Comments on My Anfield: Forget the spin, Mascherano messed up

I don't agree with Mascheranos red card, but I do ...

2008-03-25T09:14:00.000Z

I don't agree with Mascheranos red card, but I do feel that he was looking for trouble. His reaction to it was out of order.
Torres booking was a joke but since when do referrees justify themselves during the course of a game (or even after it for that matter), so why tempt fate by having a go at the referree.
Throughout the game Mascherano was caught on camera giving Bennett a lot of lip, Bennett probably took out the second yellow as a knee jerk reaction expecting Mascherano to give him some more after booking Torres.
Mascherano is one of my favourite players, I definitely rate him far higher than Gerrard, but I still feel that Mascherano messed up despite the referrees short comings.

It is disappointing in the extreme to hear so many...

2008-03-24T14:29:00.000Z

It is disappointing in the extreme to hear so many Liverpool supporters pillory Mascherano for this.

Even the majority of United fans I have spoken to thought the sending off was ridiculous.

What is extremely unfair is that LFC never overdo the dissent. In fact, I think we have suffered for being too fair on this stuff and yet it is a Liverpool player who ends up getting sent off and will be made an example of.

It works like this...Ashley Cole et al bully a ref all day at Anfield. Chelsea get pen, ref gets suspended, Cole gets fuck all.

Chelsea get fined (bothered) twice in a season for failing to control their players. Chelsea players get fuck all.

Ashley Cole commits an horrendous tackle midweek for which he is lucky to only be booked, a committee abuse the ref, and Cole shows the most shockling amount of disrespect you are ever likely to see (short of violence) - Ref gets taken off a game. Cole gets fuck all - the FA 'can't act' because Riley 'dealt with it at the time.'

Torres gets kicked 3 times at Old Trafford, gets up, questions the ref unaggressively and on his own and gets booked.

FA consider making an example of Mascherano 3 matches? 5? Ashley Cole, John Terry et al remain unpunished.

2 weeks time the initiavtive will have been forgotten and they'll all be back to running refs all over the park, except us.

But our fans think Mascherano's the villain of the piece.

Can't agree with that, Paul.

Someone needed...

2008-03-24T14:20:00.000Z

Can't agree with that, Paul.

Someone needed to show some leadership on the pitch, and Gerrard wassn't stepping up, so Masch had to. It's a matter of principle. Torres didn't deserve to get booked and someone had to say so.

Masch approached Bennett in the right way - non threratening, not swearing etc. He had the right to do that and never for one moment would he have expected to get sent off for merely asking a question.

Bennett and the FA are in the wrong over this, not Masch. The FA have fcuked up football with their lack of clarity over important issues and the maddening inconsistency of referring.

Masch's actions highlight the difference between a leader and a follower: A leader does what Masch did: challenge injustice. A follower does nothing...like Gerrard.

Without Mascherano, Arsenal are going to tear us a...

2008-03-24T11:09:00.000Z

Without Mascherano, Arsenal are going to tear us apart :-(

If Mascher does get a further ban beyond one game ...

2008-03-24T10:46:00.000Z