Eleven changes from Sunday’s home defeat to Man Utd. Downing,
Henderson, Sahin, Coates, Assaidi and Pacheco looking to stake their claims and
the youngsters Wisdom, Robinson, Yesil, were hoping to catch the eye of Brendan
Rogers. One notable inclusion on the bench was 16 year old Jerome Sinclair.
Jamie Carragher would be Liverpool’s shop steward for the night.
Any attempt for Liverpool to control the game from the start was
literally thrown away when Brad Jones, making a rare start, let slip a free kick
which Gabriel Tamas tucked away from close range. The early goal threw the team
of their stride and West Brom sensing the possibility of wrapping up the tie
early were on the front foot.
The Liverpool midfield finally took control allowing Assaidi to
attack down the left. An early foray saw the young winger glide by the right
back delivering a superb near post cross which Yesil making his first start,
should have dispatched, but headed wide. But to be fair his movement had to be
admired.
The dominant passing and pressing game was now back on kilter.
The equaliser was not long in waiting. Sahin, letting go a drive from fully 25
yards which Foster seemingly diving over as the ball squeezed under him and into
the back of the net for the player’s first goal for the club. Liverpool as is
their wont this season began to dominate possession with Assaidi and Downing
seeing more of the ball as the half went on with aforementioned looking
particularly lively and delivering into dangerous areas.
Assaidi starting on the front in the second-half again whipping
in another telling cross which Yesil was only inches from making contact with
coming in on the back of the defender. Yesil fired in a quick snap shot from
range which Foster was very lucky to see ricochet over the bar. Within a minute
Pacheco curled a magnificent angled shot which clipped the bar with Foster
beaten all ends up.
Brad Jones pulled off a fine diving save from a stinging drive
from Lukaku. With Liverpool dominating possession this was against the run of
play, but one began to wonder whether yet again what all the possession would
amount too with West Brom looking for all the world like the away side. Dani
Pacheco, looking like the payer we so want to succeed, picked up the ball on the
half-way line, drifted past his marker and surged through before unleashing a
shot which Foster could only palm away for a corner.
Coates almost found the net from a free-kick, only denied by a
reaction save from Foster from his close range volley. As one would expect from
the home side, West Brom in the last quarter of the 90 minutes began to come
into the game looking physically stronger. Rodgers immediately counter-acted
bringing on Sinclair (becoming the youngest player in Liverpool history at 16
years and 6 days) and Suso for Pacheco and Yesil in attempt to close out the
match.
With his first meaningful touch of the ball, the innately gifted
Suso picked the ball and drove into the heart of the West Brom defence. Where
some may have shot he showed maturity beyond his years to play in Assaidi on the
left, who in turn role the ball across the area for Sahin to finish high into
the net. It was nothing more than Liverpool deserved and Sahin the conductor at
the head of affairs showed his ability to get on the end excellent
moves.
Liverpool were well worth the win. Showing an attacking prowess
and verve often passing with an intricacy and speed of movement and getting
players into the key areas to provide an end product.
Man of The Match: Sahin – At the head of
affairs, controlling the game with his neat passing and helping the youngsters
regain their belief after going one-down.
Special mentions to Assaidi who looked a class
act, Pacheco who looked like the talent we all know and Yesil who led the line
well for his fist start. Suso, for picking up the speed of the game immediately
and delivering the killer punch.
Stewart Downing: Any more performances like
this and the left-back position maybe his only option,
LINE-UPS - West Brom v Liverpool
West Brom: Foster, Jones, Olsson, Tamas,
Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Thorne, Rosenberg, Fortune, Lukaku. Subs: Luke
Daniels, Yacob, Long, El Ghanassy, McAuley, Dawson, Berahino.
Liverpool: Jones, Wisdom, Carragher, Coates,
Robinson, Henderson, Sahin, Downing, Pacheco, Yesil, Assaidi. Subs: Gulacsi,
Wilson, Fernandez Saez, Sterling, Coady, Sama, Sinclair.
Referee: Michael Oliver
(Northumberland)
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Monday, 24 September 2012
Liverpool Lose At Emotion Filled Anfield
At an emotionally filled Anfield, the families of the ‘96 looked on. The atmosphere heightened since The Hillsborough Independent Panel’s published report dispelled the accusations hanging over the heads of the reputations of the 96, their families and the city of Liverpool.
One after another touching mosaic’s were held up. One which had the names of all the 96 printed on it said 96 Brothers and Sisters, Never Forgotten. RIP. Another followed the same theme, ‘96 Candles Burn Bright’. The Kop help up cards spelling the word The Truth and the Centenary stand’s showing Justice.
The great Sir Bobby Charlton came and was given a resounding reception before presenting Ian Rush, Liverpool’s Ambassador red roses. Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs, United captain for the day, released 96 balloons, which was followed by a resounding rendition of YNWA, which both sets of fans gave the ultimate respect too by singing together.
Liverpool fans shouted long and hard during the first minute of the game ‘Justice For The 96’. If anyone was in any doubt, the 96 will never be forgotten whether in the Red or Blue half of the city as Everton continue to show that ‘Unity Is Strength’. Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra shook hands for the greater good.
Liverpool’s started the game as they finished against Sunderland, dominating possession and cuttng swaves through the opposition midfield with Gerrard at the fore prompting and creating. In only the 6th minute Sterling put Suarez through and his low cross, which was palmed out by Lindegaard, almost fell into the path of the on rushing Gerrard.
Within a minute Liverpool were close to taking the lead when from a brilliantly worked Shelvey short corner , Gerrard shot low just on the worng side of the near post. The achilles heel that is the lack of a striker is beginning to bite. Suarez slide-rule pass through to Borini, who sprung the off-side trap, put the young striker through, but with his heavy touch the chance for a shot on goal was lost.
With Dalglish and Rush looking on what would we give for striker with half their goal instincts. At the time of Shelvey’s sending off, which he can count himself very unlucky, Liverpool had over 60 per cent possession, but not for the first time the lack of a goalscorer came back to haunt us. Instead of being in a position of control, we went in at half-time 0-0 with ten men.
