Your reading a pre 2010-11 archived article
This is Clarkeonenil’s regular comment column, cutting through the various passing issues of football and getting to the core principle in the shortest time.
Magnificent in full view of the country.
To say that Leeds United were unlucky last night in the League Cup defeat to Liverpool is a master-piece of understatement, we didn’t lose, we were deemed by the fates and dodgy officialdom (more of later). The whole evening, with a full ground, stall set out to take the game to the PL club, those players whose stock kept rising and rising was a credit to the club. Liverpool will get easier games off half the clubs in the top flight this season. If anyone was in doubt about our promotion credentials and the Grayson factor they would clearly not be after a performance that would have frightened the whole of the CCC never mind MK Dons, Charlton and Bristol Rovers. As a symbol of being “back” (ownership structure and finance not withstanding) that was as clear as it gets.
Personally I thought before the game we should focus more on MK Dons than the quality of Liverpool’s bench however as it went even in defeat playing the first 11 we could proved useful. Kisnorbo and Howson showed the consistency they have all season, Becchio, Michalik and Snodgrass stepped up to the plate to show why they can go all the way with us, alas Doyle and Hughes showed why they won’t be in our CCC 2010-11 squad with Beckford showing again that his big stage presence is non-existent. But focussing on the positives, other than the strange decision to take Becchio off (and the very late introduction of an out of depth Showumni), the sheer spread of ability and commitment we have for the rest of the L1 season really showed.
I can’t remember the last time I was so proud of us in defeat, here’s hoping we can take that vibe through to automatic promotion.
Premier League Title? Your having a laugh!
Having said all those positive things about Leeds United i think we do have to put a disclaimer in, Liverpool’s domestic cup team weren’t really of the quality expected, if they draw Arsenal’s kids in the next round they are going to get well mullered. Given that the players used are supposed to be the supporting cast to a PL title challenge you can only come to the conclusion Liverpool can’t win it. But for a idiot of a linesman (more of later) the back-up goalie would today be dealing with consequences of a right rickett. Even the players with genuine first team aspirations looked iffy, if Mascherano expects to lead Argentina into the World Cup (and as we speak that’s no shoe-in) he needs to control a fuse shorter than the bloke he whacked! Babel can accelerate as much as he likes, until he acquires the ability to shoot he isn’t nothing more than a expensive bit player. Ngog’s goal was a good turn and finish (can’t blame Michalik for that) but as 3rd choice striker he isn’t up with Spurs, Villa’s or Everton’s version never mind the two Manc’s and Arsenal.
I don’t buy the “owners holding us back line” that the scouse’s use, £200m worth of transfer activity since they won the CL in 2005, the issue seems to be Benitez just can’t get all the pieces to fit. As he sorts one problem out another comes around the corner, take the defence, Carragher isn’t right this season, maybe he is missing the reassurance of a Hypia, maybe his legs are going. Signing defenders the SPL discarded isn’t going to plug any gaps in that department. When you need to throw Gerrard and Torres on to defend a lead against a L1 side your clearly struggling. I might be overstating it a little but if this isn’t Benitez’s last shot at the PL title with Liverpool I would be shocked and if it is I’d be even more shocked if they came even close.
The legend Liverpool managers continued to win things they never sat on one success, the 2005 CL miracle won’t save Benitez forever.
Familiarity breeds contempt for fairness.
So to the referee and his team, Wiley is one of our better PL refs, we know this because the commentators tell us so and the odd live Sky game shows it (mind with Webb has your main competition that isn’t no bragging prize), so it’s even more galling that the two biggest decisions in the game were so badly dealt with. Take the off-side decision first, awful truly awful (and for the benefit of removing doubt it was Beckford who was flagged not Becchio). Those decisions are what Linesman do, offside, as stated in the laws of the game, commentators can whine how difficult it is for them, garbage, if they can’t get offside right they are not fit for purpose. Equally with the Mascherano lash out, what was Wiley thinking, even the explanation offered by the offender suggested recklessness. I can only presume he “didn’t see it”, well in that case the FA can step in because you can be sure as eggs is eggs they would have already if Beckford had been the transgressor and not the victim.
I contend that it’s no coincidence that PL teams get the favourable decisions off PL referees in cup games, be it due to over-familiarity or a sub-conscious favouritism. What i fail to understand is why the allocation of referees to matches isn’t random in cup games? Yes a case can be made for a higher standard of referee for PL games (mind you one wonders what the standard is if Atwell gets in) but in cup games surely if your good enough for the FL your good enough to ref any two teams left in the competition (or is the FL standard so poor the FA dosn’t trust them). Wiley was given the game not randomly chosen, the likes of him never do Scunthorpe v Port Vale and that is wrong, plain wrong. Another example of the FA getting their knickers in a twist after the big boys flex their muscles and making a bigger unfairness problem that whatever little issue the bigger clubs perceived.
Leeds were robbed last night by the officials and by the system, one can only hope the latter is dealt with quickly.
