durhamunigeordie

http://hereisthecity.com/2011/12/05/liverpool-to-join-race-for-newcastle-uniteds-cheik-tiote-possibl/?

The arrogance of it! (I assume it is written by a Liverpool fan)

Linesman definitely didn't flag - he was the first person I looked at (I'm a ref myself so its kind of habit I suppose!) I thought we weren't going to get anything for a few seconds as it took Dean a little while to blow.

Meh. At least its at home.

Apologies if I have missed something but anyone know what the bad news in relation to one of the academy lads that he referred to?

Speaking very well in my opinion. Good to see he's not following Fergie's example and just saying that refs/linesman should be banned if they make mistakes.

Yea should be a good watch - love listening to the man talk.

Isn't Pards on goals on sunday in the morning?

At this moment of time guthrie > cabaye.

 

I actually agree with that, but I think there's an element of misfortune to it on Cabaye's part in that it's probably easier for him to know his role with Tiote alongside him. Cabaye's doing a lot of running around at present and trying a bit too hard to get forward, and I'm not convinced he's entirely comfortable. Meanwhile Guthrie is sat in there, getting on the ball all the time and being able to dictate play. Doing Cabaye's job, basically.

 

Totally agree - Guthrie is always the one picking up the short ball from the back four at the moment. If Tiote was in the side then Cabaye would be doing that a lot more. That said I wouldn't want to knock Guthrie at the moment, he's been excellent.

Fingers crossed he heals up quickly. As much as Taylor has been brilliant this season I think it would be much easier to bring in a replacement for him in Jan than it would Colo.

Any chance of Kadar playing? If we don't give him a go now we never will.

Brilliant from him again. Came and collected balls again today which was nice to see.

Such a shame for the lad - thought it was finally going to be the season where he fulfilled his potential. Just got to patch up the defence until January and get someone in early doors. I'm sure people said Pieters can pay centrally?

Did ok. Cracked me up seeing him just try to head thin air for the first goal 

Didn't agree with his team selection today.

That said just seen the interview with him on the Sky sports website. The bloke is a class act - doesn't come across as arrogant at all. Says it like it is and doesn't really go into unnecessary rants. Just stated simply that he thought the ref got the decision wrong and wasn't prepared to get drawn into a slanging match with AVB, which that creep with the microphone was clearly desperate for.

Just got home and have to rush out to a basketball match in ten minutes so haven't had time to read through this thread before I put down my thoughts.

Cannot really fault the lads today. Thought it was the wrong decision to start Lovenkrands, but can see why he did it - I think he hoped that he would cover and track back for Raylor more than say Sammy would have. Although Lovenkrands was good by his standards he drifted too much and was still average at best.

We couldn't really have been anymore unlucky if we tried to day - hit the woodwork three times, the luiz incident, both centre halves going off, their first goal from what sounds like a debatable throw in decision (haven't seen it myself) and even that through ball in the first half which hit Ben Arfa's heels. Some days in football you just know you aren't going to get anything - today was one of those days!

Had Luiz been sent off it would have changed the game and I think most people would agree he should have been. The thing was the ref didn't just make a bad decision, he got the rule wrong. Had he waved play on I would have been pissed off, but it would have been more acceptable. The fact that he gave the foul meant that he had no choice but to send him off. It was a clear goalscoring opportunity. In that sense it was a shocking decision. Luiz really did seem like a clown of a central defender, however, much as it pains me to say it because I hate him, Terry is not bad at all.

Krul was excellent again. Not at fault for any of the goals and great save from the penalty, which, whilst a little soft, looked a penalty to me on the screens at half time.

Raylor was shown up for the defender he is again today. Sturridge had all the time and space in the world, particularly in the first half. Jonas was a real miss in that sense. Got to be Santon next week for me.

Colo and Taylor excellent again in the middle. Massive blow for us them both going off, could mean we are in for a much rougher December than it should be on paper. Perch wasn't that bad when he came on, in fact I thought he was quite clever in the way he handled Drogba. Did lose his man for the first goal and was quite funny to see him just heading thin air about a metre away from Drogba when he connected!