Suso coming on for the ineffectual Borini at half-time, was involved in the move which led to Liverpool taking the lead, dancing past Rafael and crossing. The ball broke to Gerrard from a Johnson challenge which as he had so often in the past expertly took down on his chest and expertly volleyed home left-footed. The ground errupted and Gerrard motored to the corner looking skyward probably to his young cousin Jon Paul Gilhooley one of the 96.
United were level within minutes when Rafael coming in from left curled a superb shot past the despairing reach of Reina. With Scholes on to give United some control, Liverpool were still on the front foot. Twice within a few minutes, Lindegaard saved drives from Suarez and the elusive Suso.
Suso’s.then played a cross field pass which fell between Agger and Johnson. Valencia nipped and accelerated in to the area, before being brought down by Johnson’s desperate lunge. The resultant penalty was held up by an injury to Agger. Reina may feel he should’ve done better having got both hands to Van Persie’s penalty. To rub salt into the wounds, Kelly who had erstwhile had a strong game was injured leaving Liverpool to finish with 9 men.
Man of The Match: Steven Gerrard – Head and shoulders above any player on the pitch. Tracked back and covered Man United breaks and was the chief creator going forward. His delivery was excellent and passing incisive with his goal from the Gerrard book of great goals.
Point of Interest: Liverpool desperately need a striker and one wonders why Adam Morgan and Danny Pacheco are at least not fixtures on the Liverpool bench. There must be an experience striker out there whose contract has run down? One can only see Liverpool scoring from dead ball situations or a sublime piece of ingenuity. With a striker in toe the game could and should have been put to bed by half time, but unless something is not down to remedy the situation of no end product on the end of excellent build-up play, we may find ourselves languishing in the never regions of the Premiership by the opening of the next transfer window.
Comment: While it is good to see the undeniable talents of Sterling and Suso come through the ranks, for a club like ours to have to rely on youngsters shows the lack of depth at the club. It’s to easy to blame the manager when he has very little leeway in terms of the flexibility in his squad.
Jose Mourinho in an interview to Sky Sports, "I think Brendan, he can't be champion with that team." .
"He can't make miracles with that team. It's not an easy job. Liverpool expectations are very high. "The reality is that Liverpool, at this moment, they're not the best team in the Premiership. Not even close. The squad is not at that point." He added: "Other squads are investing much more than Liverpool are doing. "So I hope [Rodgers] has time to build because if you don't have the top players in your hands, it takes more time to build. I think he deserves that and I think, with time, he can do the job for them." Bugbear: Referee Mark Halsey was poor in the extreme. His was in the perfect position to give Suarez penalty claim after Evans’ mistimed tackle and Evans could have just easily seen red with Shelvey.
One after another touching mosaic’s were held up. One which had the names of all the 96 printed on it said 96 Brothers and Sisters, Never Forgotten. RIP. Another followed the same theme, ‘96 Candles Burn Bright’. The Kop help up cards spelling the word The Truth and the Centenary stand’s showing Justice.
The great Sir Bobby Charlton came and was given a resounding reception before presenting Ian Rush, Liverpool’s Ambassador red roses. Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs, United captain for the day, released 96 balloons, which was followed by a resounding rendition of YNWA, which both sets of fans gave the ultimate respect too by singing together.
Liverpool fans shouted long and hard during the first minute of the game ‘Justice For The 96’. If anyone was in any doubt, the 96 will never be forgotten whether in the Red or Blue half of the city as Everton continue to show that ‘Unity Is Strength’. Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra shook hands for the greater good.
Liverpool’s started the game as they finished against Sunderland, dominating possession and cuttng swaves through the opposition midfield with Gerrard at the fore prompting and creating. In only the 6th minute Sterling put Suarez through and his low cross, which was palmed out by Lindegaard, almost fell into the path of the on rushing Gerrard.
Within a minute Liverpool were close to taking the lead when from a brilliantly worked Shelvey short corner , Gerrard shot low just on the worng side of the near post. The achilles heel that is the lack of a striker is beginning to bite. Suarez slide-rule pass through to Borini, who sprung the off-side trap, put the young striker through, but with his heavy touch the chance for a shot on goal was lost.
With Dalglish and Rush looking on what would we give for striker with half their goal instincts. At the time of Shelvey’s sending off, which he can count himself very unlucky, Liverpool had over 60 per cent possession, but not for the first time the lack of a goalscorer came back to haunt us. Instead of being in a position of control, we went in at half-time 0-0 with ten men.
Suso coming on for the ineffectual Borini at half-time, was involved in the move which led to Liverpool taking the lead, dancing past Rafael and crossing. The ball broke to Gerrard from a Johnson challenge which as he had so often in the past expertly took down on his chest and expertly volleyed home left-footed. The ground errupted and Gerrard motored to the corner looking skyward probably to his young cousin Jon Paul Gilhooley one of the 96.
United were level within minutes when Rafael coming in from left curled a superb shot past the despairing reach of Reina. With Scholes on to give United some control, Liverpool were still on the front foot. Twice within a few minutes, Lindegaard saved drives from Suarez and the elusive Suso.
Suso’s.then played a cross field pass which fell between Agger and Johnson. Valencia nipped and accelerated in to the area, before being brought down by Johnson’s desperate lunge. The resultant penalty was held up by an injury to Agger. Reina may feel he should’ve done better having got both hands to Van Persie’s penalty. To rub salt into the wounds, Kelly who had erstwhile had a strong game was injured leaving Liverpool to finish with 9 men.
Man of The Match: Steven Gerrard – Head and shoulders above any player on the pitch. Tracked back and covered Man United breaks and was the chief creator going forward. His delivery was excellent and passing incisive with his goal from the Gerrard book of great goals.
Point of Interest: Liverpool desperately need a striker and one wonders why Adam Morgan and Danny Pacheco are at least not fixtures on the Liverpool bench. There must be an experience striker out there whose contract has run down? One can only see Liverpool scoring from dead ball situations or a sublime piece of ingenuity. With a striker in toe the game could and should have been put to bed by half time, but unless something is not down to remedy the situation of no end product on the end of excellent build-up play, we may find ourselves languishing in the never regions of the Premiership by the opening of the next transfer window.
