Relive every moment of every first team game since the beginning of the 2005/06 season. Our archive of matchday threads originally posted in the General Discussion Forum.
RichieRiv wrote:As much as I agree that sportsmanship is important, maybe it's about time (for certain teams anyway) we simply play to the referees whistle.
Absolutely Richie .
The referee is the only person on the pitch who can give a decision .
The third goal on Sunday was in no small part of a consequence of our players trotting along undoubtedly in the belief the ref would blow the whistle .........but he didn't .
Had they ran hard and tracked back that goal might not have happened .
Kialos wrote:
People claiming Reid was not injured and he was making a meal out of it are borderline trolling. Reid got a smack in the head, that is a fact. Only Reid knows how injured he was, the same as every other player that goes down unless it is something obvious like a broken leg or nose. The rule book is perfectly clear. If it is a head injury then the game should be stopped. How difficult is that to understand?
It isn't 'boderline trolling' at all. Liverpool should have kicked the ball out, same as they should have done on the previous occasion when Clyne got an earful. However, my opinion is Reid stayed down hoping when he saw the break was on hoping it would encourage this to happen.
Nothing against Winston. He is my favourite player. Just saying it like I think it is.
None of that excuses the rank awful defending that followed tbf
I feel Reid made a meal of his undoubted whack to the jaw, staying down (was he really so stunned he couldn't get up?) in an attempt to influence the referee. I also think the referee knew it and didn't fall for the play acting.
As for stopping the game and playing to the whistle, I believe refs receive training about when to stop the game for injuries. Do players?
I do know I'd have been livid if the situation had been reversed but the ref had stopped our pacy breakaway move (fat chance) to treat someone who got up as soon as the whistle went.
None of this explains Nordtveit and Collins watching Coutinho in admiration and wondering which side of the goal he'd choose to score.
It was too obvious Reid was making an absolute meal of it. A typical centre back trying to do something he simply cannot pull off.
The fact of the matter is that it was a clear handbal with arms stretched in an unnatural position with a perfect view for the referee and he somehow missed it. It was one of the most clear cut handball decisions you are likely to see.
Nordveidt watching Coutinho was poor, you could see his head dropped in that match and he was going through the motions the majority of the second half. Not good enough, he hasn't impressed me at all when i have watched him this season, he looks like another Radsolav Kovac.
As for Collins, i think it was impossible for him, near enough any Centre Back in the Premier League is getting skinned by Coutinho in a one on one situation. He is a small, quick, skillful player that is comfortable going either side of you so there's not a hope in hell unless you stick a leg out and get lucky, but 9/10 you stick a leg out and commit a foul.