Are Managers Too Protective Of Players?

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Questioning Suarez
So, with LFC and Kenny Dalglish basically calling Suarez a liar, it kind of makes you wonder what else he might have lied to them about over the last few months.
Ernie


Well Played Fenway Sports
After reading mails this morning concerning the handshakes and its necessity, may I quash all arguments by stating a couple of points:

1) It was pre-arranged and symbolic. It was supposed to draw a very public line under the whole miserable affair. Suarez had agreed to it, Evra had agreed to it and everyone was fully expecting it to happen. It was even announced in the media and in the match build-up literature and rhetoric. Whether you agree or not with the ritual in principle, positive noises were coming from all quarters with regard to this moment and its message about all moving on. So, for Suarez to undermine everything in the build-up and what's more, to snub a handshake from the victim of this whole affair speaks volumes for what sort of a person he is. Great to see Dalglish finally apologise and it has been a long time coming. His stock, along with Liverpool's, has plummeted by his actions and statements throughout.

2) Manchester United have quite rightly accepted Liverpool's apology and stated the desire to fully move on. In fact, from start to finish United have set an example of how to handle these types of situation. Ferguson admitted that Evra was in the wrong for celebrating at full time, but given the disgusting stick Evra got at Anfield recently, I would say he was within his rights. I also agree with Ferguson that Liverpool should get rid of Suarez, although it was not his place to say that. It has come out this morning that De Gea got spat at by a Liverpool player to spark the half-time brawl - no prizes for guessing who is top of the suspects list...

3) Well played the ref. Incidentally, wasn't it great that there were no refereeing controversies this weekend? I can't remember a single incident and there were lots of big games and six pointers. Great stuff refs!

4) Well played Fenway Sports, although why couldn't they have come out after the initial incident?
Richard (1-5, 1-5, Boing Boing, Boing Boing), Cambridge


Meet 'N' Greet
Surely Liverpool could have done more on Saturday. I'm thinking along the lines of having Banzai's Mr Shake Hands Man wearing the #7 shirt during the pre-match meet n greet.

That is all.
Somerset Dave


Managers Too Protective
I was watching Kenny Dalglish talking or getting the hump with Geoff Shreeves the other day and it got me thinking (After I stopped laughing at his excuse). This attitude that players need to be protected has turned grown men who have the best jobs into the world in a group of divas.

When a manager says "I didn't see it" or "Not that type of player" what sort of message does that give? The manager is always the one who defends his players in the media or when he is fouled on a pitch etc. The prima-donna players of today with the egos, money and lifestyle they live sometimes need to be told you are wrong.

I am not a "Good spell in the army type" but when the man who is your boss and you should look up to cannot say you did anything wrong and you see what other players get away with then what would you think? Player today are becoming untouchable and it will get worse just look at Ravel Morrison and he has yet to be a first team player!

Also this attitude that managers should not give interviews just after matches is bullsh*t!! When I make a boll*cks of something in my job I have to answer when I have been found out not in a few hours/days
Barry( When I rant I sometimes spell badly - Anger typing is a growing menace) Walsh


Keep Faith In Downing
I've seen on your fine site many a Liverpool fan having a go at Downing before Saturday, but as a Middlesbrough fan I just thought that they couldn't appreciate the finer points of his game. Why blame Downing for no assists, when I've seen Carroll and Suarez miss good chance after chance?

Then I saw the game on Saturday and I sort of understand where the vitriol is coming from. One correspondent said "Stewart Downing is utterly pants", and after that showing you would be forced to agree.

The only problem with that is the fact that the Stewart Downing on the field on Saturday was not the player that played at Middlesbrough. Prone to the odd dip in confidence? Definitely. Shied out of 50-50 tackles? Of course, what else would you expect from a winger? But his technical ability shone through, he was an outstanding crosser of the ball, had a howitzer of a shot, could play with both feet, was the best wide-man in the league for tracking back and covering his full-back and never EVER gave away possession. He was very much a continental style player, who was comfortable in possession and didn't waste a pass. I always thought that he was destined for a top four club.

I suppose the point of this man-love ramble is that Liverpool fans should stick by him, because his confidence looks absolutely shot. In the same way as he couldn't kick a ball in anger for three months after England fans booed him non-stop for the simple crime of not being Joe Cole, Boro fans (well about half of them) stuck with him and he came out the other side a better player. Your club have spaffed £20m on him, so you might as well try. He is not as bad as he looked on Saturday.
Mike (He's a better player than Adam Johnson, as well) Brown, Middlesbrough


Or Not...
I'm a Liverpool who wants to talk about football! (Though I think all LFC fans do now, the whole saga has gone on too long...)