Comment: While it is good to see the undeniable talents of Sterling and Suso come through the ranks, for a club like ours to have to rely on youngsters shows the lack of depth at the club. It’s to easy to blame the manager when he has very little leeway in terms of the flexibility in his squad.
Jose Mourinho in an interview to Sky Sports, "I think Brendan, he can't be champion with that team." .
"He can't make miracles with that team. It's not an easy job. Liverpool expectations are very high. "The reality is that Liverpool, at this moment, they're not the best team in the Premiership. Not even close. The squad is not at that point." He added: "Other squads are investing much more than Liverpool are doing. "So I hope [Rodgers] has time to build because if you don't have the top players in your hands, it takes more time to build. I think he deserves that and I think, with time, he can do the job for them." Bugbear: Referee Mark Halsey was poor in the extreme. His was in the perfect position to give Suarez penalty claim after Evans’ mistimed tackle and Evans could have just easily seen red with Shelvey.
Sunday, 23 September 2012
Continuation of The Fight For Truth
By David Douglas (dedlfc)
We have all now had time to digest the sad findings of the Hillsborough report and it would be a good idea to get some further feedback from the group.
I will first summarise the findings then add my further comments if you can all also add my comments we will then have a greater idea of what the group is feeling about the events of the last couple of days. Key findings:-
What we should have now is a brand new and fair inquest into the sad events and finally justice for the 96 and their bereaved families. JUSTICE FOR THE 96 !!! YNWA !!!
By Kop Post
It was staggering to hear that 41 of the 96 decease could possibly have been saved. The reports that family members upon hearing the news fainted is not surprising given the findings, which proved that the falsehoods and stereotypes applied and painted upon the Liverpool supporters and the City’s citizens were without founding. Each year at the memorial Liverpool as well as Everton fans turn out to support the Fight For Justice and that’s just what the results of this report were about, justice, not victory as such, but justice for the 96, their families and the city of Liverpool.
There will be and is shouts for prosecutions and sentences for those responsible for decision making that day, doctoring statements and the inflammatory nature of the accusations which have caused so much widespread pain and suffering to the bereaved. You live long enough in life and you will eventually know the pain of loss. But, to be driven to distraction on purpose through the lies and innuendo to cover the inadequacies of individuals placed in a position of trust is not just unethical, but an utter disgrace.
Now the shout for justice has reached a crescendo and an inquest is the only just way to move forward. Margaret Aspinall, Trevor Hicks (Chairman of HFSG) Andy Burnham MP, Steve Rotheram MP have been key instigators in the fight for justice exoneration. They have shown leadership, compassion and understanding and in the case of Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James in the disaster, as in so many family members showed the courage of their convictions when faced with the enormity of a situation which has seen barrier upon barrier placed in the way of fairness.
Margaret Aspinall’s thoughts as reported in the Daily Post says it all.
Asked if any aspect of the 395-page report surprised her, Mrs Aspinall, who chairs the Hillsborough Families Support Group, said: “That nearly half of them could have been saved. “That didn't surprise me – it absolutely shocked me. “None of us know which families they are yet. I don't know whether it was James my own son. "When I heard that, right away, I thought 'please God it wasn't my son’.
None of us know. "But we've got to deal with that another day. “Today is about what we've achieved. We've exonerated our fans and I'm so pleased for our city. "Our city takes an awful lot of stick for a lot of things – whingeing Scousers. That's me. “But we've been proven right. We were right all along. "It might not be now, but this will be good for the country as a whole because anything like that will never be able to happen again."
Mrs Aspinall told The Post the 96 victims could rest in peace for the first time. She added: "How could they rest when they see their families not resting? “How could they rest knowing the injustice that has been done? "We've got a bit further to go for them but we'll get to that line. Once we get to that line, they can celebrate up there." Margaret, who believes the disaster was covered-up by orders given from the top echelons of Thatcher’s government, welcomed the apology of David Cameron. She said: “It was a big thing for all of us when you hear the Prime Minister say that and it goes out to the media. “He knows what a cover up it has been. That was the least I expected."
For me is frightening that such a cover-up happened, not just in the days, weeks and months after the tragedy, but decades after. The lies emanated from the highest level and were foisted down on those below and if Margaret Aspinall and others have shown courage, their were many in authority who were hamstrung by their cowardice. The Hillsborough Families Support Group, in consultation with their legal team are in the midst of pushing for an inquest and possible criminal charges.
Trevor Hicks, who lost daughters Vicky aged 15 and Sarah 19 following the meeting said, "This goes beyond Hillsborough. What was exposed on Wednesday was a disgrace to the nation, not just the families... This goes across society and it's important for society at large not to let this rest." The statement on behalf of the HFSG, reads: "The findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel have finally vindicated the families in their 23-year struggle to establish the truth.
"However, after truth must come justice. We have spoken today to our lawyers and taken initial advice. "As the families have always believed and insisted, it was the actions and inaction of those in authority that caused the deaths at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989. "The fans did not contribute to the tragedy. Any blame previously laid at their door has been shown to be part of a despicable conspiracy by those in authority to tarnish the reputations of the dead, the survivors of the disaster and the people of Liverpool. "This conspiracy has been revealed for what it is; a bid to avoid accountability. "Those responsible can avoid accountability no longer."
The HFSG said it had instructed its lawyers to send letters out to "relevant parties" - including the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions - on Monday to "ensure that the machinery of the justice system is put into motion and the families receive a fair hearing".
The HFSG says there are now three avenues which it will "rigorously follow" in the search for justice: new inquests to be held in Liverpool and not Sheffield; a "full and immediate" investigation into criminal prosecutions to be brought against those responsible; and, where appropriate, families will apply for civil proceedings to be re-opened where they may have been dismissed or settled "on a false basis".
The statement also said the families strongly condemn the comments made this week by Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, Sir Norman Bettison, and describes the "monumental" scale of the wrongdoing and cover-up that will leave an "indelible stain on the reputations of those authorities in whom the public implicitly placed their trust."
