Gerrard u-turn after accusing Everton of long-ball tactics

• zocoss

  27 Oct 12, 12:04

   

   

   

            

   

               VS        

   

   

   

  Sunday October 21  

    

  Time:   9:30pm    Mio    102

   

  
  

   

   

   

   

• zocoss

  27 Oct 12, 12:05

  Divers like Suarez are turning fans away from football, says Everton boss Moyes
  

   

  

  Outspoken: Moyes is preparing his side to face Liverpool on Sunday

   

  

  Spoiling the game? Moyes believes divers should be harshly punished

   

   

  David Moyes has accused players like Luis Suarez of turning supporters away from English football and he demanded serial divers be punished with bans.

  The Everton manager stoked the fires ahead of the 219th Merseyside derby, which will be refereed by Andre Marriner, by admitting he is 'worried' about Suarez, especially after last season when the Liverpool striker's dramatic reaction to a challenge led to Jack Rodwell being wrongly sent off.

  Moyes, who has long held strong views about players who go down too easily, referred to that incident yesterday as 'a dive' and believes the culture of players cheating to gain an advantage will eventually mean football loses spectators.
  

   

  'I would (be concerned about Suarez) because I think he has got history,' said Moyes.
  

  'But I am not the referee, I am not the one that (makes decisions). But I tell you what — it will turn the supporters away from football if they think players are conning their way to results.

  'People like to see things done in  the main correctly. If the ball hits a hand, of course you are going to claim for it. And you will take every decision you get. But when people are out to manufacture it, supporters in general will not like it.'

  When Moyes was asked if his comments were directed at Suarez in particular, he replied: ‘It is generally. I think it is a discussion to be had. I don’t think supporters like the idea of players going down easily.

  'Everybody who has played football and who is involved in it, you would hate to see that happening in the games you played. You would say "get up". You just find it very hard to go along with but you have to give the referee the chance to referee the game the way he sees it.'
  

  Moyes added: 'Players should stay on their feet. I have got a view that retrospective viewing of diving should be seen as more important than some of the technology they are talking about coming in. I think if you banned players, it wouldn’t take long before you cut (diving) out.'

   

  
   

  

  Shocker: Suarez is starting to earn himself something of a reputation

   

   

  Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers launched an astonishing defence of Suarez following a 0-0 draw against Stoke earlier this month, claiming he is the victim of ‘wrong and unfair treatment’, and he reiterated that Liverpool have suffered at the hands of referees.

  Moyes, who is similarly aggrieved about decisions that have gone against Everton, regularly reminds his squad about the code of conduct he expects them to follow on the pitch and will not tolerate them diving.

  Rodgers said: 'I have seen it over the years - the real firecrackers of games, full of intensity and passion, which they should be because that is what derbies are about. But it is also important to stay calm.'

   

   

  We’re counting on you, ref

  

   

  RODGER THAT ... Reds boss wants strong referee display

  Published: 26th October 2012

   

   

   

  BRENDAN RODGERS is counting on a strong refereeing performance during the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

  The Liverpool boss has been unhappy this season with the way his team have been treated by officials.

  And with the intensity of a trip to Goodison Park, Rodgers hopes ref Andre Marriner keeps order on the day.

  He said: “I have seen it over the years — the real firecrackers of games, full of intensity and passion, which they should be because that is what derbies are about.

  “But it is also important to stay calm, and I think the referee has a big part to play in it as well because I have also seen over the games some of the challenges.

  “I think the history of this game shows there have been a lot of red cards.

  “I would hope this weekend that we might get a decision that goes our way for once.”

  
  
• I.imba

  28 Oct 12, 23:28

  Pressure somemore lah

  now goal kena rule offside liao lor

  i dun get it leh, the last kick just seems like it is a goal to me.

  robbed again?

• zocoss

  1 Nov 12, 09:16

  Gerrard u-turn: I went too far with my attack on Everton over their long-ball tactics
  

   

   

  Backtrack: Steven Gerrard was initially harsh in his criticism of Everton

   

   

   

  Why Gerrard got it wrong...

  Read Ian Ladyman's verdict on why the Liverpool captain was wide of the mark HERE

   

   

   

  Gerrard may be interested to know that, on Sunday, Everton enjoyed 56.2 per cent of the possession, had 16 shots compared to Liverpool’s 13, and completed 400 passes — 86 more than his Liverpool outfit.
  

  Interestingly, 13.8 per cent of Everton’s passes were long, compared to Liverpool’s 16.6 per cent.
  

   

   

   

   

  Steven Gerrard has admitted his criticism of Everton after the Merseyside derby on Sunday was over the top as he drew a line under the controversy.
  

  The Liverpool captain was furious after the game and, in the heat of the moment, he said Everton’s tactics were similar to those of Stoke, as he claimed they played a number of long balls.
  

  His frustration stemmed from Liverpool having a last-gasp winner from Luis Suarez wrongly disallowed at Goodison Park and he made a number of inflammatory comments, such as Liverpool were the only team interested in playing football. 

  However, statistics that were published following the pulsating 2-2 draw showed that Everton enjoyed more possession and significantly out-passed Liverpool, which is why Gerrard has felt the need to issue a retraction. 
  

