The Big Talking Points: Fulham vs Liverpool

Posted on 07. Dec, 2011 by Dominic Campbell in Debate

From Manchester to Swansea and all the way over to Fulham, we seem to have been the victim of bogus refereeing. The game seems to be taking a turn for the worst as common sense and referee discretion are substituted for quick draw card flashing and questionable decisions.

However, one man’s Jessica Alba is another man’s Susan Boyle. I mean, we all have our own views and perceptions on things. Just because one opinion is shared doesn’t automatically make it fact; and that is what makes football such a great sport. The contradicting views, the mild mannered discussions that turn slightly sour as opposing views jostle to be recognised.

Take Monday night for example; there will undoubtedly be difference in opinions on certain decisions that went against us. Some people will look at things through neutral eyes, while others will defend their players to the death.

One such moment in the game came when Charlie Adam found himself baring down on goal only for Philippe Senderos to halt him in his tracks with a cynical foul. The initial contact was made outside of the area, but the foul continued into the box. Should we have had a penalty, or was the right decision given?

Perhaps had this a penalty gone in our favour then we wouldn’t have conceded. But what followed was an un charactirstic spill by Pepe Reina. Was he entirely at fault for our goal, or could the defense have offered better protection?

Of course, goal scoring opportunities weren’t the only big talking points of the game. Clint Dempsey decided to slam faces with Craig Bellamy. The American, however, escaped caution while our very own Welshman was left having to play the remaineder of the game with a yellow card. The ref undoubtedly got this wrong, but that barely held a candle to the red card that went against Jay Spearing.

So what did the fans make of all these decisions?

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17 Responses to “The Big Talking Points: Fulham vs Liverpool”

Jevon

07. Dec, 2011

Worst reffing Ive seen since um mant times this season. Backpasses handled, incorrect oddsides decisions, legitimate goals scored but disalowed, continual bashing of Luis not given….I could go on and on. Spoiling the EPL.
realitychecker

07. Dec, 2011

Senderous’ foul was outside of the area, the replays showed it, the ref called it as such – end of story. Doesn’t matter what happens after the initial foul as play is effectively stopped from the initial foul.. this is basic stuff here lads…

Bellamy as usual started something unsavoury and Dempsey reacted, BOTH got a yellow card, not just Bellamy!… check your facts!!

And finally Spearing’s challenge, these are the rules of the game:

Fouls and misconduct are penalised as follows:

Direct free kick

A direct free kick is awarded to the opposing team if a player commits any
of the following seven offences in a manner considered by the referee to be
careless, reckless or using excessive force:
• kicks or attempts to kick an opponent
• trips or attempts to trip an opponent
• jumps at an opponent
• charges an opponent
• strikes or attempts to strike an opponent
• pushes an opponent
• tackles an opponent

“Using excessive force” means that the player has far exceeded the necessary use of force and is in danger of injuring his opponent.

• A player who uses excessive force must be sent off”

The Spearing challange, although he got the ball first is a blatant example of using excessive force, both feet were off the ground, his studs smashed dembele’s ankle AND calf. If he had made the challenge and controlled his second leg the tackle would have been a good one, but it was obvious he was trying to take dembele out of the game who had been a constant thorn in his side. Using the cloak of ‘getting the ball first’ he took the opportunity to make that challenge hurt. In today’s game ‘getting the ball first’ means nothing if the manner in which the player does so can cause injury to the opposition.

These are not bad ref’s decisions, its just bad play.. consider if dembele’s foot was planted on the ground, the injury would have been horrific.

come back to reality people…
- imissxabi
  
  07. Dec, 2011
  
  Oh so you’re a virgin.
anfield rd dreamer

07. Dec, 2011

Reality checker even if you are correct in that description (and i don’t think you are as Spearing was on his feet till after the tackle and Dembelles momentum took him into Spearing as much as the other way round) what is your reasoning for Dempsey not being sent off for headbutting Bellamy (Bellamy didn’t butt back before you say it the replays clearly show Dempsey did the butting whilst Bellamy was backing off) and Senderos taking Adam out (i agree freekick) on edge of box as Adam moving into shoot, to use your letter of law reasoning players who commit professional fouls to stop a clear goal scoring opportunity are supposed to see red. Either ref is strict with both teams and both players walk by letter of law or ref is lenient on both teams and gives both players a yellow and takes decision to let game flow. By making both decisions in favour of one team it shows at the very least inconsistency and at worst bias.
Mighty_Red

