RSM

Against WBA the ref clearly sees the incident and decides not to give it, it’s only when the Linesman intervenes does he feel compelled to give the decision. It was fucking outrageous! It’s apparent that Refs have bought into the fucking smear campaign by that cunt Fergie and they are adding “context” to their decisions when it comes to Suarez. He was fouled on 10 separate occasions during the Norwich match and guess how many decisions he was awarded in that game? Absolutely NONE! He left that match without being awarded a single freekick! Is it just a coincidence that he’s been subject to some scandalous refereeing decisions since that cunts outburst? :wallbutt::wallbutt:

A very valid point. Well spotted.

Firstly I'm suprised by the number of posters claiming to say he didn't say this or that based on the video evidence and intimating he doesn't have a case to answer. Suprising to say the least. Anyway, given that he's actually admitted using the words "black cunt" but has denied using it in a racist context (a very clever counter argument, I might add). One can only assume that this will put down as one big misunderstanding. He's had quite a few of them. John Terry: Misunderstood, Again! By Matthew Syed. John Terry is the most unfortunate man in Britain. How else to make sense of the litany of misunderstandings that have afflicted the Chelsea captain and which have served cruelly to undermine his reputation? The most recent incident involves video footage that appears to show Terry racially abusing an opponent at the weekend. Terry admits to using racist language (and, to judge from the video, using it in an aggressive way), but he claims that he was stating the words to deny having said them an earlier spat. To put it another way, he has been misconstrued. It is not the first time, poor chap. In December 2009 he was filmed showing a group of businessmen (actually undercover reporters) around the Chelsea training ground in return for £10,000 in used £50 notes. At the time, many inferred that he was seeking to enrich himself in direct contravention of his club's rules. But this was another misapprehension. According to Terry, £8,000 of the cash was destined for charity. Earlier that year Terry had been the victim of another misunderstanding. The story centred on an e-mail sent out by a company called Riviera Entertainment, which read: "John Terry is available to create effective brand awareness and endorse products and services globally." And later: "John Terry is: British sporting hero; England's football captain; World Cup 2018 ambassador; Football icon; Dad of the year 2008; Voted as one of the World's most influencial [sic] people." According to Riviera, it was acting on the explicit instructions of Terry and his advisers, but Terry was having none of it. This was another case of misunderstanding. "An e-mail inviting commercial endorsements for me has been published," he said. "This e-mail was sent without my authority or knowledge and was not approved by me (or those advising me). I have nothing further to say on the matter." In February 2010 (anyone else getting a sense of déjà vu?) Terry was accused of exploiting the England captaincy for commercial gain. According to reports, his box at Wembley (which he was allowed to hire at thousands of pounds below the market price as a perk of the England captaincy) was being touted out for £4,000 in cash. This was, again, a case of crossed wires. Terry patiently explained that he had no knowledge of the proposed transaction and that he was an innocent victim of circumstances beyond his control. Some may wonder how it is possible for a man who is (according to his commercial agents) an outstanding leader to be misunderstood so often; how it is possible that so many money-making scams, dodgy transactions and reprehensible outbursts are attributed to a man who is so morally upstanding. But perhaps we should put these questions to one side, at least for the moment, because we have barely scratched the surface of Terry's misfortune. As recently as Monday, it was reported that Terry had failed to show up to the opening of a reptile shop in Surrey (I am not making this up). Two hundred and fifty people were apparently left disappointed. But this was not a case of forgetfulness or a breach of promise; it was another misunderstanding. "I had not agreed to attend the opening of this or any other shop today," Terry proclaimed. "I had been asked if I would consider the opportunity and declined on two separate occasions. I very much regret any distress or disappointment that may have been suffered by the public." Perhaps the most infamous misunderstanding occurred during the summer of 2009, when Manchester City came along with a big offer for the Chelsea centre half. Many players would have grabbed the money, others would have stayed put. But Terry came up with a different ploy. He kept schtum for almost the entire summer, using the offer to squeeze an improved offer from Chelsea (reported to be about £150,000 a week). "Good luck to him," many of us thought. "There is nothing wrong with maximising one's income". But, once again, we had it all wrong. According to Terry, who enjoys his reputation as a stalwart of Stamford Bridge, he had never contemplated going to City and it was merely a coincidence that Chelsea offered a whopping pay rise. As yet another public statement told us: "I am totally committed to Chelsea and always have been." Quite how anybody came to any other conclusion was, it seemed, beyond him. Indeed, looking at Terry's career in the round, it is difficult to find a single episode where he has been in the wrong. What looks like dodgy behaviour is merely a case of not knowing all the facts, or misinterpreting his motives, or failing to see the bigger picture. Other episodes include when he parked in a disabled bay, urinated into a beer glass outside a nightclub and insulted American tourists in the aftermath of 9/11. Of course, suspicious people have, on occasions, doubted Terry's explanations. If the money for the training ground tour was destined for charity, why was he so keen to keep it secret? As the cash was handed to Tony Bruce, a ticket tout who apparently pocketed £2,000 for acting as the broker, Terry said: "If the club finds out, it's a little bit . . . you know." Later, when more trips were discussed, Terry said: "Yeah, but you brief them that they don't speak to no one. Cos if anyone finds out, then we can't do it no more." Others point out that almost every case of "misinterpretation" is also a case of Terry calling someone else a liar. Terrence Clark, the reptile shop owner, did not miss the implication. "That's an absolute lie," he said in response to Terry's statement. "It wasn't a publicity stunt. He had agreed to come. You saw everything I did today, bringing out the snakes and sweets and stuff for the kids because I felt so bad. He was supposed to be there but he didn't show." Either way, what seems clear is that there are really only two possible views to have of Terry. One is that he is the most misunderstood man in Britain, someone who has endured an astonishing run of bad luck and misinterpretation. The other is that he is an odious and reprehensible chancer who should never have been appointed (or reappointed) to the England captaincy. Make your own minds up.

