And much to the chagrin of Manchester United, it’s gone unpunished (though as we know from our rulebook fetish, it can’t be given a red card if it wasn’t given any card during the game, and referee Atwell maintains even after the fact that he didn’t judge it to be a foul). We’ll look beyond the obvious points:
1. Manchester United gets away with things all the time
2. Referees are inconsistent, but the majority of people are alright with that
3. I’m a born-and-raised Scouser
and attack this from the perspective of what it is: a “Talisman” behaving very, very badly.
When Steven Gerrard started diving here and there, we tried to rationalize it as competitive spirit (the same argument made, of course, for Henry’s handball. At least that’s what Landon Donovan told us). When he punched a civilian in a nightclub over the lack of Phil Collins tunes being played over the sound system, we mocked his music taste and admonished him for getting drunk and belligerent and not acting with any real degree of common sense.
And yet, in the last two games, he’s flicked off the referee and last night, added to that recent run of petulance with a rather egregious elbow to the back of Pompey captain Michael Brown’s head. It’s a growing source of frustration and shame for me, because the incidents get less and less defensible. Sure, he’s a good old lad from the streets of Liverpool just like me, but I managed to learn amid the rowhome fights and alleyway soccer games that in general, punching people in the head wasn’t a good idea (though man, did I learn the hard way).
We know he’s a fiercely competitive athlete. We know he’s frustrated with his club — my club — not winning anything, and we know he’s even more angered by the dismal performances his team keep turning in week after week. Like an athlete aging less than gracefully, he’s atoning for losing a step by gaining a pound or two of rage and indignance, which is sometimes the only way to stay in the mix. I played rugby for 12 years at a competitive level, and every year, my club would play the 40-year-old guys who were so far behind in terms of fitness and agility, and thus, they used every dirty trick in the book to keep us pegged back.
Arsenal fans might call that “The Stoke Plan”, but I’ll refrain from reviving that debate. The point about Gerrard is simple: he did something horrendous and should be punished accordingly. I’m amazed that the FA has reviewed the tape and decided not to act, making United understandably angry. More importantly, someone needs to have a chat with Mr. Talisman and stamp out this petulant streak. His frustration is appropriate considering Liverpool’s difficult season, but there’s never an excuse for something like that. Early in the game last night, Brown rushed out to tackle Gerrard and ended up wrapping him up rugby-style and hauling him to the ground. All game long the pair were at odds, but you can’t elbow a guy in the head. At least not until you get to the bar afterwards, right Stevie?
So let’s all move on and look forward to what inappropriate violent outburst the Liverpool captain is preparing for Old Trafford. I almost imagine he rehearses these things the way Chad Ocho Cinco plans out touchdown celebrations.
I’m telling you, the V-sign, the vicious elbow; Stevie G is taking a heel turn.
It’ll all be revealed when he hits Rafa with a folding chair in the season finale at Hull.
“2. Referees are inconsistent, but the majority of people are alright with that”
What are you talking about? That’s by far and away the most common attack on referees so obviously people aren’t alright with it. Referees are humans who interpret the law there’s going to be inconsistencies with their background, also the time they have to make a decision will effect consistency. Referees are humans just like you and me, and they’re the top humans at what they do. There isn’t a genetic property about it or other humans that can do it better, this is what we have.
“I’m telling you, the V-sign, the vicious elbow; Stevie G is taking a heel turn.”
I can see him being a heel almost to the level of CM Punk or Batista…he’ll be hard stretched to reach Jericho status though.
If Real offer 30, I take it. End of.
I mean how f**king stupid is he to do this? And when did he suddenly forget how to f**king shoot the ball?
The majority of people don’t mind referee inconsistency. What’s so hard to understand about that? Just because it’s the most common attack AGAINST referees doesn’t mean that it reflects the opinions of the majority. Otherwise, every pundit, analyst, expert, coach, commentator, FIFA employee would be changing the system. Which they’re not.
Considering that yes, referees are people and people are all inconsistent, you don’t see a fuss over that, do you?
