Liverpool FC Thread: Numero Deux

[Crimey]

First topic message reminder :

For all Liverpool's based discussion.

If you're here just to wind Liverpool fans up, don't bother posting.

[Guest]

Suarez commits an "atrocity" by biting another player but leaving no visible injuries and the world goes crazy. Robert Huth deliberately stamps on Suarez's chest leaving visible marks and no-one says diddly squat. Fernando Torres deliberately elbows Jamie Carragher in the face and no-one says diddly squat.

"It's a funny old game innit!"

[Mat]

I think Suarez will probably get 4 games, to rule him out for the rest of the season. Will probably be considered enough punishment.

[Crimey]

I think Suarez will probably get 4 games, to rule him out for the rest of the season. Will probably be considered enough punishment.

I'm expecting 5 games I reckon, anything more than that is a bit extreme.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Sky Sports News ‏@SkySportsNews
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez banned for 10 games #SSN

[Kenny]

Liverpool FC will wait for the written judgement regarding why the ban is 10 games before deciding on whether to appeal .

[Guest]

10 games. Think the F.A have decided to clamp down on this repeat offender. Maybe too excessive but his behaviour was disgusting and hopefully, this time, he will learn but I doubt it. Certainly a blow for Liverpool next season, where Rodgers would have wanted a quick start.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Hopefully Norwich play Liverpool in the first 6 games next season

[Stella]

10 games?

They must have taken his past into account. If not then stamping, racism, elbowing, and career threatening challenges are better.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

10 games?

They must have taken his past into account. If not then stamping, racism, elbowing, and career threatening challenges are better.

Like Crimey said earlier, with Barton's ban it was long, cos of past offences.

Same with Ashley Barnes of Brighton, got extra games for repeat offences.

Hopefully this will deter him from doing anything stupid in the future

[Fernando]

I'll be very surprised if Liverpool don't appeal this 10 matches is a joke

[Kenny]

I will look at this from a different point of view

If there is no appeal and the ban is 10 games , or if there is an appeal and the ban is increased . Then that makes it even more important that the owners strengthen the attacking options ( which i think they would of done anyway to an extent ) , it also opens up the possibility of Andy Carroll being given another chance .

[Guest]

10 games?

They must have taken his past into account. If not then stamping, racism, elbowing, and career threatening challenges are better.

And the next six years of his football career?

[Guest]

I will look at this from a different point of view

If there is no appeal and the ban is 10 games , or if there is an appeal and the ban is increased . Then that makes it even more important that the owners strengthen the attacking options ( which i think they would of done anyway to an extent ) , it also opens up the possibility of Andy Carroll being given another chance .

Ah, Andy Carroll the ex-girlfriend beating, heavy drinking, under-trainer. Can't see any potential discipline problems there whatsoever.

All we need to do know is sign Zidane!!!!!!!

[Duty281]

Well done FA! Hard line as expected. Now get a drink, and read this on the Liverpool forum, effing hilarious!

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=470f2938544149e86455962d2ebb472c&topic=305346.0

[Guest]

I supposed we should just be grateful Suarez didn't bite a black player.

[lorus59]

It had to be a lengthy ban to try (not necessary succeed) and knock some sense into his thick skull. He is very talented player but there has to be a screw loose.

[owen10ozzy]

Well done FA?

For once again showing inconsistency in it's handing out of punishments.

I don't for one second condone what Luis Suarez has done, and do think he deserves a lengthy ban...however this is once again just a chance for those at the FA to make themselves seem like a prevalent and important part of the game when in fact they are truly dinosaurs who only ever jump on the punishment bandwagon when it suits them and gives them a chance to make the headlines.

Jermaine Defoe had no retrospective action for a similar action against Mascherano. He received a yellow card and no further action was taken...and don't give me the whole 'oh but it had been dealt with' therefore the FA could do nothing. When they wish to deal with things retrospectively they do! That old facet is nothing more than excuse to make their jobs at headquarters easier. A law within the game which means they can simple bypass any arguments that may arise over poor refereeing decisions.

The fact that this ban is longer than those which both Luis Suarez and John Terry received for racial abuse is in itself an example of how absurd the laws of the game have become and how far football is from reality.