Players in selfish attitude shocker!

All sounds very positive.

3 fucking LFC managers That's bollocks. Rafa rated him and played him a couple of times as sub but circumstance (our general shitty form) and his age always meant that Dani wouldn't be a regular player under Rafa during his tenure. Roy Hodgson? I really couldn't give two shits about his assesment on players. Kenny is the first manager that has decided that Pacheco is not ready yet. Hence whay he's on loan and not been sold.

Arsenal are the new Spurs. Their board, manager, players and fans are all happy to win fuck all as long as they play pretty triangles and continue in the same manner they have for the past 6 years.

Classic! "Especially the way you'll bounce that ball off your heads"

It seems increasingly likely that Liverpool will go ahead and secure the services of Rennes’ enigmatic midfielder Sylvain Marveaux on a free this summer. Some even claim that he’s signed for the club already, having spotted the French youngster at Anfield with Damien Comolli earlier in the season. I’ve never seen Marveaux play in Ligue 1, so I don’t have anything sensible to say about him, but I did ask my dear Twitter-comrade Bastien Leclair (@puchkin_b) to write up a scouting report on this injury-plagued attacking midfielder. Thankfully, he duly delivered, and now we can all have the pleasure of getting to know Liverpool’s new signing a little better from footballing perspective. Enjoy! Words by Bastien Leclair I was asked to put together a blog regarding Rennes’ Sylvain Marveaux, the Reds’ long awaited Bosman signing in view of next season. While some uncertainty remains regarding his arrival at Anfield , it seems fair to say that a move to anywhere else than Merseyside would be a surprise, if not a relative upset from the part of the attacking midfielder. So I’ve first thought of writing a portrait of the player, but this has already been done and you could find much information on his career, his goals, his stats or his recent difficulties in Rennes across the web. Instead, I preferred to try and put together a report on the player, providing you with the sort of information I think Liverpool fans would like to know regarding his skills, his attitude on and off the pitch, his strengths and weaknesses, and his particularities. PHYSICAL ABILITY He has pace, deadly pace, he is very capable of eliminating a defence on a single acceleration. He will take the ball and go through knocks and shocks to reach his target, a goal or a good pass. He can stay on his legs, no doubt about it, and although he isn’t of the strongest build he shouldn’t be worried with the strength of English defenders. His game made of acceleration can lead him to natural fatigue in the closing stages, but when in good shape he is perfectly able to contribute 90 minutes week-in week-out and bring his fair share of goals and assists. In fact, his weakness lies inside. While he rarely gives up on the pitch himself, his body has been regulating things for him. He is an athlete, a powerfully legged sprinter, and his thighs have often been a strain to his progression. In summer 2008, after a good first season and a disappointing second term, he picked up a benign thigh injury during a France U21 game. Recovery should have been straightforward, but instead he met calcification issues and was forced to undergo surgery… he would miss the following 8 months. Tough luck can strike anyone, true, but the same thing happened to him once again this season, and a minor thigh muscle strain against Brest in November was enough to rule him out for the rest of the current campaign. TECHNICAL ABILITY Are you looking for a left foot? His can do everything you could dream of. He can pass, control, dribble, deliver or shoot with surgical precision. Sylvain Marveaux has taken Ligue 1 by surprise in 2009-2010 with his ability to regulate Rennes’ game, and despite his positioning on the left, he certainly was Rennes’ real playmaker throughout the season. He can take free-kicks like this one, deliver assists or make the difference by himself relying on a fantastic left-foot (Video). And his ability and elegance when dribbling through an adverse defence is something one rarely sees and thoroughly enjoys… He relies nearly exclusively on his left foot however, and his right foot and head are of no use in his game. In fact, Marveaux will always look at placing the ball back on his left foot even for a simple pass, and will often lose the opportunity to deliver or build on the momentum he could have gained on his opponent. Also, Marveaux will invariably lose a challenge in the air. He hasn’t got the jumping ability, the timing or the stature for those aerial