Last Sunday a complaint against the Chief Constable which emerged following the Hillsborough disclosures was referred to the police watchdog. West Yorkshire Police Authority's Special Committee agreed to record a complaint against Sir Norman and immediately referred it to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for investigation.
In a statement Sir Norman said he was "pleased" to have the matter investigated. Sir Norman was an off-duty South Yorkshire Police inspector when he attended the game and was involved in an internal inquiry held by the force in its aftermath. The damning Hillsborough Independent Panel report revealed a cover-up took place to shift the blame on to the victims and that 41 of the 96 lives lost at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium could have been saved.
The panel found that 164 police statements were altered, 116 of them to remove or alter "unfavourable" comments about the policing of the match and the unfolding disaster. Reviews have been ordered by police authorities in West Yorkshire, into the actions of Sir Norman, and West Midlands, which also conducted an investigation into the disaster. South Yorkshire Police, which still employs 195 officers who were on duty at the ground on the day of the tragedy, said the force would refer itself to the IPCC. Chief constable David Crompton said South Yorkshire Police would consider asking the IPCC whether those involved in the Hillsborough tragedy should face manslaughter investigations.
An inquest can only be the right option.
We have all now had time to digest the sad findings of the Hillsborough report and it would be a good idea to get some further feedback from the group.
I will first summarise the findings then add my further comments if you can all also add my comments we will then have a greater idea of what the group is feeling about the events of the last couple of days. Key findings:-
- Police carried out criminal record checks on deceased to “impugn reputations”
- Senior officers privately discussed and falsely stated “animalistic behaviour” of falsely accused “drunken marauding fans”
- New evidence suggest dozens survived past 3.15pm coroner’s inquest cut off point
- 116 of the 164 South Yorkshire Police statements were doctored
- South Yorkshire Ambulance Service evidence was misleading
- No evidence to support police account that fans were drunk and aggressive
- Margaret Thatcher expressed concern in the Cabinet that the first inquiry into the disaster contained “devastating criticism of the police”
- Weight placed on blood alcohol levels among the dead was “inappropriate”
- The Sun’s allegations originated from police and a local MP.
What we should have now is a brand new and fair inquest into the sad events and finally justice for the 96 and their bereaved families. JUSTICE FOR THE 96 !!! YNWA !!!
By Kop Post
It was staggering to hear that 41 of the 96 decease could possibly have been saved. The reports that family members upon hearing the news fainted is not surprising given the findings, which proved that the falsehoods and stereotypes applied and painted upon the Liverpool supporters and the City’s citizens were without founding. Each year at the memorial Liverpool as well as Everton fans turn out to support the Fight For Justice and that’s just what the results of this report were about, justice, not victory as such, but justice for the 96, their families and the city of Liverpool.
There will be and is shouts for prosecutions and sentences for those responsible for decision making that day, doctoring statements and the inflammatory nature of the accusations which have caused so much widespread pain and suffering to the bereaved. You live long enough in life and you will eventually know the pain of loss. But, to be driven to distraction on purpose through the lies and innuendo to cover the inadequacies of individuals placed in a position of trust is not just unethical, but an utter disgrace.
Now the shout for justice has reached a crescendo and an inquest is the only just way to move forward. Margaret Aspinall, Trevor Hicks (Chairman of HFSG) Andy Burnham MP, Steve Rotheram MP have been key instigators in the fight for justice exoneration. They have shown leadership, compassion and understanding and in the case of Margaret Aspinall, who lost her son James in the disaster, as in so many family members showed the courage of their convictions when faced with the enormity of a situation which has seen barrier upon barrier placed in the way of fairness.
Margaret Aspinall’s thoughts as reported in the Daily Post says it all.
Asked if any aspect of the 395-page report surprised her, Mrs Aspinall, who chairs the Hillsborough Families Support Group, said: “That nearly half of them could have been saved. “That didn't surprise me – it absolutely shocked me. “None of us know which families they are yet. I don't know whether it was James my own son. "When I heard that, right away, I thought 'please God it wasn't my son’.
None of us know. "But we've got to deal with that another day. “Today is about what we've achieved. We've exonerated our fans and I'm so pleased for our city. "Our city takes an awful lot of stick for a lot of things – whingeing Scousers. That's me. “But we've been proven right. We were right all along. "It might not be now, but this will be good for the country as a whole because anything like that will never be able to happen again."
Mrs Aspinall told The Post the 96 victims could rest in peace for the first time. She added: "How could they rest when they see their families not resting? “How could they rest knowing the injustice that has been done? "We've got a bit further to go for them but we'll get to that line. Once we get to that line, they can celebrate up there." Margaret, who believes the disaster was covered-up by orders given from the top echelons of Thatcher’s government, welcomed the apology of David Cameron. She said: “It was a big thing for all of us when you hear the Prime Minister say that and it goes out to the media. “He knows what a cover up it has been. That was the least I expected."
For me is frightening that such a cover-up happened, not just in the days, weeks and months after the tragedy, but decades after. The lies emanated from the highest level and were foisted down on those below and if Margaret Aspinall and others have shown courage, their were many in authority who were hamstrung by their cowardice. The Hillsborough Families Support Group, in consultation with their legal team are in the midst of pushing for an inquest and possible criminal charges.
Trevor Hicks, who lost daughters Vicky aged 15 and Sarah 19 following the meeting said, "This goes beyond Hillsborough. What was exposed on Wednesday was a disgrace to the nation, not just the families... This goes across society and it's important for society at large not to let this rest." The statement on behalf of the HFSG, reads: "The findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel have finally vindicated the families in their 23-year struggle to establish the truth.
"However, after truth must come justice. We have spoken today to our lawyers and taken initial advice. "As the families have always believed and insisted, it was the actions and inaction of those in authority that caused the deaths at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989. "The fans did not contribute to the tragedy. Any blame previously laid at their door has been shown to be part of a despicable conspiracy by those in authority to tarnish the reputations of the dead, the survivors of the disaster and the people of Liverpool. "This conspiracy has been revealed for what it is; a bid to avoid accountability. "Those responsible can avoid accountability no longer."
