yellow card anyway. Mascheranos came after his team mate was fouled and picked up a yellow card for his troubles.

Again, i am not arguing that what masch did wasnt stupid, but for Rooney to get away with it week after week is favouritism and preferential treatment, there is no other way to describe it.

You need to watch that game again. Mascherano was yapping at the ref throughout the first half. He kept at it and I think the ref just had had enough of him.

Mr Alan

FatherTed wrote: »

You need to watch that game again.

trust me lad, i dont.

_blank_

Mr Alan wrote: »

trust me lad, i dont.

A reply to Mitch's posted article please.

Laughable that it has been ignored thus far tbh.

FatherTed wrote: »

Mascherano was yapping at the ref throughout the first half. He kept at it and I think the ref just had had enough of him.

Fact.

In fact, if you go to that match thread, it's as plain as day what was going on.

Villain

Mitch Connor wrote: »

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/liverpool/4214075/Rafael-Benitezs-outburst-made-up-of-half-truths-and-disinformation-Football.html

Oh dear Rafa's Fhacts don't seem to stand up do they?

Mitch Connor

Des wrote: »

A reply to Mitch's posted article please.

Laughable that it has been ignored thus far tbh.



Fact.

In fact, if you go to that match thread, it's as plain as day what was going on.

Here is another along the same lines:

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/early-doors/article/115807/

When Rafa Benitez began his extraordinary outpouring of Fergie-bashing on Friday, he said he did not want to start any mind games, which is a bit like Hitler saying he didn't want a war as Panzers were rolling into Warsaw.

Benitez said he was interested only in facts. Sadly, even the briefest look at what he actually said reveals that he is to facts what Prince Harry is to race relations.

FICTION 1: "Two years ago we were playing a lot of early kick-offs away on Saturdays when United were playing on Sundays. And we didn't say anything."

FACT 1: Rafael Benitez, September 2007: "We will be talking to the Premier League about this because it is not fair. I don't know if it is possible to change these fixtures in the New Year, but I hope so because, in the last few years, we have played more games on a Saturday than anyone and more away games than anyone. There are too many early kick-offs and I am not pleased about the situation at all."

FICTION 2: "You can see every single week how they put (referees) under pressure, we know this. We have seen it before. We have seen players sent off at Old Trafford and we do not see our opponents sent off."

FACT 2: Opposition players sent off at Old Trafford in the league this season - none. Stoke's Andy Wilkinson is the only player to be sent off against United in the Premier League this season. Opposition players sent off against Liverpool this season - five, including Nemanja Vidic of Manchester United.

FICTION 3: "Now he is complaining about everything, that everybody is against United. But the second half of the season will see them playing at home against all the teams at the top of the table, it is a fantastic advantage."

FACT 3: Last time ED checked everyone had to play everyone else twice - surely the order in which you play your games is irrelevant. And it's not like United covered themselves in glory in their away games against the top four - one point out of nine hardly represents a fantastic advantage.

FICTION 4: "At Christmas, United played on the 29th and the rest of the teams played on the 28th. We were away against Newcastle two days after playing Bolton. They were playing about 40 hours later, they were not complaining then."

FACT 4: United played 31 hours later, but their opponents Middlesbrough also had the benefit of an extra day's rest so it wasn't much help. And Liverpool's game against Newcastle was so one-sided they would have exerted themselves more by staying in and watching Wallace and Gromit. Plus, to be really pedantic, Aston Villa - who are level on points with United - played Hull on Tuesday 30.

FICTION 5: "There are two options if we don't want more problems with fixtures. One is the same as in Spain, the draw for the first part of the league is known, everyone knows which weekend. In the second-half everyone plays the opposite, so you all know."

FACT 5: That wouldn't help at all. You all know your fixtures anyway, and a Spanish system wouldn't stop United playing all of the Big Four at home in the second half of the season.

FICTION 6: "During the Respect campaign - and this is a fact - Mr Ferguson was charged by the FA for improper conduct after comments made about Martin Atkinson and Keith Hackett. He was not punished. He is the only manager in the league that cannot be punished for these things."

FACT 6: Harry Redknapp can also get away with it, having got off scot-free for this pop at Steve Tanner: "He's a poor referee and I've seen him make a mess of so many games. I couldn't even put into words what I thought of his performance. I walked into the referee's room before the game and saw who was refereeing and I knew what was coming. I expected that sort of performance. I've had him before many times and I know what he's like. He's really not good enough."

FICTION 7: "I will be watching United's game with Chelsea. The result does not matter to us, if we win at Stoke that result does not matter."

FACT 7: Sorry, that one was a fact.

Mr Alan

Des wrote: »

A reply to Mitch's posted article please.

Laughable that it has been ignored thus far tbh.

why? its just an article-a journalists opinion.

i agree some of the things Rafa says were a tad hypocritical, i have no issue with that.

I believe the whole reason for Rafas conference was to let Mr Ferguson know that Liverpool are not there to be bullied. Dalglish was the last manager we had who wasnt afraid of Ferguson.

Rafa was showing that he isnt either, that Ferguson should stfu, cause Rafa will bite back.

Hence the reason when Fergie came out and called him disturbed yesterday, Rafa came out and questioned Gills conflict of interest due to his dual roles with the PL & Utd.... its Rafa saying, **** you ferguson, you keep talking about me and my club & i'll talk about you-some of wat i say may be ****e, but i'll point fingers and have the world and its mother watching your club like a hawk.

I for one am delighted about that. We may not win the league this year, but we are fighting for it. Utd fans at the start of the season wouldnt have said we'd be top now, yet we are. We are improving all the time & Rafa is just drawing a line in the sane imo.

*all managers talk ****e Des, Ferguson is the ****ing King of it, so dont be pretending Rafa is letting himself down or any such thing. I firmly believe referees are afraid of SAF and so do a lot of people, Rafa saying that is not a big deal....and the RESPECT campaign is a farce when Rooney is allowed carry on the way he does week in week out. Rafa made a series of very valid points & a couple of ones that were less valid, but i'm ****ing delighted he made every single one of them