Yes the excuses will be that this ban takes into account previous behaviour, but then again isn't that a hypocrisy in itself given that the FA refuse to deal with incidents which have already been dealt with during a game? Surely if they are going by that standard then his actions during his time at Ajax, where he did a similar things, should not be taken into account...nor his previous actions in a Liverpool shirt where he has already been punished?

You need more examples of the shocking consistency of the FA....just 2 years ago the FA decided to send a team of 4 lawyers to UEFA in attempt to get a a 3 match ban reduced for Mr Wayne Rooney who had seen red for KICKING A PLAYER in a game against Montenegro....thats right folks he committed an action which falls under violent conduct (the exact same thing Suarez has been guilty of) ...lest we forget it wasn't the first time Rooney did this...Portugal 2006?! That means strike 2 for Rooney for the exact same offence..instead of harsh words and further action the FA said 'woah woah' this isn't fair...quick get the lawyers to UEFA and get that ban reduced...why? Because it suited their agenda of ensuring he didn't miss all the group games at EURO 2012...it was a chance to get some headlines and positive spin for an governing body which no one cares for.....

It's not just the FA either...fans, manager and people associated with clubs across the world are having their say...

Calls for Suarez to be banned from football altogether....sold out of English football to protect the integrity of this league (what integrity I am quite unsure of)...

Were Arsenal fans calling for Adams to be sacked or sold after his drink driving offences?

Where were the chants for Eric Cantona to be sold upon his return from prison for attacking a fan...nowhere...in fact he was welcomed back with open arms and is now heralded as KING Cantona at Old Trafford.

Luis Suarez antics are nothing short of atrocious and his ban is more than justified....the problem though is that it is being handed out by an association who themselves have no morals and lack the consistency to punish everyone effectively and deservedly unless it so suits them and there own agenda...

I do actually feel for foreign players who are dealt with in a much harsher manner than there English counterparts.

[Guest]

He was always going to get around 10 games. Even ignoring his his past disciplinary action with our FA, he was punished with 7 games by the Dutch FA for this same offence, he was never going to get less than what they had suspended him for, and its only fair that the ban is increased for the repeat offence of biting

Completely justified I think

[dummy_half]

Ozzy

The Defoe incident really wasn't the FAs fault , but was a failure by the referee to send Defoe off. OK, you can argue about the legitimacy of the rule that prevents them reassessing incidents seen by the match officials, but there was no inconsistency of application there.

Also, I suspect Suarez would only have got 4 or 5 games if his record was otherwise good, but as he already has a serious rap sheet there was no real choice but to give him a long ban.

As for your suggestion that foreign players get more harshly treated than English ones, the BBC story on Suarez's ban includes a list of the longest bans given by the FA - Cantona and Bosnich both banned for 9 months, Rio for 8 months for his missed drugs test (should have been 2 years under WADA guidelines, but that was one they fudged - then again same with Bosnich), Joey Barton for 12 games, Di Canio 11 and David Prutton 10. Generally there doesn't look to be much favouritism going on there.

OK, you can make a case that some bans relating to more 'footballing' offences (Roy Keane for one) have been too lenient, but I don't think many (other than some blinkered LFC fans) would consider Suarez's 10 games as ridiculously harsh.

If I was a representative of Liverpool FC, I'd be saying to Suarez 'don't appeal, just keep your head down and work hard in training. Come back strong next year. Oh, and no more stupidity, we've had enough bad publicity over the last couple of seasons.'

[Atila]

10 games is about right. For me, the bigger issue is what the hell is going through his mind when he does this s#*t? He's got to know that it's going to be caught on camera or that someone is going to see him and report him.

[LivinginItaly]

I hope we don't appeal against the ban. We need to just accept it and move on. We have had too much negative publicity recently. One more controversial incident and he should be shown the door, nobody is bigger or more important than the club.

[Fernando]

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has called the FA’s decision to ban Luis Suarez for 10 games 'absurd and unfair' after the Uruguay striker was banned for 10 games by an FA disciplinary panel yesterday for his bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

Reina told Spanish radio Cadena Cope: 'I consider myself a friend of Luis. People in England are treating him different because he is Uruguayan; because he has had a previous episode like this.