The HFSG said it had instructed its lawyers to send letters out to "relevant parties" - including the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions - on Monday to "ensure that the machinery of the justice system is put into motion and the families receive a fair hearing".
The HFSG says there are now three avenues which it will "rigorously follow" in the search for justice: new inquests to be held in Liverpool and not Sheffield; a "full and immediate" investigation into criminal prosecutions to be brought against those responsible; and, where appropriate, families will apply for civil proceedings to be re-opened where they may have been dismissed or settled "on a false basis".
The statement also said the families strongly condemn the comments made this week by Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, Sir Norman Bettison, and describes the "monumental" scale of the wrongdoing and cover-up that will leave an "indelible stain on the reputations of those authorities in whom the public implicitly placed their trust."
Last Sunday a complaint against the Chief Constable which emerged following the Hillsborough disclosures was referred to the police watchdog. West Yorkshire Police Authority's Special Committee agreed to record a complaint against Sir Norman and immediately referred it to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) for investigation.
In a statement Sir Norman said he was "pleased" to have the matter investigated. Sir Norman was an off-duty South Yorkshire Police inspector when he attended the game and was involved in an internal inquiry held by the force in its aftermath. The damning Hillsborough Independent Panel report revealed a cover-up took place to shift the blame on to the victims and that 41 of the 96 lives lost at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium could have been saved.
The panel found that 164 police statements were altered, 116 of them to remove or alter "unfavourable" comments about the policing of the match and the unfolding disaster. Reviews have been ordered by police authorities in West Yorkshire, into the actions of Sir Norman, and West Midlands, which also conducted an investigation into the disaster. South Yorkshire Police, which still employs 195 officers who were on duty at the ground on the day of the tragedy, said the force would refer itself to the IPCC. Chief constable David Crompton said South Yorkshire Police would consider asking the IPCC whether those involved in the Hillsborough tragedy should face manslaughter investigations.
An inquest can only be the right option.
Friday, 21 September 2012
Shelvey shines in sloppy win over Young Boys
By dedlfc (David Douglas)
Brendan Rodgers decided to rest most of his first team squad with the imminent league game vs Man Utd coming up. The sad events of the past seven days have weighed heavily on the minds of all LFC fans and football fans in general.
We went into the game having not won since an own goal to Hearts in this Euro league competition and needed to ensure that we were on our most combative form to get anything out of this game vs our Swiss opposition.
I would have started the game with Adam Morgan as the main focal point of our attack but Rodgers decided to give a rare start to the almost forgotten Daniel Pacheco.
The first major incident in the game happened after almost 4 mins when a Downing cross from the right was inadvertently headed home after a richocet onto Juhani Ojala. The goal settled the team down and gave the team a semblance of control for the majority of the first half.
With the Young Boys struggling to make an attacking impact on the game they had their first slice of luck when hesitant defending again cost us a goal - this time the inconsistent Enrique obliged and the lack of basic defending in a dangerous area cost us a goal with a calamitous mixup with keeper Jones.
Young Boys didn't get much time to celebrate with us again taking the lead 2-1 from a corner with a fantastic towering header from right back Andre Wisdom on his first start for the club.
At the half-time whistle with us winning 2-1 the outstanding performer was Andre Wisdom who through his assured performance had shown that he definitely is one for the future.
The second half started very poorly for us as we seemed to lose all impetus to our game and eventually conceded a second equaliser with the previous villain Ojala this time getting a goal at the right end of the pitch for his team.
With confidence slowly ebbing away from the team we went behind 3-2 to a neat chip by Zarate over Jones with Carragher again at fault with his lack of positioning and strangely strength in the original tackle. This was now a test of character to see what the players on the pitch had in terms of match resolve.
Rodgers quickly reacted introducing the ever improving talent that is Jonjo Shelvey for debutant winger Assaidi who had a decent first run out. His impact was immediate, showing maturity beyond his years, with his calming influence taking effect immediately.
Liverpool quickly reasserted parity via a corner from the right from Downing which Coates headed in with Borini just missing out on a final touch to make it 3-3
We then took the lead with a lovely move involving Borini, Henderson and finally Shelvey to finish the move to take the lead again 3-4 and then the combination of intelligent selfless running off the ball to distract defenders by Henderson freed up our strong running Shelvey who smashed the ball home left footed for our 5th goal for a resounding 3-5 victory.
Special mentions - Jordan Henderson - very tidy passing and intelligent running - best performance he has made in a LFC shirt for a while.
Andre Wisdom - right back looked very good in the first half but the defence struggled collectively in the second half so has to continue working on his all round game to maintain his first half level for a full game.
Assaidi and Suso did relatively okay and just need more games - they both had very good moments especially Suso with one mazy run which caused havoc to the Young Boys defence.
Sahin was also very tidy throughout the game, with Pacheco a little disappointing, due to lack of decent service so didn't get a chance to impress.
Man of the match - Super sub Jonjo Shelvey -came onto the pitch and showed he belongs at first team level from now on - he has been the most improved player in the squad at the moment.
Final mention goes to our manager who despite the lack of support from the board retains his dignity which I greatly admire so far.
Let's now hope that the first team can produce a performance against our biggest rivals Man Utd after being given a rest for this Euro league game.
We went into the game having not won since an own goal to Hearts in this Euro league competition and needed to ensure that we were on our most combative form to get anything out of this game vs our Swiss opposition.
I would have started the game with Adam Morgan as the main focal point of our attack but Rodgers decided to give a rare start to the almost forgotten Daniel Pacheco.
The first major incident in the game happened after almost 4 mins when a Downing cross from the right was inadvertently headed home after a richocet onto Juhani Ojala. The goal settled the team down and gave the team a semblance of control for the majority of the first half.
With the Young Boys struggling to make an attacking impact on the game they had their first slice of luck when hesitant defending again cost us a goal - this time the inconsistent Enrique obliged and the lack of basic defending in a dangerous area cost us a goal with a calamitous mixup with keeper Jones.