  ‘Just to clarify I’ve watched the game again and I’ve seen some of Everton’s matches this season, and what I said in relation to their style of play went too far,’ Gerrard.
  

  ‘I was frustrated by the disallowed goal from Luis when I spoke and also some of the things that have been said about Luis in recent weeks, which haven’t been fair in my opinion.
  

  ‘As captain I have a duty to stand up for our players when I feel they are unfairly singled out. But it wasn’t my intention to disrespect Everton or Stoke for that matter and I certainly didn’t intend any disrespect to their manager or players.’
  

  Gerrard was eager to stress that he had no intended to upset the respective managers of Everton and told the Liverpool Echo: ‘I have the utmost respect for David Moyes and Tony Pulis and the job they have done at their respective clubs.

  ‘My main issue was with the goal that wasn’t given and that Liverpool did not get the three points I felt we deserved in what was a fantastic derby match.’

   

  

  Standing up for his club: Phil Jagielka has hit back at Steven Gerrard

   

   

  It comes after Phil Jagielka hit back at Gerrard’s with his own barbed comments about Liverpool’s style of play.

  Everton were incensed by Gerrard’s comments following Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, particularly as stats for the game showed they made more passes (448 to 314) and enjoyed more possession (56 per cent to 44 per cent) than Liverpool.

  While Jagielka was happy to admit Everton could be direct when they want to be, to utilise the strength and aerial prowess of Marouane Fellaini, he suggested that Liverpool’s methods of always wanting to play on the ground are flawed.

  'If Stevie says we are a long ball team then I’m not going to deny the fact that we play long balls,’ said Jagielka. ‘Do we play them for the full 90 minutes? No. But we play quite direct.
  

  'Who wouldn’t when you have someone in form like Marouane Fellaini, who can bring the ball down for fun and we start creating things from there? Why wouldn’t you do that? We don’t believe in passing it around for half an hour for the sake of it.
  

  'If we can put the ball forward and cause them trouble then let’s cause them as much trouble as possible. We won’t change the way we play. We won’t start to look to put in a thousand passes a game.
  

  'If we need to play forward to Felli to create chances, or to Nikica Jelavic or to Victor Anichebe, then guess what? That’s what we’ll do.’

   

  

  Hitting out: Gerrard compared Everton to Stoke

  

  Focal point: But Everton were not guilty of long-balls to Marouane Fellaini

   

  Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers, though, is not someone who will change his philosophy and he has added further spice to the fallout by backing up his captain’s claim that Liverpool have to play in a certain, attractive manner.

  He did, however, acknowledge that Everton do have a number of skilful players who have made significant contributions this season.

  'I believe there were two different styles,’ said Rodgers. ‘This is a club brought up with a certain way of playing. Its history has been defined by the many great managers who have been here. You have to win games but you have to win games by playing in a certain style.

  'It’s the beauty of the Premier League - there are so many diverse ways of working and playing.  We play a certain way. If you look at Everton and a number of other teams, they are a bit more direct and then play off the front players.
  

  'But they have players with finesse like Leighton Baines and Leon Osman, who are terrific footballers. For us here at Liverpool, there’s a way in which we play and want to win games. the supporters and the history of the club dictates that.’

  There is a feeling amongst Evertonians that Gerrard’s comments have shown that David Moyes’ squad have started to get under Liverpool’s skin. Everton are six points ahead of their neighbours and aim to finish above them in the table for the second successive year.

  'I suppose it’s a backhanded compliment,’ said Jagielka. ‘Stevie must have thought Liverpool were in a game to come out which such comments. It makes you chuckle, but if Stevie is saying things like that, there must be a reason behind it which must be that we are doing something well.'

• zocoss

  1 Nov 12, 09:28

   

  Distin tweet points finger at Suarez for almost breaking his ankle in Merseyside derby
  

   

  

  Nasty tackle: Luis Suarez of Liverpool treads on the ankle of Sylvain Distin during Sunday's Merseyside derby. The Everton defender has posted a furious tweet about the incident

   

  

  Twitter fury: Distin's tweet about Suarez tackle

  Everton's Sylvain Distin has accused Luis Suarez of almost breaking his ankle with a horrific challenge in Sunday's Merseyside derby.

  As the bitter fallout to Sunday's 2-2 derby continue, the 34-year-old French defender was left in agony on the Goodison turf after the Liverpool striker raked his studs down Distin's ankle.

  Distin (@sylvaind15tin) posted a message on Twitter late last night which read: 'Thanks for the concern. My ankle is all good considering it could have been broken.'

  Suarez, who had already courted controversy by diving in front of Everton boss David Moyes to celebrate Liverpool's opening goal, appeared to suggest his studs had caught in the turf causing him to catch Distin.

  That notion former World Cup referee and Sportsmail columnist Graham Poll described as fanciful.

  Poll wrote: 'He (Suarez) was correctly booked - his second 'offence' - in the 71st minute when he showed his bad side by treading on the achilles of Sylvain Distin.

  'Suarez indicated his studs had caught in the turf causing the accidental clash. Replays showed no such slip and he was cautioned for the fourth time in the league this season.'

   

  

  Agony: Distin writhes on the floor as Suarez attempts to console him

  
  
• Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

  1 Nov 12, 17:10

  the most failure part is moyes say suarez will dive
  
  indeed suarez dive in front of him