They always count season ticket holders as attending, whether they do or not. They never announce gate numbers. Important when negotiating deals with noodle partners
So Liverpool are top? For a few hours at least. Good to see someone giving City a run, even if it is the scousers 😉
Meanwhile, the comedy continues at OT. Jose has reinstated Lukaku in the starting line up. Obviously a must after his brilliant substitutes performances the other night. And loads of other changes, as usual. He appears to be picking the names for the starting line up out of a hat
And it sounds like he's getting his excuses in early for the potential of another 0-0 draw
The boys are doing brilliantly.nim not directly can beat City overall, but damn it's good to see!
Well I didn't expect it to be going this shade of blue!! Phil Foden for a hatrick?
Is Salah still a one season wonder?
I think it depends who you support....
Just seeing that for the first time a team has had 3 bookings in a game for ‘simulation’, but let’s call it what it is... diving
Arsenal, obviously. I commented on it having watched the game on Wednesday. It was absolutely shameless! Blatant! They were doing it left, right and centre, but the referee was hopeless so they got away with it!
It’s clear that that is now a strategy for them. Throw yourself at the floor when anyone comes near you. Trying to out-Neymar Neymar
You’re better than that, surely? Because nothing pisses everyone off more than watching people blatantly diving? Another one of the reason everyone hates PSG.
Arsenal are presently in the same league.
Retrospective punishment would soon eradicate most of it.
So what do we make of Sterlings comments, bang to rights IMO on the two stories he highlighted and the different representation of two pretty identical scenarios.
With Sterling himself, I think a lot of the initial criticism he got was due to some rather bitter ex liverpool players come pundits declaring open day on him because he dared to want to move to city. But even long after that the criticism he gets is ridiculous.
Well home from a chilly evening at St Jamse's Park, little it of an awesome moment as what looked like the big flag of old was passed across the top of us in the east stand, only problem was with a few too many empty seats it was making tough progress!!
As for the game it was a tough one, Wolves had a full compliment of away fans up the top and with talks of the boycott it was a bit of a quiet start. Even quieter when we went one behind but right on cue Perez got called useless and scored 😉
Awaiting MOTD2 for my verdict on the sending off and the elbow but we worked for a point there at least.
Going to be a tough season until/unless the ownership changes, the mood was very grim at times.
sending off probably correct, it was a clear chance for a shot and even if the defender had got across then it would have left another attacker clear for the ball rolled across.
Elbow - not correct; at the time I thought it was an honest clash, on replay it was quite nasty. Penalty and red card IMHO. We need VAR
Be interesting, just seen they had 5 bookings, lots of niggly stuff, we were just waiting for him to forget he had already booked one of them and show a second yellow.
Agree with you MSP re Sterling. Not sure a white player would have got so much flak for the transfer to City. Liverpool were dire at the time, he left the season after the near miss - why wouldn't you want to go there? They're all stinking rich anyway and I do believe it was more about ambition than cash. I guess it did drag out for a long time, possibly explaining some of the bitterness.
Agree with you MSP re Sterling. Not sure a white player would have got so much flak for the transfer to City
Couldn't disagree more. Sterling wasn't given stick because he was black, he was given stick because he was an ungrateful sod. It was the way he did it, not the fact he did it...
Sterling was given flack because Liverpool, their supporters and the many many pundits can't stand it when players leave for a better club. They still believe that Liverpool are the biggest club in England, but prior to Klopp's arrival they would be a top 4 side at best. He left when after finishing 2nd the previous year and losing Suarez they then finished outside the top 4.
If he was there now I doubt very much he'd leave no matter how much money City offered him. Yet because he had the cheek to leave to want to win trophies he was labelled greedy.
They still believe that Liverpool are the biggest club in England
Not exactly... but fans do believe they're a massive club and respect is deserved. I can't comprehend why he left for city though, Madrid, Barca, etc of course...
I can’t comprehend why he left for city though
Really?
