by 1960 »
18 Oct 2009 14:10
cmonurz Probably not far off it. I've got a lot of time for Rafa, but to leave Mascherano on the bench with Gerrard and Torres already out, and to play someone like Jay Spearing, makes little sense at all (unless Spearing has genuinely been pulling up trees in the stiffs). Defeat next week at home to United and a) the league is as good as dead to Liverpool this season, and b) it'll be 5 defeats in 10 games, and Rafa's position may be under threat.
Unlike you I have no time for Rafa, but it's only fair to mention that Mascherano arrived back in Liverpool sometime on Friday after god knows how many hours travelling (and probably via Madrid, I don't know). I came back from Chicago recently and was wiped out for two or three days, despite it being only a 7 hour journey. His journey from Argentina/Uruguay must have been at least twice as long, so it seems sensible to me to give him only half a match.
But now, the beachball...Hoist by your own petard just about sums it up. Stupid kid - what did he think was going to happen to it?
And, to open another debate, what about Tim Howard not being sent off, or carded even, after cuffing Maierhoff? When Alliadiere just stroked someone's face all the crap commentators (yes, I mean you, Grey) blathered on about "if you raise your hands you've gotta go". I don't necessarily agree with that, but a little bit of consistency wouldn't go amiss.