Asked if the tough line taken should not be applauded when compared with other football associations that might turn a blind eye to such incidents Reina said: “Yes, but there is a lot of hypocrisy. Some players are treated differently to others. In the racism cases – one with proof got four games and Luis got eight matches.'

Reina told the programme El Partido de las 12: 'I am not justifying what he did but the punishment is very disproportionate. He knows he was in the wrong, he knows he has made a mistake but the treatment is completely out of place.'

Asked if there was a precedent of punishment for players biting he added: 'Yes, and the player got just a yellow card. They were other times and it seems there is a rule that if the referee has seen it then nothing further can be done. He was an English player I think and the treatment was different.'

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I think it'd be good for the Liverpool players just to not comment on this and get on with it.

[Hulking_up]

Hey, at least Borini is a possibility for the Newcastle game.

[Guest]

Borini, the guy whose goal celebration mimics a pirate grasping a cutlass between his teeth. Essentially it looks like Borini is biting his own hand which will undoubtedly be taken as Borini supporting Suarez's cannibalistic tendencies.

The only saving grace is that Borini is unlikely to score!

[Kenny]

Roll on saturday so we can get back to football

[shivfan]

Suarez gets an eight-match ban for racially abusing Evra....

He gets a 10-match ban for a bite on Ivanovic....

I can see which offence the FA thinks is the more serious one.

[dummy_half]

Suarez gets an eight-match ban for racially abusing Evra....

He gets a 10-match ban for a bite on Ivanovic....

I can see which offence the FA thinks is the more serious one.

Shiv
You're making that way too simplistic - he was given an 8 match ban and warned about his future conduct for the Evra incident. I think give the weight of evidence, that ban was fairly justificable (although I wouldn't say the same about John Terry getting away with only 4 matches for his racism ban - should have been at least equal to Suarez's).

I reckon without the previous disciplinary issues, Suarez would have got something like 5 or 6 weeks for the biting, but given that he was on a warning plus he has form for this in Holland, the FA had no choice but to throw the book at him.

[Crimey]

I do agree with Rodgers that perhaps the best form of ban would have been a 6 game ban + 6 suspended. That way you punish him severely, but also give him the incentive to improve his behaviour.

It's also a joke that David Cameron has waded in.

[Stella]

I do agree with Rodgers that perhaps the best form of ban would have been a 6 game ban + 6 suspended. That way you punish him severely, but also give him the incentive to improve his behaviour.

It's also a joke that David Cameron has waded in.

Nothing wrong with that? What do you expect him to do, sort out unemployment, wars etc?

[dummy_half]

Crimey

Absolutely agree that Cameron (or any other politician) should just keep quiet on this. It is not a matter of national importance, just the behaviour of a very silly young man.

If it was a first serious offence then the idea of a ban + suspended ban would make more sense, but LS was apparently warned about his future conduct as part of the Evra suspension, so while not quantified as a suspended ban the effect was similar. And yet despite that he decided to do something as stupid as try to bite an opposing player.

I think the FA have handled this case reasonably well - the punishment is harsh but doesn't to me seem ludicrously disproportionate given Suarez's history. Less than 7 games (same as his biting ban from the Dutch FA) and they would look weak, while something like a 6 month ban would have looked seriously over the top (yes, he bit Ivanovic, but he didn't cause significant damage - not exactly Mike Tyson taking a chunk out of Holyfield's ear*).

LFC should shut up about Suarez being victimised - no one made him bite Ivanovic**, so how can you place the blame elsewhere?

* Something like that and I think at least a full season ban woud be justified.

** There is one pro sportsperson called Ivanovic I'd like to sink my teeth in to, but she doesn't play in Chelsea's defence

[Crimey]

How do people think we should line up tomorrow in the first of ten games without Suarez?

I'd go for:

-----------Sturridge----

Coutinho----------------Sterling

--------------Henderson---------

-------Lucas--------------Gerrard

Enrique--Agger-Carra--Johnson

-------------Reina--------------

I think if we select Sterling over Downing it gives a lot more forward emphasis. While Downing has had a decent season, I think he does tend to drop a lot deeper than Sterling does and this could leave us with very little impetus in attack.

[MIG]

I don't like that lineup Crimey. I think it's lacking a bit of bite up front.