07. Dec, 2011

We should’ve buried e’m way before the sending off. I agree that, the referee was terrible with his decisions, and they’re very much inconsistent, and it’s really annoying to see this kinda refereeing. I don’t think the Red card was the right decision, and a yellow card should’ve been enough. The disallowed goal was the highlight for me. We’re still not clynical enough in front of goal, but I’m very confident that we’ll turn that around shortly.
sam charles- hates that crappy ground of fulhams

07. Dec, 2011

1, why was demsey not sent off – just disgusting.
2, why did we not get a penalty and a red card given to the fulham center half after bringing down adam? -
3, why was suarez’s goal which clearly was not offside not given?
4 why was the ref just waiting to give fulham a free kick almost all of the time.
5 why was the fulham player sendeross still on the pitch for his fould off the ball with andy carroll, yet he was on a yellow at the time??

this game was horrible, we wnet there, played a good open game and lost to a two bit weak shoot at goal reina made a mess of a half chance and glen got out paced by danny murphy of all people, the ref was a disgrace…..

1 bad ref
2, goal keeping error
3 glen johnson error for the goal
4 not scoring through our many chances
5 hitting the bar post twice
6, andy carroll who does nothing at all.

thats why we lost this shite bag game,,,,
Bring back Pako

07. Dec, 2011

RealityChecker, well said mate.

Some people will forever blame referees for our shortcomings.
Other clubs have had really bad decisions recently like boltons gary cahill being sent off on the halfway line or even rios penalty against newcastle which was a fair tackle. This seige mentality conspiracy theory is not the liverpool way.
We should be good enough to let our football do the talking and put teams like fulham to the sword, hell we put 5 goals past them last season.
Redinsideout

07. Dec, 2011

Reality checker needs a reality check if he thinks Dempsey didnt deserve a red card for headbutting Bellamy!
Didnt we see Drogba get a red card for headbutting Tevez in the Champions league final against ManUre in 2008?
Consistency from the refs is what we are asking for, or interpretation of the rules should be standardised.
- Sam
  
  07. Dec, 2011
  
  I’m pretty positive that Drogba blatantly slapped him while they were standing near the ref. And the “headbutt” by Dempsey was weak at best. More of him push up against Bellamy and getting in his face.
  
  We should have put the game away and you can blame the ref all you want but our team did not perform.
  
  The ref wasn’t the one missing shots or kicking them straight at the keeper! Only fools blame luck or the ref for their team’s shortcomings.
  - Money
    
    07. Dec, 2011
    
    @sam , we hit cross bar twice and wrongly decision on suarez’s goal. We did good in , especially we have to get used to without lucas. It’s unfair when you said we are not performing , the only mistake made by kk was putting andy ahead of kyut & maxi.
Money

07. Dec, 2011

no one will be complaining if this was the first bad referring out of so many games , it’s clearly FA isn’t doing anything about it . Referees are having too many protection from FA .. and seriously , we just lost lucas. He was our key player for the past EPL games .. and lmao , there are people in this forum who ‘s a “mind -reader” by saying spearing wants to take someone off , wants to injure him badly … can’t believe it .. reality checker.. joke
anfield rd dreamer

07. Dec, 2011

‘bring back pako’ you just pointed it out. Look how much fuss was kicked up over those SINGULAR bad calls by the officials yet we are supposed to just accept it when the ref made NUMEROUS bad decisions ALL against us? We are talking serious discrepency here not just one decision like the examples you used.
Money

07. Dec, 2011

it’s time for referee to pledge the club they support .
sam charles - keep going ££££

07. Dec, 2011

its time lfc went out and without any delay, without any excuses and without any selling and just went BANG !!!! THERE YOU GO THERES ANOTHER TOP TOP PLAYER…

Suarez cant do it alone, and just think if he was not in the team we would struggke and we know it,,,, yes Hnery and FSG have been good but its time we moved on and got aggressive with the clubs plans to get back into the champions league, we need a star quality player that just gets the goals and links with luis etc.
If we dont get a quality player to help out in jan window then we are not getting into top 4 and i known that for sure folks…
Oskan

08. Dec, 2011

Which Striker could/should we sign?
- casper
  
  08. Dec, 2011
  
  There have been so many names going around for a striker what about oscar cardozo of benfica hes as better or as good as the names going around
Job finder

10. Dec, 2011

I always appreciate a great article or piece of writing. Thanks for the contribution.