post match - Sunderland

[Whirly]

 

[Modo]

All this talk of Johnson but no mention of the one playing on the opposite flank. Didn't do too we'll either imo.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Fl

All this talk of Johnson but no mention of the one playing in the opposite flank. Didn't do too we'll either imo.

flannagan was rubbish for the most part and awful for the goal.

Johnson was much better

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Boss

 

[Wizardry]

I think there were two factors that stopped Liverpool recording a more convincing win. One was external, the other internal.

We tend to assume that in English football, referees aim to be fair and don't exhibit bias to one side or the other. I found Kevin Friend's display quite disturbing as he was clearly trying to help Sunderland. All through the game he was denying Liverpool free kicks for blatant fouls by Sunderland players, but when he had the opportunity he gave Sunderland free kicks for trifling offences.

The second factor was the club's own fault for the mindless pre-match watering of the pitch which always works against us rather than the opposition. In the first half, our forwards were constantly slipping. Even when they didn't actually fall over, their ball control was suffering because of the slippery surface.

I just want to comment on the first factor, Portly. I know I won't get much support on here for this but I loved the approach that Friend took in officiating and thought it went both ways as well. A couple of the efforts of Sturridge; crumpling when he backed into a defender, taking off from a start, touching a leg and dropping like a stone - they made my stomach turn. Then he'd lay there like a piece of plasticine and hold his hands out to the ref for a free. I wish Friend had told him get changed out of his tutu and put on some boots - cause he's supposed to be playing football not participating in charades.

Don't get me wrong, I was screaming at Friend as hard as anyone and, if we'd dropped points, I'd have wanted his head. But the reality was he did the same for both sides and I desperately wanted him or Rodgers to over to some of our players, give them a kick and tell them to swallow some bloody concrete before they pretend they can play football again.

 

[Portly]

I loved the approach that Friend took in officiating and thought it went both ways as well.

It's a phenomenon frequently to be found on this forum, that two people seem to have watched two different matches. This is an extreme example! What I found suspicious about Friend was an accumulation of bad decisions in Sunderland's favour. Liverpool players were continually being hacked down and Friend was continually waving "play on." Yet he was quick to award questionable free kicks against Liverpool players.

Having watched the incident when Santiago Vergini brought Suarez down on TV when I got home from the match, my conclusion was that it should have been a red card, but that it was possible to argue that Brown could potentially have covered for Vergini. That particular decison wasn't enough to condemn Kevin Friend. The problem for me was how many times he ignored fouls against our players which really did seem to indicate partiality.

Sturridge does sometimes go down too easily, but I didn't notice that at the Sunderland game.

 

[Wizardry]

For Sturridge I think you need go no further than his first free kick. I think this counted against him for future decisions as he should have been carded for simulation.

 

[Hansern]

It's a phenomenon frequently to be found on this forum, that two people seem to have watched two different matches. This is an extreme example! What I found suspicious about Friend was an accumulation of bad decisions in Sunderland's favour. Liverpool players were continually being hacked down and Friend was continually waving "play on." Yet he was quick to award questionable free kicks against Liverpool players.

Having watched the incident when Santiago Vergini brought Suarez down on TV when I got home from the match, my conclusion was that it should have been a red card, but that it was possible to argue that Brown could potentially have covered for Vergini. That particular decison wasn't enough to condemn Kevin Friend. The problem for me was how many times he ignored fouls against our players which really did seem to indicate partiality.

Sturridge does sometimes go down too easily, but I didn't notice that at the Sunderland game.

Vergini should have gotten his second yellow for that tackle on Suarez later on anyway imho.
Friend was horrendous.