[John Cregan]

Why shouldn't the Prime Minister say something. He's the elected head of Government. This is an issue about a major sports star in the country and fair play to the PM for giving his view.

Liverpool have been awfully quiet after the written reasons came out.

Suarez bizarre request for a 3 game ban only goes to show what a nasty deluded character he is.

Liverpool, as a club,have come out of this very poorly in defending him......

[lfc91]

John i think it is Because he 'should' have more important things to worry about what with the dire position the economy is in coupled with the fact north korea are threatening to fire nuclear weapons(regardless of how likely or unlikely that actually is). All in all i think the point people are trying to make is that with all these very important things taking place globally, the actions of an idiotic footballer in a game where 22 men chase a ball around a pitch, should be of little concern to him. However making a comment on the suarez incident is a nice way to try and take the publics mind of the real issues, which explains way he decided to get involved at all.

[lfc91]

Crimey i think these last few games should be used to build towards next season as we are pretty much resigned to 7th. With that in mind i would also leave carra out as he wont be here next year! However to be honest i think i would rather see carra play all remaining games, the mans a true legend!

[John Cregan]

How do people think we should line up tomorrow in the first of ten games without Suarez?

I'd go for:

-----------Sturridge----

Coutinho----------------Sterling

--------------Henderson---------

-------Lucas--------------Gerrard

Enrique--Agger-Carra--Johnson

-------------Reina--------------

I think if we select Sterling over Downing it gives a lot more forward emphasis. While Downing has had a decent season, I think he does tend to drop a lot deeper than Sterling does and this could leave us with very little impetus in attack.

Sturridge in Goals?
The rest looks like an Ossie Ardiles formation!

[GSC]

Reina
Johnson-Carra-Agger-Enrique
Gerrard-Lucas
Henderson
Sterling-------------Coutinho
Sturridge

Centralising makes everything better!

[Guest]

Don't see many goals in that Liverpool side without Suarez. I think today's got a low scoring draw written all over it. Cisse is appaling for us and needs at least five chances before he gets warmed up. Ben Arfa's not fully fit and Cabaye's looked jaded in recent weeks. We're not in good form and I would take a draw.

[Crimey]

Roberto Mancini is planting the seeds for a summer bid for Suarez by claiming he's still his player of the year.

I agree John, 0-0 or 1-1 draw I reckon. I can't see the Liverpool players having the motivation to really go for it.

[Crimey]

Newcastle: Elliot, Debuchy, Steven Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara, Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye, Perch, Gutierrez, Cisse. Subs: Harper, Williamson, Anita, Ben Arfa, Gouffran, Gosling, Ameobi.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Henderson, Gerrard, Lucas, Coutinho, Sturridge, Downing. Subs: Jones, Coates, Borini, Suso, Shelvey, Skrtel, Wisdom.

[Hulking_up]

Hey, at least Borini is a possibility for the Newcastle game.

Called it

[Guest]

Hey, at least Borini is a possibility for the Newcastle game.

Called it

[lfc91]

Good game, great result! Credit to the team with everything thats happened this week theyve played very well and got a big win.

[Guest]

We all know what the headline'll be dont we.

Luis who?

[mystiroakey]

Beat me to it...

[Kenny]

At times we played some fantastic football on saturday , Coutinho looks like he is settling in nicely and if teams give him time on the ball he has the brain to tare them apart .

Watched the game while away for the weekend in a bar with 6 Newcastle fans , well it started out as 6 but by half time was down to 4 and with twenty minutes to go ended up with 1 . Got to say they were great company despite their team losing .

Crimey
I think i read Sterling wont play again this season ?

[Kenny]

Jamie Carragher will join the Sky Sports punditry team for the 2013/14 season.

[Crimey]

Crimey
I think i read Sterling wont play again this season ?

Yeah I forgot about that, I think he has a shoulder injury. Realised when he wasn't even on the bench.

Jamie Carragher will join the Sky Sports punditry team for the 2013/14 season.

Ends the rumours that he was going to stick around. Carragher vs. Neville

[Kenny]

I think the problem with Sterling is the tear in his thigh , i read the medically staff have advised rest or it could get bigger and shorten his career .

So makes sense resting him and getting him fit for next season , plus if we dont play him through injury he shouldn't be picked for England or the U21s

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