contests, and he isn’t usually that bothered. INTELLIGENCE Marveaux was trained as a central midfielder, and this is something one can very easily realise when watching him twirl across a square expanding from the left touch-line to the centre of the field. He mainly plays in a left winger position, but he isn’t anything like a left winger. And although it could not quite be branded a lack of intelligence, he lacks many of the qualities required of a true winger and especially the tactical finesse required to exploit the flank with full efficiency. While he could make the best out of his pace and skills alternating runs down the wing and cuts through to centre as a Nani or a Valencia, Marveaux is compulsively attracted to the centre, no matter what. Cutting out is certainly all right, but cutting out from the left when you only have a left foot can sometimes be a handicap. On top of this, his crossing ability is nearly inexistent, and he will always favour a central or individual solution to a transmission to his left back running up the field. The decision is sometimes justified by a scoring action (10 goals and 5 assists last season) but an ability to open eyes to options other than the obvious would be a definite added value to his game. On the other hand, he sometimes showed an ability to pick up the perfect pass in sometimes spectacular style, and his runs without the ball are often well-inspired and making the assist an easy exercise for his team-mates. With the good guidance and advice, he could certainly correct some of the defaults above and show more of these flashes of superb vision. ATTITUDE Again, despite his talent and ability, Marveaux could improve loads on this field. In a 4-3-3 system such as Rennes’ and in most modern tactical set-ups (In which full backs are called to play a major attacking role) defensive work is a necessity for the attacking flankers. Not only failing to notice the wing-rushes of his left-back counterpart, Marveaux has often been blamed for failing to accomplish his defensive work, whether it is an initial pressing or returns to cover the flank. As a result, great moments of solitude for the men standing behind him, such a Carlos Bocanegra, often let alone to deal with two or three opponents last season, without a hope to see his team-mate rush to his rescue. Rennes Manager Frederic Antonetti himself admitted that Marveaux’ lack of work was acceptable as long as his attacking input remained as impressive as it was last season. Many coaches could rightfully consider some of Marveaux’ attitudes on the pitch as disrespectful to the team effort. As a graduate of Rennes Academy having gone through the youth teams at the club, Marveaux may well be receiving too much indulgence for his ineffective defensive work. His self-confidence is high, maybe a bit too high, and the wise words of a manager able to make him question himself and his work for the team could be a massive boost to his career. He is able to do the work however, and even started his Ligue 1 career covering for injuries at left back. Little doubt he will give more in that field if a starting eleven position was to be at stake. OFF THE PITCH As far as I know, the latest former Rennes player ever to have played for Liverpool was El Hadji Diouf. No worries there. Few players bear a natural talent comparable to the Senegalese’s, and I wouldn’t think Marveaux’ raw talent really is up to that standard, but even less players have an attitude and temper as negative as Diouf’s. Sylvain Marveaux is certainly a modern football player, liking his nights out, his cars, his caps (he loves caps) and all the good things life has to offer to a wealthy young man. He has never made any headlines for wrong reasons however, nor did his brother Joris (who plays in Ligue 1 for Montpellier), and his off the pitch attitude should certainly not be any worry towards his recruitment by the Reds…

"Stay on your feet" and all will be okay.

Of course you do. You're his biggest fan aren't you? Hahaha.

Incredible, I actually find myself agreeing with The Code. Is Pacheco good enough? maybe, maybe not but I know for certain that he’s a better option than Cole, Jovanovic and the like.

Yes Kenny, Rafa, Dunga and the current Brazil Coach are all wrong and Code and the rest of you are right.

His pass completion on average is typically near the 86% mark. So he's fine in a side that play possesion football, much like the Brazil team he currently plays for. As you say if you watch Lucas, you'll see his contibution. It's based on positioning, tactical awareness, passing & moving, be available for a pass and also retrieving the ball from the opponents.

Joe Cole is Ryan Babel without the pace.