Young Boys didn't get much time to celebrate with us again taking the lead 2-1 from a corner with a fantastic towering header from right back Andre Wisdom on his first start for the club.
At the half-time whistle with us winning 2-1 the outstanding performer was Andre Wisdom who through his assured performance had shown that he definitely is one for the future.
The second half started very poorly for us as we seemed to lose all impetus to our game and eventually conceded a second equaliser with the previous villain Ojala this time getting a goal at the right end of the pitch for his team.
With confidence slowly ebbing away from the team we went behind 3-2 to a neat chip by Zarate over Jones with Carragher again at fault with his lack of positioning and strangely strength in the original tackle. This was now a test of character to see what the players on the pitch had in terms of match resolve.
Rodgers quickly reacted introducing the ever improving talent that is Jonjo Shelvey for debutant winger Assaidi who had a decent first run out. His impact was immediate, showing maturity beyond his years, with his calming influence taking effect immediately.
We then took the lead with a lovely move involving Borini, Henderson and finally Shelvey to finish the move to take the lead again 3-4 and then the combination of intelligent selfless running off the ball to distract defenders by Henderson freed up our strong running Shelvey who smashed the ball home left footed for our 5th goal for a resounding 3-5 victory.
Special mentions - Jordan Henderson - very tidy passing and intelligent running - best performance he has made in a LFC shirt for a while.
Andre Wisdom - right back looked very good in the first half but the defence struggled collectively in the second half so has to continue working on his all round game to maintain his first half level for a full game.
Assaidi and Suso did relatively okay and just need more games - they both had very good moments especially Suso with one mazy run which caused havoc to the Young Boys defence.
Sahin was also very tidy throughout the game, with Pacheco a little disappointing, due to lack of decent service so didn't get a chance to impress.
Man of the match - Super sub Jonjo Shelvey -came onto the pitch and showed he belongs at first team level from now on - he has been the most improved player in the squad at the moment.
Final mention goes to our manager who despite the lack of support from the board retains his dignity which I greatly admire so far.
Let's now hope that the first team can produce a performance against our biggest rivals Man Utd after being given a rest for this Euro league game.
Saturday, 15 September 2012
Sunderland 1 Liverpool 1
After a traumatic week which saw the release of the Hillsborough Independent Panel's disclosure of thousands of documents relating to the tragedy, the message on Sunderland’s Stadium of Light scoreboard read as follows :
THE HILLSBOROUGH TRAGEDY HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON FOOTBALL AS A WHOLE AND THE THOUGHTS OF ALL OF US AT SAFC ARE WITH EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF APRIL 15TH 1989.
With Gerrard, Allen and Shelvey seeing more of the ball, Liverpool began to control matters and hence moving Sterling into more dangerous areas further up the pitch. Shelvey picking the ball in the middle of the Sunderland half played a lovely ball into Suarez path, who for once kept his head up to play the ball back into the on-rushing Borini. The young Italian opened up his body to hit a drive which was easily saved by Mignolet.
Glen Johnson’s defensive frailties then reared its ugly head. With Luis Suarez getting back manfully to put pressure on the marauding Gardener, the ball broke Glen Johnson for a fifty-fifty tackle with the player. His timid tackle led to the ball being whipped dangerously across the area behind Agger who had stepped up to leave the space for the cross for Fletcher to tap home leaving Skrtel in his wake.
Luis Suarez was then booked after a maisy run saw him by-passing three Sunderland defenders, only to be brought down by John O’Shea. Unfortunately, referee Martin Atkinson saw the trip as a dive and penalised the Uruguayan International.
Early in the second half with Liverpool on the front foot, Glen Johnson, unleashed superb whipped cross from the left, with no Liverpool forward within a mile of the ball and Sterling’s lack of experience showing in not getting to the far post in way which had become Dirk Kuyt’s calling card. A few minutes later from another flowing move, Johnson dipped his shoulder to take out the right-back, his curling shot beat Mignolet all ends to crash against the bar.
On the hour, Sterling breezed on to a through ball down the right and delivered a devastating cross on the run which could only be palmed out to Shelvey, who showed composure to role the ball into Gerrard’s path. His shot clipped the outside of the post when the net bulging seemed to be the odds on bet. With Downing replacing the ineffective Borini, almost immediately his corner was headed out to Gerrard whose resultant shot deflected to Skrtel with his header lacking the power to sneak past Mignolet in the bottom right.
Sterling Liverpool’s dominant attacking force was giving Danny Rose a torrid time. His dazzling feet seemed to blind Rose and the youngster, chosen by Roy Hodgson in the England squad against Ukraine in midweek, cross was sliced into Bramble, with Suarez crashing home rebound with his left foot. It was nothing more than they deserved having dominated possession.
Liverpool, with a free flowing move between Kelly, Shelvey and Suarez fashioned a chance out for Shelvey. His left footed shot was pushed out by Mignolet and with Suarez stretching every sinue headed over from close range.
While its all to easy to look at the negatives with it being the first time since the 1911 season that Liverpool have failed to win any of their first four games. Liverpool outplayed Sunderland, creating more chances having hit the woodwork twice as is their wont and controlling possession, but the lack of a cutting edge was again there for all to see.
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling – Possesses a surety of touch which many wingers with blinding pace do not possess and is mature beyond his years looks to bring team mates into the game and is confident to look for possession even in the tightest of areas
THE HILLSBOROUGH TRAGEDY HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON FOOTBALL AS A WHOLE AND THE THOUGHTS OF ALL OF US AT SAFC ARE WITH EVERYONE AFFECTED BY THE TRAGIC EVENTS OF APRIL 15TH 1989.
YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE
Sunderland showed their class with footballing family in full effect mode.
Both teams started as if searching for confidence with not much football played until a sharp Liverpool move prized open a chance for Suarez who shanked his shot wide. Borini then had a great chance to give Liverpool the lead pre-empting a headed pass he latched on to it only to shoot powerfully against the keeper when a spot of finesse would have more likely proved profitable..
