boatman

City up before the authorities for 'Failure to control their players', Kompany straight red...misses three games? (including both semis?). So far so good. Now for a Scholes red card, late equaliser and a debilitating replay.

Experience is a wonderful thing. Mr Evra was a credible witness. He gave his evidence in a calm, composed and clear way. Well, several years ago he was involved in a similar situation and his evidence was found to be unreliable. He learned from his mistakes and this time he prepared properly, coached his witnesses, knew his lines and no doubt had his lawyer go over his testimony with a fine toothcomb. You can almost see the QC nod approvingly at the the lawyer with a 'job well done' expression. Suarez on the otherhand would have been defensive, indignant and exasperated, as well as being frustrated by the need to communicate through an interpreter. We treated this whole thing as an appeal against an unjust red card, Evra knew what he was doing and treated it with the seriousness the charge merits in this day and age.

Seeing this thread about unfulfilled potential made me think (going back a bit here) of Alun Evans, the first £100,000 teenager, signed by Shankly in 1968. Great little player, everything going for him, but never the same after he got glassed in a bar fight. Shocking when, just to check my faulty memory for dates, etc., I google him, and find that he died last month (12th November 2011), age 52.

Enjoyed, as always your report. One omission though, I have to say - although stuck watching the game on a dodgy stream - how loud and dominating the away support was. Completely awesome! Takes me back a few years with the variety of songs and the sheer volume. At one point in the 2nd half you had Carragher apparently apologising to Dowd that he couldn't hear the whistle because of the crowd...fabulous (wipes away nostalgic tear)!

Reina currently answering questions on a web-chat on yahoo if anyone wants to approach the man directly.