Do you think the next step up from Liverpool is Barca or Real Madrid? At the time the next step was City, Chelsea, Man U or even Arsenal (at least then they were consistently in the top 4). Liverpool at the time very rarely made it into the top 4 and other than the season they finished 2nd weren't ever close to challenging for the league.
Do you think the next step up from Liverpool is Barca or Real Madrid
Yes, 100% in my mind. I only see them 2, plus possibly Bayern (usually, not this year possibly) as 'bigger' and a step up. I was equally bemused when Torres left for Chelsea, despite the fact he won trophies there so could be argued he was proved right.
I was equally bemused when Torres left for Chelsea, despite the fact he won trophies there so could be argued he was proved right.
So I guess Stirling has proved you wrong too? As said above at the time he left it was easily a step up and has really helped him achieve his potential. I'd also suggest taking a listen to the Peter crouch podcast on transfers.
In terms of 'big clubs' I'd agree weeksy, but players are hardly gonna admit they're chasing money are they?.
So I guess Stirling has proved you wrong too?
In the context of winning trophies, players could have left for Leicester and done better 🙂
did Sterling prove me right... well, i still personally don't believe City are a bigger club. However, since they've now got Guardiola they are without doubt a footballing force to be rekon'd with. Does that make them 'bigger' Hmmm not IMO. They're still behind Liverpool, Arsenal and Utd in that book if you ask me, they're level with Chelsea and Spurs, maybe just edging them.
Come back to me in 5 years and they've won a Champions League or 2, then the answer will be different. But at the moment, they're still Tier2 in the big club context in my book.
The world of course is changing massively in this scenario though as with most countries, there's the up and down. Utd are in decline (maybe short term, maybe long, who knows) and Spurs are doing really well generally... but doesn't necessarily change their place in the grand scheme of things.
Of course, in this discussion i do have a massive Liverpool bias.... so take all of this how you like 🙂
Liverpool might like to think it’s a big club but they differ from both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelski, and even Leicester and Blackburn in one quite significant way...
😉
At the time Sterling was at Liverpool they finished 8th, 7th, 2nd and 6th. Where as Man City has finished 1st, 2nd, 1st , 2nd. Yes Liverpool have a fantastic history, but then you couldn't compare them to Man City, who were signing some of the best players in the world where Liverpool had just sold their best player in Suarez and replaced him with Ricky Lambert and Mario Ballotelli. So if Man City come in for you and you are ambitious why wouldn't you go and make a load of extra cash too.
Oh look, there’s binners using a row about racism to wash some sand out of his fanny regarding Liverpool. Not for the first time either.
Ok, taking the discussion away from Sterling himself, how about his comments on media representation, his example seem pretty solid
MSP, do you mean the part about the 2 players who've bought houses for load of cash ? i've never heard of Adarabioyo but i've heard of Foden (only once though) but i have no idea if they're black or white.... Nor do i think it changes the context of the discussion on them buying £2m houses.
Reading the 2 headlines i can't see how it's wrong, Foden is thought of and regarded of as a Star in the making, of that it's been spoken about by Guardiola... so he gets that associated to him. The other kid, i don't know... but that's kinda the point, if he's not regarded as a star, why would he be referred to as one ? I certainly don't think it's because he's black ! It's ridiclous to me that anyone would take that away from them 2 headlines/articles.
this young black kid is looked at in a bad light, which helps fuel racism and aggressive behaviour
Does it really ? Honestly ? In what world ? That's completely bananas IMO.
2 kids with bright futures but houses for their mums, are reported very differently, the white kids done good for his mum, the black kid is “splashing the cash”. Can you really not see that?
IMO the only thing is the example representative or not.
How does the reader know which is black and which is white ? I don't know if Foden is a black kid... It would be a reasonable assumption to know the other kid is though due to his spelling. Lets assume for a second the first kid was still black but called bobby naysmith, would it still have the same spin on it that you think it has ?
I reading the 'headlines' time and time again and keep going back to it... but i'm honestly not seeing what (and him) are seeing.