With Gerrard, Allen and Shelvey seeing more of the ball, Liverpool began to control matters and hence moving Sterling into more dangerous areas further up the pitch. Shelvey picking the ball in the middle of the Sunderland half played a lovely ball into Suarez path, who for once kept his head up to play the ball back into the on-rushing Borini. The young Italian opened up his body to hit a drive which was easily saved by Mignolet.
Glen Johnson’s defensive frailties then reared its ugly head. With Luis Suarez getting back manfully to put pressure on the marauding Gardener, the ball broke Glen Johnson for a fifty-fifty tackle with the player. His timid tackle led to the ball being whipped dangerously across the area behind Agger who had stepped up to leave the space for the cross for Fletcher to tap home leaving Skrtel in his wake.
Luis Suarez was then booked after a maisy run saw him by-passing three Sunderland defenders, only to be brought down by John O’Shea. Unfortunately, referee Martin Atkinson saw the trip as a dive and penalised the Uruguayan International.
Early in the second half with Liverpool on the front foot, Glen Johnson, unleashed superb whipped cross from the left, with no Liverpool forward within a mile of the ball and Sterling’s lack of experience showing in not getting to the far post in way which had become Dirk Kuyt’s calling card. A few minutes later from another flowing move, Johnson dipped his shoulder to take out the right-back, his curling shot beat Mignolet all ends to crash against the bar.
On the hour, Sterling breezed on to a through ball down the right and delivered a devastating cross on the run which could only be palmed out to Shelvey, who showed composure to role the ball into Gerrard’s path. His shot clipped the outside of the post when the net bulging seemed to be the odds on bet. With Downing replacing the ineffective Borini, almost immediately his corner was headed out to Gerrard whose resultant shot deflected to Skrtel with his header lacking the power to sneak past Mignolet in the bottom right.
Sterling Liverpool’s dominant attacking force was giving Danny Rose a torrid time. His dazzling feet seemed to blind Rose and the youngster, chosen by Roy Hodgson in the England squad against Ukraine in midweek, cross was sliced into Bramble, with Suarez crashing home rebound with his left foot. It was nothing more than they deserved having dominated possession.
Liverpool, with a free flowing move between Kelly, Shelvey and Suarez fashioned a chance out for Shelvey. His left footed shot was pushed out by Mignolet and with Suarez stretching every sinue headed over from close range.
While its all to easy to look at the negatives with it being the first time since the 1911 season that Liverpool have failed to win any of their first four games. Liverpool outplayed Sunderland, creating more chances having hit the woodwork twice as is their wont and controlling possession, but the lack of a cutting edge was again there for all to see.
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling – Possesses a surety of touch which many wingers with blinding pace do not possess and is mature beyond his years looks to bring team mates into the game and is confident to look for possession even in the tightest of areas
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Hillsborough: Lies, Lies and Damnable Lies
Today sees the Hillsborough Independent Panel's disclosure of thousands of documents relating to the tragedy and hopefully move the families closer to finally getting closure and ease the pain of 23 years of torture and trying not just to comb their way through the misrepresentation from the news coverage which emanated from the tragedy making it so difficult to move forward with any great speed to get justice for the 96.
Last Monday ITV premiered the documentary Hillsborough: The Search for the Truth. The documentary casts new light on the Hillsborough disaster.
The programme showed that there is serious doubt about the actions of the police that day. Lord Howard, the former Home Secretary said that "if he were one of the families of the 96, he would feel seriously aggrieved". One of the key problems with finding the truth is the assertion by the coroner, Dr Stefan Popper at the initial inquest hearings that the injuries suffered by the 96 were irreversible by 3:15 pm, which by definition meant that there was no need to look into the actions of the emergencies services.
Yet, former ambulanceman Tony Edwards, gauged from his professional opinion, that some of the 96 may have been saved. His opinion is given support eye witness accounts leading up to the death of Kevin Williams. His mother, Ann, tracked down Deborah Martin, a former WPC on duty on the day who tried to save Kevin. Photographic evidence from that day categorically proves that Kevin was still alive after 3:15pm; he was pulled from the Leppings Lane End at 3:28 and is shown being carried away at 3:31pm. Former WPC Deborah Martin states that Kevin opened his eyes and asked of his mother and although he was gasping for breath she tried in vain to resuscitate Kevin. He passed away between 3:50pm and 4:00pm. The feeling of a cover-up has never being far from the surface and the fact that a professional person's word was not taken as read suggests that forces above and beyond WPC Martin were at work.
Speaking on the programme, Dr James Burns a forensic scientist at the Royal Hospital in Liverpool refutes the inquest findings from Dr Slater, which state that Kevin couldn't have spoken because of the fractures found in his neck. He states that given the necessary expertise he could possibly have survived given the length of time he lived without proper treatment and his injuries and the fractures which were found had nothing to do with the muscles used to speak.
For me, I am not a Liverpudlian, but a Liverpool supporter who loves Liverpool.
I remember watching Grandstand on that fateful day and watched the horrific events unfold, with Bob Wilson, expertly guiding us through, what at the start was not really knowing or understanding what we were viewing to the realisation that some Liverpool supporters, who had gone to a football match were not to return home to their loved ones.
At that point I was just a fan who was at home, yet to become a fully fledged supporter, but Lord knows I loved my club. I love this club so much, that I could not imagine ever contemplating supporting anyone else should Liverpool ever disappear. The club is a part of me and anything detrimental from the smallest word with regards the club is taken personally not just by me, but Liverpool supporters and fans alike.
I was born in the East End of London and I cannot explain how I feel and what I feel, but I do know that the Sun’s reports about drunken Liverpool fans being the primary cause of the deaths goes to the very core of every Liverpool fan and has been detrimental to finding out the real reasons behind the tragedy. I work in a Press Office and part of the job is to scan the papers for news reports. I've never read that paper no matter what the news report or even if a Liverpool player both past and present is quoted in there. So if I feel like this imagine the pain and the on going heartache of those who’ve lost family members and friends. Not possible right?
