http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/ ECHO feature writer and Kop season ticket holder Tony Barrett.... en Copyright 2008 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:17:27 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Funny how you see the things you want to see isn't it? On Saturday Mark Clattenburg assumed the status of pantomime villain for the blue half of the city - the new Clive Thomas, anyone - when he cost them certain victory over that horrible, nasty, cheating shower from across the park. Their anger was fired by two major incidents, the first being Dirk Kuyt's Jackie Chan style lunge at Phil Neville which should have resulted in a red card for the Dutchman. But the second one was perhaps even more controversial than Evertonians and the national media would have us believe. Yes, Carragher did haul Joleon Lescott down in the box. There is no doubt about that. But if you look at the replay again you will find that James McFadden's long throw into the box was illegal because he had one foot off the ground. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/t4fVkqhhdtY/mark_clattenburg.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/mark_clattenburg.html Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:17:27 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/mark_clattenburg.html In the very near future members of the Bulgarian judiciary are set to meet to discuss new evidence which has come to light in the Michael Shields case. With this in mind, it is crucially important that we continue to put pressure on the Bulgarian authorities to right the wrong that has been done in Michael's case. If the outcome of the meeting goes Michael's way, it could result in him being pardoned or the case being reopened. Everyone who has bothered to examine the evidence upon which Michael was convicted knows it is totally unsafe and those of us who are closer to the case are able to say without fear of being proven wrong that the Liverpool fan is not guilty. Obviously, this miscarriage of justice needs to be put right, both for Michael and the victim, Martin Georgiev, who could so easily have been killed when he was attacked in the Sunny Beach resort in Bulgaria in the aftermath of Liverpool's Champions League win in Istanbul. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/4jsCBql8XJE/michael_shields.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/michael_shields.html Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:58:52 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/michael_shields.html Anyone Merseyside football fan who claims the derby is not the biggest game of the season is either (a) lying (b) stupid or (c) taking the p**s. There is nothing like it. Never mind your Man Uniteds, your Chelseas and your Arsenals, if you are a Liverpool fan then the game you look out for is the one that pits us against our bitter rivals from the wrong side of Stanley Park. There may be those who try to kid themselves that United is the biggest game of the season but that is as wrong as David Moyes' fashion sense. Think of your biggest highs and lows in the Premiership over the last decade and the likelihood is that it is moments from derby games that top your charts. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/8hU8_G-QgqM/the_big_one.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/the_big_one.html Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:26:59 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/the_big_one.html And there was me thinking Tim Howard was the only Everton player with Tourettes. Clearly, Alan Stubbs has little control over what comes out of his mouth either, judging by his latest pre-Derby outburst. The first I knew of it was when I got a text from my bitterest Bluenose mate at 7.30am yesterday. "Why the f**k doesn't he just keep his mouth shut?" he blasted, before reverting to form and adding "he does Benitez's team talk for him every year and this year the fat Spanish waiter needs it more than ever." Leaving the abuse of the Liverpool manager to one side, I have to admit that, possibly for the first time in his entire life, my Bluenose mate might actually have a point. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/45P6XYCcFsI/big_mouth_strikes_again.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/big_mouth_strikes_again.html Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:48:54 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/big_mouth_strikes_again.html Apparently, according to some of our friends from Wigan anyway, if you go in the home end as an away fan then you're "going to get what's coming". Funny that because last night I saw Marseilles fans in the Upper Centenary, Anfield Road and Main Stand and no one bothered them. They celebrated their winning goal like they'd just won the World Cup and were not attacked by a mob of bullies. They were just allowed to enjoy their moment because, let's be honest, they were not doing anyone any harm. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/a0eyqbhJhIY/marseilles_fans_in_the_liverpo.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/marseilles_fans_in_the_liverpo.html Thu, 04 Oct 2007 08:17:58 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/marseilles_fans_in_the_liverpo.html Well, trouble at Wigan on Saturday anyway when a mob of around 50 home fans turned on three Liverpool supporters and basically battered them all over the stand. It was the kind of scene I haven't witnessed at an English football ground for years and the worst thing about it was the police just seemed to stand and watch until it was far, far too late. The three lads who got a hiding were in the home end, a place where they are, admittedly, not supposed to be. But there is no law against them being there and, from what I understand, visiting fans sitting in the home section is something that happens at Wigan when the likes of Everton and Man United visit as well. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/Uf1Xip06RJU/trouble_at_mill.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/trouble_at_mill.html Mon, 01 Oct 2007 08:54:59 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/10/trouble_at_mill.html Rumour has it a certain Spanish striker will be in Liverpool's starting eleven tonight. Can't work that one out for the life of me. The League Cup is hardly our priority and it was only recently that Rafa Benitez was complaining about the pressures being placed on his top players, many of whom he fears are playing too many games. So for our star striker to start a game of precious little significance after sitting out most of a crucial league game on Saturday flies in the face of common sense. Unless........Torres wasn't rotated against Birmingham, he was dropped for playing so poorly in Porto the previous Tuesday. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/Y8x1J2BZmKY/torres_to_start_at_reading_ton.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/torres_to_start_at_reading_ton.html Tue, 25 Sep 2007 10:19:59 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/torres_to_start_at_reading_ton.html Say what you like about Rafa Benitez's rotation system but you could never accuse the Liverpool manager of not being single minded. While pretty much every single Liverpool fan and every media commentator (expert?!!) is calling for Fernando Torres to start each and every league game, Benitez has stuck to his guns, tailoring his team selection for the needs of each particular game. In fairness to him, it's not as if his philosophy has let him down since he took over the Anfield hot seat. One European Cup, one FA Cup and runners up in last season's Champions League is anything but a record of failure. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/GGRKUlz_pYs/rafas_rotation_making_us_dizzy.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/rafas_rotation_making_us_dizzy.html Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:47:44 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/rafas_rotation_making_us_dizzy.html Well, let's face facts, that's pretty much what's happened to poor old Jose. On two separate occasions he was denied the chance to make his position as Chelsea manager pretty much 100% secure and on two separate occasions he was denied - by Rafa Benitez. Make no mistake about it, if Chelsea had won a European Cup under his stewardship Mourinho would not be spending this morning signing on at the job centre on Kings Road (that's if they even have such a thing in West London). The European Cup has become a holy grail for Abramovich and not winning it meant he could dispense with the man who has brought him two league titles. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/D2uN0AXULOk/benitez_costs_portuguese_immig.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/benitez_costs_portuguese_immig.html Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:41:35 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/benitez_costs_portuguese_immig.html Right, let's get a few things straight. 1. Jermaine Pennant is a very good footballer who has improved dramatically for Liverpool over the last 12 months. 2. Last night he worked incredibly hard and, along with Dirk Kuyt, was one of very few Liverpool players who did so, despite the fact that he did not perform anywhere near as well as he can. 3. Pretty much every other member of the team, Steven Gerrard included, was dreadful. 4. The Porto players were hitting the deck at every opportunity and their gamesmanship/cheating was a disgrace. 5. The referee was not allowing players to get stuck in. 6. Jermaine Pennant did not stop Liverpool from winning last night. The performance of the entire team made such an outcome highly unlikely from the outset. 7. Jermaine Pennant should therefore not be made a scapegoat for us failing to win. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/6iXoghdJs5k/pennant_part_2.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/pennant_part_2.html Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:52:06 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/pennant_part_2.html You're playing against a team whose players hit the deck if you so much as breathe in their general direction, with a referee officiating who has decided that football is a non-contact sport. So what do you do? Do you: (a) Stay on your feet, refusing to dive in to tackles which could earn you a yellow card (b) Pick and choose the challenges you make in the knowledge that at some point during the game you're liable to pick up a booking and you don't want it to happen too early (c) Make stupid tackle after stupid tackle, antagonise the ref and get yourself sent off, leaving your team with ten men? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/WYiDGj0-vyQ/pennants_got_to_learn.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/pennants_got_to_learn.html Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:40:29 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/pennants_got_to_learn.html Does anyone know what happened to that legal action Big Sam threatened the BBC with? Apparently those nasty television people told lies about nice Mr Allardyce. If anyone knows which courtroom his case against the Beeb will be heard in can you let me know please. The wheels of justice don't half seem to be turning slowly on this one. Maybe Big Sam will tell us how he's getting on when he does his next interview on Match of the Day. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/fJ9rw1TRQ60/by_the_way.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/by_the_way.html Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:39:53 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/by_the_way.html If anyone could ever be accused of having intelligence in inverse proportion to the size of their head it would be Big Sam Allardyce. Today's xenophobic rant about nasty foreigner Rafa Benitez pretty much sums up a man who talks like a Daily Sport reader and looks like Bully out of Bullseye. The day after his own team were beaten by mighty Derby County, the Newcastle manager was quoted as saying: "Being a foreigner, Rafa doesn't understand it's supposed to be Premier League first and Champions League second." Really? Being a "foreigner" hasn't impeded Jose Mourinho or Arsene Wenger from coming to that conclusion so what exactly does country of birth have to do with this? And how would big Sam know anyway? When exactly did he have to prioritise between the Champions League and the Premiership? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/DNsltcfkOYk/big_sams_big_fat_head.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/big_sams_big_fat_head.html Tue, 18 Sep 2007 09:06:58 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/big_sams_big_fat_head.html Liverpool have sold all of their tickets for tomorrow night's Champions League game in Porto but there is absolutely no chance of the away end being full. All 2,500 tickets were snapped up but if 2,500 Liverpool fans make the trip to Portugal it'll be the biggest shock of the season. In fact, I'd expect no more than 1,000 to make it over with most choosing to sit at home and watch the game on TV with their £36 ticket sat on the sideboard gathering dust. The ones who have bought tickets but don't go are, to use a euphemism, "playing the system". They pay the price of the ticket and get another credit to their name; a credit which will then go towards entitling them to a ticket for more glamorous games should Liverpool progress in the competition. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/Y1dYAzhIdbM/an_empty_sell_out.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/an_empty_sell_out.html Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:49:58 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/an_empty_sell_out.html Four games, three wins and one draw. Ten points on the board and Liverpool are top of the league for the first time since the days when El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao "graced" Anfield. Starts to the season don't come much better than this. Not unless you go back to the 1987-88 season when Liverpool went 29 games unbeaten before losing at Goodison Park of all places. So far, we have seen Aston Villa beaten at Villa Park (something I can't see many other teams doing this season), Sunderland battered and comfortably beaten at the Stadium of Light and Derby County thoroughly demolished at Anfield. Only Chelsea have taken any points off the Reds and that was only because Rob Styles went all Mr Magoo on us and gave them one of the most ridiculous penalties you've ever seen. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TonyBarrett/~3/SZXaIaVbpM4/why_pompey_is_the_biggest_test.html http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/why_pompey_is_the_biggest_test.html Mon, 10 Sep 2007 09:16:45 +0000 http://www.tonybarrett.merseyblogs.co.uk/2007/09/why_pompey_is_the_biggest_test.html