Firstly, Stuart Downing. Whatever happened to the player those Villa fans were gutted to lose, who looked so effective for them last season and who, when we agreed to shell out £20million on him, nobody suggested it was a touch punchy? He's disappeared and certainly shouldn't go to the Euros on current form. He bears none of the attributes you'd want in a Premier League midfielder and most disturbingly of all, putting it bluntly, he seems incapable of kicking a footy properly. Equally worrying is Dalglish's insistence on playing him (albeit on and off - he's warmed the bench a fair bit recently). What's he doing in training to justify a starting position and why can't he replicate it in games? I'd love Dalglish to start experimenting with some of our youth players - Sterling/Suso/Silva etc - all of which would have more to offer and would give more effort than Downing. I'd be disappointed if I were them, progressing well for years, and then seeing the likes of Downing still getting games week after week.

I'd add Henderson into that bracket, but I think he's done marginally better than Downing this season and has a lot of potential. I wouldn't be surprised if in 2 years time he becomes as integral to our team as Lucas evidently is now. (Incidentally, I can't wait for Lucas to come back and wish him a speedy recovery.)

Second point: fantastic game last night between Zambia and Ivory Coast. Some great play and a terrific atmosphere. Guts, determination, athleticism and skill in abundance, but overall, I was delighted Zambia won - everyone loves an underdog, especially those playing for the victims of the '93 disaster. Kudos for Drogba burying the pen in the shootout too though, having missed the first one - gutsiest move I ever saw...
John (talking about footy) LFC


Shenanigans
Totally agree with Johnny Nic, the microscope constantly being aimed at every little thing is becoming tiresome. Suarez is clearly a little unhinged, but at the same time, he genuinely seems to think he's not in the wrong, and no amount of jumping up and down by every man and his dog is going to change his mind. The funny thing is, the whole handshake at the start is supposed to be part of the Respect campaign, yet you've got the vast majority of footballers telling the ref to f*** off all the time without any attention paid to this at all.

I can't remember a time where the football was so secondary to all of the other shenanigans going on. Although saying that, the dross that was served up in the first half was probably a good reason to focus on two men holding / not holding hands.

And for those who think this is still about racism, it's not. This is all about the 'news' and trying to create stories to sell papers - the longer this continues, the more the red tops have to write about so of course they're going to keep pouring fuel on the fire of this one. Can we just get back to the 90 minutes of football this is all supposed to be about?
Chris (no longer watching pre, mid or post match 'analysis') Wilton


Mick Just Not A PL Manager
So big Mick has got the chop again. Tough break for a decent guy but could he have expected anything else having been close to the drop zone for most of his time in charge?

You'll have plenty of people mail in today to comment that Mick had done well with the budget he's had to work with etc. but as Paul Lambert and Brendan Rodgers have proven this season it's not all about cash.

A good Championship manager who is a little out of his depth at Premier League level, that's not a sin, just the uncomfortable truth as far as Mick is concerned.
Deiseboy


But Perfect For England
He's English, he has International management experience, he has qualified for a World Cup and got through the group stages, he's passionate, he's a man manager, he knows f*ck all about tactics and he's available for free......

.....Mick McCarthy for England!
Banister9 (No? Well, doesn't he meet the apparent criteria?)


Or How About This Adonis
Herve Renard for England anyone?
Jono (I'm serious) Nottingham


...After a horrible weekend for football, the sight of Herve Renard carrying his player to join in Zambias CAF victory sing/dancealong restored my faith in football humanity.

And as to how he looks... I would.
Craig (admit it, you would too...), Glasgow


Nice Options
After having watched them all season scoring goals, does anyone else think that Grant Holt of Norwich and Danny Graham of Swansea would be a nice option to have upfront for the national team?

Both strong and solid, look like they can score with either foot as well as their heads and have a good eye for goal - as the record in the PL shows right now.

They are far from big names at the moment, but on current form they must surely deserve a cap. After all, being picked for the national side should be based on who is the best right now and not by how 'big' your name is.

Might be worth a go, we do have a friendly coming up after all.
Alec (here's hoping) Butcher


Blofeld
Picture the scene, a man walks into an office in North London, plans for a new stadium lay sprawled on a desk with a scale model sitting in the corner of the room, a presentation adorned with the Olympic Rings can be seen poking out of a waste paper bin nearby. The large chair opposite the desk spins around slowly and a bald, bespectacled man is revealed, stroking a white cat with a blue bobble hat on its head.

"Ahh Mr Bernstein...I've been expecting you"
David (Only one Harry Redknapp!) London


The Pete Gill Fan Club
I used to think I disliked Pete Gill.

You don't know what you've got till it's gone.
Harsha, Arsenal fan in New Delhi.


...It was lovely to see the return of Winners & Losers, and best of luck to Mr Stanger filling PG's shoes.

Given the history of Pete's running battle with the trolls and idiots in W&L I have a horrible feeling that he probably left with a shaking of the head, a wringing of the hands and a general despair at the state of the football-watching nation... so I just wanted to say thanks for fighting the good fight. There were plenty of us who were not confused by the concept of the column, found the reasoned discussion with the reasonable posters to be enlightening and stimulating, and took a certain level of enjoyment from the put-downs.

All the best, Pete.

But seriously... F1? *yawn*...
Dan, Watford.