Oh god I can't stop laughing.

Serilusly? 90 times out of 100 the front foot makes contact with the player in possession of the ball. It wasn't the bookable offence. The trailing leg made it an issue, and even then it was a yellow. How you can send off Spearing for that and not even book Riise for clattering Suarez 2 minutes later is laughable. The ref's performance in the game was an absolute joke.

First loss in 'ages' and it's arguably the easiest game we've got in a bloody easy run of games in december. Fucking debacle.

His front foot lands flush on Dembele's ankle, studs up, from a diving tackle. How is that not a red?

The more you look at those pictures the worse the tackle looks tbh. Just look how far off the ground he is.

Tbh that red card will probably be one of the easiest calls that referee will make all season.

was just about to say that. i still dont think its a red, but it does look very very bad form those pics.

Easily a red, couldve done way more damage.

The photos make it look much worse than it was.

:lol: They don't actually, it looks just as bad on video.

In the photos it looks like he's goes studs first into Dembele's ankle. Low and behold it's the same thing on a a video replay. Yes he gets the ball, but that becomes irrelevant once he goes flying studs first into Dembele. It was a stupid challenge, and once you are off the ground completely and go studs first into someones ankle you can have absolutely no complaints about being sent off.



Edited by sydneycroatia58: 7/12/2011 03:47:21 PM

It says a lot about how the sport's becoming more and more pussy over recent years that a strong challenge like that has people up in arms.

The biggest problem is that they're so inconsistent with bookings. A straight red for that when Riise should have been shown a yellow a dozen times is a joke.

#-o You can't be serious. Jumping in like that with your studs up and making contact with the opposition player's ankle like that is always going to land you in some sort of trouble, be that a red, yellow or stern telling off, but it's always been the case and always will.

The problem with a 'strong' challenge like that is that it quite easily could've ended up much much worse for Dembele.

I don't consider Spearing's tackle a string tackle. It's a stupid challenge that was reckless and dangerous and deserved a red card

[youtube]8-L_OoNKDC0[/youtube]

... Are we all done now? :lol:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Just seen Afro's thoughts on the tackle.

All the referee had to do was use common sense. No Fulham player even appealed for a foul. If the ref allowed play to go on, nobody would even be talking about the incident.

And that's exactly what the referee did do.

I don't think we'd even be talking about it if the ref had been consistent in his decisions through the game. Riise clattering Suarez within 10 minutes to not even a yellow card makes it even worse.

Well Luis has been charged for the gesture, which I guess is kinda understandable

BUT LFC have also been charged with improper conduct for how we surrounded the ref after Jay's red. Are you fucking kidding me!?!?! You see clubs do this thing all the fucking time, surround the ref when things don't go their way. To charge us for it is absolutely ludicrous.

:roll: another week of Liverpool hate from the FA.

I agree it is ridiculous, but it's not often you see a ref surrounded like this

A few players did come in contact with the ref more than once. What's that about don't lay your hands on the ref. Understandable.

If that's the case then the ref should be punished for losing control of the game, really.

Was that your opinion when Chelsea did something similar in the ECL v Barca?

Poor taste. But I wouldn't have been punishing the players. IIRC the ref WAS disciplined in that?

I fail to see where he lost control of the match though. Everything was fine until Spearing flew in, where most can see why a red was given. The ref dealt with it and the Liverpool players surrounded him and continued to make contact with the ref. Hardly a result of losing control of the game.

it's not often players get sent off for winning the ball either

But you do see players get sent off very often for going studs up into a players ankle, just like Spearing did.

A question for you (and Afro, or any other supporters defending Spearing's tackle because he won the ball), what do you think of this tackle?

[youtube]ZkBfsNlBEaY[/youtube]

:lol: good find Funky

Nothing wrong with it. Shouldn't have been sent off

:lol: Do you understand that just because you may win the ball, doesn't make the tackle ok.