It is interesting how our biases work. Last night I was on a train, 6 white kids, possibly students, little bit pissed and boisterous, I was thinking if they get any louder I will have a word. If they were black I doubt I would have been thinking of telling them to quite down.
It doesn’t matter if you know if they are black or white, the writer knows and has written different stories for the same event.
How does the reader know which is black and which is white ? I don’t know if Foden is a black kid… It would be a reasonable assumption to know the other kid is though due to his spelling. Lets assume for a second the first kid was still black but called bobby naysmith, would it still have the same spin on it that you think it has ?
Talk about missing the point - one headline is written in a manner that is very much designed to make the reader take a dislike to the person it's written about, the other is written to make it seem like he's doing a generous thing.
Both the stories are essentially the same, the difference being the footballers colour.
Talk about missing the point
Or maybe you're reading more into it than necessary ?
Or maybe you’re reading more into it than necessary ?
Yeah course that is it.... Whereas most people seem to be spotting a problem there. We can choose to ignore it or confront it.
I agree with the main thrust of Sterling's complaint, but I don't agree with the Foden thing. Foden is three years younger & is touted as The Next Big Thing. He has played for City in the League & impressed when he has done so. I've never heard of Adarabioyo. He is playing for a Championship side & he may or may not go on to have a decent Premiership career. But he's not (yet) a star. Foden is. The 'story' is about how a potential journeyman pro is so well paid. If the roles had been reversed & Foden was black & getting stick then I would completely agree that the motive was racist. I don't think you can unequivocally say it is in this case.
Oh look, there’s binners using a row about racism to wash some sand out of his fanny regarding Liverpool. Not for the first time either.
Can't be long til ManU are referred to as 'the old lady of Manchester', used to be a looker, but now just flashes a long since faded ankle to anyone passing...
Can't see them making the top four so unless they win the thing this year (😂) there'll be no Champions League next year. Jose will be sacked if they don't make top 4 and someone else will get a go of spunking £300m and complaining he's got no decent centre halves.
I’ve heard many a Liverpool fan in support of Sterling. I heard John Barnes on 5live today who talked about this being a problem in society not football; and I think he’s right, to a point. Football creates a fanaticism and some of the less smart and humanistic parts of peoples thinking spill out in thoughtless words and aggressive behaviour. It’s totally unacceptable in today’s society. Think what you will but it seems obvious to me that it’s the same story promoted nagatively towards the black man and positively toward the white.
Incidentally, when Sterling left for City it was more the way he did it after years of development, bbc interview etc., that got most supporters backs up. He has developed well under Guardiola, moreso this season with better finishing, but he’s not replicated that at international level.
PS Mourinho can stay forever as far as I’m concerned as if they get a coach that can unleash the forwards, they’ll be a different prospect. Just my tuppence
Binners - you all strapped in for one of those 'special Anfield European nights?' 4-2 Liverpool.
Oh goodie! I do love a calm, measured informed and impartial Steve McMannoman commentary.
I’m hoping two nil Napoli just so I don’t have to listen to him celebrating any goals.
Should be a great game this though.
Simple answer for Liverpool is avoid the Europa league at all costs!!
Best to ignore Mccccccmanamanamnam, a man who can change his definite opinion mid delivery
Inexplicably, the odds on Napoli winning were 5/1 😳
Seemed rude not to stick a few quid on that. I’m sure it’ll prove the usual kiss of death
And you’re right, Mike. Nobody wants to be playing in Russia on a Thursday night. That’s why José has sensibly kept us out of the Europa league places
Just an early entry to the league cup for an exotic visit somewhere next year!!
Liverpool goal should force Napoli to come out a bit unless they plan to sit tight until 80 mins
I can never understand trying to be clever with free kicks. It never works. Just ****ing hit it!
Well it's too easy for Liverpool at the moment but still very dangerous at 1-0, I see Spurs are in at the moment if it stays like that.
That fella in goal, he could be worth a bob or two. It's the difference between this season and last there, should have scored a dozen though. All 4 through tonight so a good night for English football