Obertan - well he was Obertan - just knock it past a defender and run mate!

Ba and Ben Arfa struggled to link up. Hatem again showed glimpses but was also quite wasteful. The crowd got on his back a bit, although this is not surprising given he refuses to make the simple pass. At one point in the first half raylor was the easy pass on the left hand side, hatem cut inside trying to beat a couple of defenders, realised he couldn't, found Cabaye who played it first time to Raylor where the ball should have gone 5 seconds earlier. Summed up his day for me. Ba full of his usual running and Shola decent when he came on.

Fair play to Guthrie - he has really turned my opinion around. Arguably better than Cabaye in the last few games, which is about as big a compliment as I can pay him. Think he runs out of steam a bit towards the end of games. Not a natural athlete that is for sure!

On the balance of play I think most would agree that we deserved a draw, however, it wasn't to be. That's football. Got to pick ourselves up and get on with the next few games. Would love 7-9 points from the next four. I think we are capable of it, but we will have to play well and need a few injuries to heal up quickly.

Disgrace

It would be equally inappropriate and unfunny in my opinion.

EDIT - but I get the point you are trying to make and don't believe you set out trying to be disrespectful.

We do what she wants, as simple as that, in the end two tributes will go ahead, the unofficial one tomorrow, and the official one against Swansea.

 

Heza, hanging, really? 

 

Sorry. If it was anyone else who had done this though, I would make similar jokes as would many others. As much as I love Gary Speed and I'm gutted by this, I think hanging yourself is a cowardly act. There never is a right time to say that, and Joey Barton (I think) saying that so soon after was particularly inappropriate, especially in the public eye. I certainly wouldn't do it about cancer or something of the likes. I guess it's my (and others') way of dealing with it, by making an ocassional funny.

 

Don't say it then.

 

It's my opinion, more people died allowing me to have one, so tough shit.

Fair enough - you're entitled to your opinion. Just don't think your joke was any less inappropriate than what Joey Barton said.

We do what she wants, as simple as that, in the end two tributes will go ahead, the unofficial one tomorrow, and the official one against Swansea.

 

Heza, hanging, really? 

 

Sorry. If it was anyone else who had done this though, I would make similar jokes as would many others. As much as I love Gary Speed and I'm gutted by this, I think hanging yourself is a cowardly act. There never is a right time to say that, and Joey Barton (I think) saying that so soon after was particularly inappropriate, especially in the public eye. I certainly wouldn't do it about cancer or something of the likes. I guess it's my (and others') way of dealing with it, by making an ocassional funny.

Don't say it then.

That Vuckic lad looks half decent...

Exactly, have to respect her request on this occasion, regardless of what my personal opinion might be.

Anyway not really sure why we are having this argument (admittedly instigated by me!)... I'm pretty sure that we both agree that neither of them should be in the team?! 

Turned into a bit of a Lovenkrands rant, but I have to say my feelings towards him are turning a similar way to they have about Smith, although of course not quite to the same extreme. There is just no way the bloke should be anywhere near the team. I don't think anyone in the world would advocating him starting a game and he's just not a useful option off the bench. He's lost a yard of pace, doesn't really run with the ball nor does he hold it particularly well. He isn't useful to have coming off the bench when we need a goal, nor when we are trying to protect a league. In the Premier League, particularly against the better sides, its like having ten on the pitch - he's just anonymous.

 

Rant over, back to work!

 

Nowhere near Smith standards for me.  He's actually a half decent finisher, scored a lot of goals in the championship, cost sod all, probably gets paid sod all and seems a likeable guy.  Smith is the polar opposite.

 

Didn't say that he was at Smith standard, just that he was starting to go the same way in terms of what he offers. The championship proved that he was a decent finished, however, of course we aren't in the championship anymore. He just isn't good enough to create those opportunities regularly in the premier league, particularly not against the top defenders. For me he is therefore a waste of a substitute.

 

He seems a likeable guy, but then again so does Smith so it is a massive exaggeration to say that they are the polar opposite of each other.  Playing devils advocate a bit here - if we are looking at the character of the player then wages are irrelevant - Smith cannot be blamed for the amount of money the club are paying him on.

