Liverpool FC Team Talk, Gossip, Rumours 2024/25

Yeah, i'd be of the same mind - I don't think they're actually being bribed, but it's an obvious conflict of interest. Like, not only are they doing nixers in the UAE, but the league itself is literally called the ADNOC Pro League. Who's a key board member of ADNOC? Unsurprisingly, it's Man City's owner.

So a PL club's owner happens to be both vice president of the UAE and a key figure at the UAE league's main sponsor, a league which happens to pay PL refs to fly out for side hustles. Like, how did that possibly pass any sort of scrutiny to be green lit?! Even if everything is entirely above board, and the thought of jeopardizing those handy paydays doesn't enter their minds when reffing Man City games, it looks absolutely horrendous.

Interesting video.

Ya shady is right, it's blatant conflict of interest at very least, not hearing too much on media about kovavic as arsenal won last Sunday but imagine they lost and he scored and assisted in winner. Arsenal got screwed but they at least won whereas we got screwed and lost

Yeah, but it's sorted now, only Liverpool got clearly shafted by these junkets.

The 30 games left in the season they can pretend they aren't influenced by freebies from the UAE.

But as pointed out that doesn't explain the Kovacic lack of red.

You could definitely propose a clear and debatable conspiracy theory about it.

I hate Webb intensely. He's not been brought back to sort out PGMOL but to put an eloquent, smooth spin on everything they do as a body. He's an acceptable face for Sky Sports and he's not going to be thrown to the lions by Owen, another acceptable face for same.

Also, the guy who let the De Jong tackle go in a WC final is certainly not going to call the Kovacic tackle a red. I hate spin in all aspects of life but employing someone to explain away a tackle like that on Sunday as a non-red is another reason to switch off analysis of games these days.

I've said it before but I fully expect to be sitting around in 20-30 years time watching documentaries about how the English officials have been on the take for years now. It literally explains everything. What we see week in week out is beyond incompetence.

Ah, I dunno. The City lads don't get involved with the game in the Emirate really. They would have nothing to to with paying or entertaining the referees in UAE Sure didn't the City lads let their then manager Mancini go to UAE to coach one of the local teams when he was in charge there, and the City club had nothing to do with that, or how he was paid or anything, it was all done locally. There was nothing untoward involved in that, nothing corrupt anyway that anyone could see..........

Nothing it see here, move along 🙄

It's possible that word "off" relates to switching off the link from the VAR team to the Ref as that's the point their connection to him ends. If it is it's not the best choice of words should be "over and out" or something like that but these guys clearly didn't put much thought into their communication protocol

The issue with potential bribing of referees is that it doesn’t even have to be done by someone associated with the club they want the officials to favour. It could be related to betting, in which case there would probably be no direct connection to either team.

Exactly, the offer of extra employment is enough.

You get overtime, the other guy doesn't. A bit of gentle banter around Newcastle and the seed is planted.

If it’s a dislocated shoulder for Robbo it’s probably after Christmas until he’s back. Just have to hope it’s not as bad as it looked.

Ya if that's the case it's not great, I was just saying during the week that Robbo has not been at it this season, but unfortunately the only player in worse form that him is the Greek! This could force Klopps hand to go with 3 centre backs and have TAA fully in the inverted role, a bit like the way Arsenal and City set up.

I've said it before. The combination of arrogance and stupidity is a lethal combination.

Seems to be rampant amongst Webb's clan.

Like that clip a few pages back where Merson is losing it with Dermot Gallagher I think it was where Gallagher is dismissively saying that Merson doesn't know the rules blah blah, well someone should explain the offside rule to Dermot Gallagher and what a goal is while their at it...the arrogant smug prick!!

How you can be more worried about enforcing a tiny little rule that hardly anyone even knows exists than giving a bloody goal (essentially the first rule that was ever made about football) is beyond me....well it's not beyond me actually, those refs are wealthier as a result no doubt

Moved from 5.30 to 12.30 too.

It's the South American travel really that is difficult as they play Wednesday morning there and then have to play have to play Saturday morning again.

Man City have 2 South Americans, Liverpool have 4.

So many of our key players coming in from such a completely different time zone really is a hindrance though. We saw it in the last one of these, with Diaz and Nunez not able to start, and Mac Allister starting but looking absolutely mentally wrecked and getting hooked after having a mare.

Coming from that direction back to Europe is just really tough (i do it a lot), your body and brain just haven't got a clue what's going on for a few days.

So it's the good-bad, and not the bad-bad?!

Henderson getting a rough time off the England fans ....such a spectacular fall from grace, although I'm sure a few laps in his pool of gold coins will help ease the pain 🙄

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/oct/13/it-defies-logic-southgate-defends-henderson-after-wembley-boos

They're pinning it on the safety of supporters. Go for 2pm Sunday if that's the case, but I don't see how this game is any more dangerous than any other?

You reckon? I think the gap between Robbo and Tsimikas is absolutely enormous. Robbo's form has been up and down in the last 12 months, sure, but he's way ahead of Tsimikas. Big blow if he's out for a prolonged period.

I would suspect that Robbo will target the Man City game in 6 weeks time to return, without knowing the severity.

Personally, I'm fine with Tsimikas playing the league games until then as the fixtures are more favourable than the last few weeks, no disrespect intended but Brighton Spurs games etc are tougher than Forest & Everton.

The issue I have is that Tsimikas can't play every game so who plays LB now in the cup and Europa league?