Georger: he’s losing some skills but troublingly gaining others.
Actually, on 2nd thought, Rafa might be a poor choice to hit with a chair if you’re trying to sell the bad-guy angle…
I could understand if he just missed it, but he didn’t. He saw it and didn’t give a card (which of course means no FA review, thanks stupid rules!), that is staggeringly poor officiating.
People accept that refs are going to make mistakes, because it’s part of the human element. But missing something like this is not acceptable.
“I could understand if he just missed it, but he didn’t.”
He could’ve just seen it out of the corner of his eye and didn’t see the forearms…just the running into the back. So he gave a card to control the game instead of giving a red for something he couldn’t be certain of.
He didn’t give a card.
But aside from the fact that he didn’t book him the problem is that it’s not reviewable because he saw the incident. I have never understood that rule. Why the FA is so reluctant to second guess their referees when allowing a review after the fact would do a s**tload of good to actually enforce the rules.
Yeah this is why video reviews after the fact when implemented poorly don’t work. Which is probably why FIFA is reluctant, if you have a stupid system as an example it doesn’t look better.
If Atwell maintains he did not judge it to be a foul, why is the free kick going the other way?
“If Atwell maintains he did not judge it to be a foul, why is the free kick going the other way?”
Good eye the article actually says.
“The FA says it cannot act because the referee concerned, Stuart Attwell, has maintained that Gerrard’s offence did not merit a booking or a red card.”
I’m assuming that was in his report and not after he saw a replay, because a referee seeing a replay and then reporting to the league doesn’t make sense.
This FA review thing is really confusing me. Are they showing Atwell the video of the incident and asking him what he thinks of it now? I don’t really get this system, seems pretty stupid.
I think if a referee says he did not see the incident, the FA can show them the video and the referee can say, “Why yes, if I had seen him do that, it would have been a red card.”
In this case though, I don’t think Atwell could claim not to have seen it. Because that of course would imply that he stopped play and gave a free kick for absolutely nothing at all.
“I think if a referee says he did not see the incident, the FA can show them the video and the referee can say, “Why yes, if I had seen him do that, it would have been a red card.””
I’d really like confirmation on this…like if I can find a set of rules that governs this policy. Mostly because if the referee saw that on tape after the fact and didn’t agree it’s a red then he truly is the FA’s Golden boy. Atwell is the youngest FIFA referee in the EPL and he might’ve just been brought up because he does exactly what the bosses tell him to.
“FA rules do not allow retrospective action against a player if the official sees the alleged offence.”
That’s all I’ve got.
@Dustin Yes, but like Georger said, I don’t think Atwell ever got to see that tape, because he claims he saw the incident.
see, I thought Atwell gave a FK for a trip or something between Gerrard and Brown that was a foul but not a bookable or red card offense. He saw a trip or a collision, but not a foul worthy of further discipline.
Maybe it’s some kind of Double Jeopardy thing? Atwell whistled for a foul but not the right foul, ergo they can’t change the foul call?
You guys should kick out TSE just because United fans are f**king retarded
No offense!
James double jeopardy actually seems like a good way of looking at it. Except in a soccer context, it’s asinine.
James you don’t want to see Gerrard leave do you?
Not especially, Aaron, but he needs to get his s**t together. All this acting-out lately is wholly out of character and not what this already-dysfunctional team needs.
I agree with James. One of the cool things, for me anyway, about being an LFC fan is that while other teams were often chided for their diving or thuggery, Liverpool mostly seemed to stay out of that, or be above it almost (surely only and LFC fan’s point of view).
Gerrard’s latest descent into chicanery and violence, for us LFC fans anyways, drags us down into the disrepute which we reserve for pretenders and rivals.
I’m not trying to sound pompous here, though I realize I probably do, it’s just that to me a little of the romanticism of the team seems to be wearing off (losing more often surely contributes to this).
Again, I’m younger than many here so I may not have been around for some uglier Liverpool eras, I started watching with Owen in his prime and Stevie as just a young lad making his name. It’s never nice when your hero is the one acting the fool.