 

I accept that there are of course difference and that Lovenkrands has contributed far more to the club on the pitch than Smith. At this precise moment of time they are both burdensome, all be it that Smith is a more expensive burden. Lovenkrands is if you like the lesser of two evils.

 

I didn't mean as a player, I meant my dislike of him as a player is nowhere near Smith standards.  Worded it wrong, should have made that clearer!

 

How is it a massive exaggeration?  Smith is on massive wages, cost £6m, has had a handful of good games for us, never scored and seems like a bit of a nob.  On what I have just mentioned, he is the opposite to Lovenkrands, fail to see the argument?  But lets play devil's advocate for no particular reason. 

 

People are obviously going to pick up on the fee paid and wages, it's what fans do isn't it???  When you pay that kind of money and dish out some ridiculous 5 year deal, you want some returns on that.  Seeing as we currently run a tight ship and have an owner that isn't keen on spending money, I think it's a valid point.

I agree with some of what you say, but in my opinion you can't put things like 'he's on massive wages' in the same category of things as 'he seems like a nice guy'. It is not Smiths fault that he cost a lot of money, nor that he is on a lot of money - if Lovenkrands was offered the same money I'd be surprised if he turned it down.

Not sure where you have got that Smith seems a bit of a nob from - if you can point me to any incidents that suggest this I will happily apologise. The only thing I can think of is that video at Man City where he takes the time to chat to our mascot and gives them his training jumper unprompted. Giving someone a bit of kit is by no means conclusive but it suggests otherwise?

I said in my original post that Lovenkrands hasn't reached the same level as Smith. The fact that Smith was a so called big signing who flopped is detrimental to his cause and the fact that Lovenkrands was a freebie who scored goals in the championship can be used in his mitigation, but they are not polar opposites as either as players or, as far as I can tell, blokes.

If you turned up tomorrow and either was starting almost with out exception everyone be pissed off and if either came on most would think that it was a waste of a sub. 

Turned into a bit of a Lovenkrands rant, but I have to say my feelings towards him are turning a similar way to they have about Smith, although of course not quite to the same extreme. There is just no way the bloke should be anywhere near the team. I don't think anyone in the world would advocating him starting a game and he's just not a useful option off the bench. He's lost a yard of pace, doesn't really run with the ball nor does he hold it particularly well. He isn't useful to have coming off the bench when we need a goal, nor when we are trying to protect a league. In the Premier League, particularly against the better sides, its like having ten on the pitch - he's just anonymous.

 

Rant over, back to work!

 

Nowhere near Smith standards for me.  He's actually a half decent finisher, scored a lot of goals in the championship, cost sod all, probably gets paid sod all and seems a likeable guy.  Smith is the polar opposite.

Didn't say that he was at Smith standard, just that he was starting to go the same way in terms of what he offers. The championship proved that he was a decent finished, however, of course we aren't in the championship anymore. He just isn't good enough to create those opportunities regularly in the premier league, particularly not against the top defenders. For me he is therefore a waste of a substitute.

He seems a likeable guy, but then again so does Smith so it is a massive exaggeration to say that they are the polar opposite of each other.  Playing devils advocate a bit here - if we are looking at the character of the player then wages are irrelevant - Smith cannot be blamed for the amount of money the club are paying him on.

I accept that there are of course difference and that Lovenkrands has contributed far more to the club on the pitch than Smith. At this precise moment of time they are both burdensome, all be it that Smith is a more expensive burden. Lovenkrands is if you like the lesser of two evils.

Turned into a bit of a Lovenkrands rant, but I have to say my feelings towards him are turning a similar way to they have about Smith, although of course not quite to the same extreme. There is just no way the bloke should be anywhere near the team. I don't think anyone in the world would advocating him starting a game and he's just not a useful option off the bench. He's lost a yard of pace, doesn't really run with the ball nor does he hold it particularly well. He isn't useful to have coming off the bench when we need a goal, nor when we are trying to protect a league. In the Premier League, particularly against the better sides, its like having ten on the pitch - he's just anonymous.

Rant over, back to work!