One can only imagine if someone you loved had been lost under circumstances such as those at Hillsborough and while you were waiting to find out the reasons a piece of tabloid sensationalism helped skew public perceptions, not just about what happened that day, but playing on stereotypical views of Liverpudlian’s as people. That is why public awareness of what really happened on that day on April 15 1989, is vitally important, even over 23 years later.
The is not rhetoric and never has or will be. It’s based on the fact that 96 people lost their lives and the testimonies of family members (like Margaret Aspinall, Chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, HFSG), friends and LFC supporters alike have refuted the spurious lies over the years which have gathered pace, and what should never be forgotten is the eye witness testimonies from those who were there and survived that horrific day. The Parliamentary debate in October 2011 which HFSG were at the forefront of for the release of Government Papers regarding the tragic event was a day when the families and friends found an assemblance of real awareness for what has been a uphill road in the most trying of circumstances.
Last season, whether I’d attended matches at Anfield or at Wembley at the Carling Cup or the FA Cup Semi-Final the emotive feeling has been there for all to see. The same fervent feeling which interrupted Andy Burnham’s speech at the memorial of the 20th anniversary at Anfield, will ensure that the damning lies will eventually prove to a nasty blot on history’s copybook.
The Rt Hon. Steve Rotheram stated at the debate that it is only when you read the names on the Anfield Memorial that you realise just how many people died on that day. He read out the names of all those who sadly passed away that day so the names and ages would be kept in perpetuity in Hansard. I timed how how long it took him to read out the names. Five minutes and seven seconds to read out the expunction of 96 lives.
Listening to Trevor Hicks, the Chairman of HSFG, before the debate his opening statement said it all, “we would love for the panel to name the person who leaked the scurrilous stories to the Sun.” Up until this point it seemed to those in authority that the truth was not something which mattered even though Taylor report said that the “Police fundamentally lost control of the situation.”
You don’t have to be an expert to realise that there were no checks and balances and something catastrophic went wrong that day with the police at fault which the Conservative M.P. The Rt. Hon. Chris Heaton-Harris MP reiterated at the debate. “…it was a complete breakdown in communication in the police…. actually Liverpool fans were magnificent on that day in the way they helped each other after the tragedy took place and it’s unbelievable the emergency services were so slow in responding and ambulances were kept outside the stadium. Hooliganism played no part whatsoever and police failure was the cause.”
The Sun’s lies caused and is still causing pain and has stood in the way of the truth even 23 years later. The paper was not alone in its lies. The Daily Mail, Daily Star and The Yorkshire Post were also culpable and helped perpetuate the falsehood. That is why it was so important that the full disclosure of Government papers was granted. This is the first rung on the ladder to begin destroying these myths and lies which have gathered pace over two decades and injected a poison into public perception and consciousness.
The fact that the Hillsborough Memorial Service is still going and is part reminder of the disgraceful co-ordinated lies both political and from the police means the battle is far from being won, but we will not be moved. And the Hillsborough Independent Panel's disclosure of thousands of documents will hopefully get us that step closer to not necessarily easing the pain, but allowing the families to have some assemblance of closure with the deaths of the love ones even under such trying circumstances.
JUSTICE FOR THE 96!
Last Monday ITV premiered the documentary Hillsborough: The Search for the Truth. The documentary casts new light on the Hillsborough disaster.
The programme showed that there is serious doubt about the actions of the police that day. Lord Howard, the former Home Secretary said that "if he were one of the families of the 96, he would feel seriously aggrieved". One of the key problems with finding the truth is the assertion by the coroner, Dr Stefan Popper at the initial inquest hearings that the injuries suffered by the 96 were irreversible by 3:15 pm, which by definition meant that there was no need to look into the actions of the emergencies services.
Yet, former ambulanceman Tony Edwards, gauged from his professional opinion, that some of the 96 may have been saved. His opinion is given support eye witness accounts leading up to the death of Kevin Williams. His mother, Ann, tracked down Deborah Martin, a former WPC on duty on the day who tried to save Kevin. Photographic evidence from that day categorically proves that Kevin was still alive after 3:15pm; he was pulled from the Leppings Lane End at 3:28 and is shown being carried away at 3:31pm. Former WPC Deborah Martin states that Kevin opened his eyes and asked of his mother and although he was gasping for breath she tried in vain to resuscitate Kevin. He passed away between 3:50pm and 4:00pm. The feeling of a cover-up has never being far from the surface and the fact that a professional person's word was not taken as read suggests that forces above and beyond WPC Martin were at work.
Speaking on the programme, Dr James Burns a forensic scientist at the Royal Hospital in Liverpool refutes the inquest findings from Dr Slater, which state that Kevin couldn't have spoken because of the fractures found in his neck. He states that given the necessary expertise he could possibly have survived given the length of time he lived without proper treatment and his injuries and the fractures which were found had nothing to do with the muscles used to speak.
For me, I am not a Liverpudlian, but a Liverpool supporter who loves Liverpool.
I remember watching Grandstand on that fateful day and watched the horrific events unfold, with Bob Wilson, expertly guiding us through, what at the start was not really knowing or understanding what we were viewing to the realisation that some Liverpool supporters, who had gone to a football match were not to return home to their loved ones.
At that point I was just a fan who was at home, yet to become a fully fledged supporter, but Lord knows I loved my club. I love this club so much, that I could not imagine ever contemplating supporting anyone else should Liverpool ever disappear. The club is a part of me and anything detrimental from the smallest word with regards the club is taken personally not just by me, but Liverpool supporters and fans alike.
I was born in the East End of London and I cannot explain how I feel and what I feel, but I do know that the Sun’s reports about drunken Liverpool fans being the primary cause of the deaths goes to the very core of every Liverpool fan and has been detrimental to finding out the real reasons behind the tragedy. I work in a Press Office and part of the job is to scan the papers for news reports. I've never read that paper no matter what the news report or even if a Liverpool player both past and present is quoted in there. So if I feel like this imagine the pain and the on going heartache of those who’ve lost family members and friends. Not possible right?
One can only imagine if someone you loved had been lost under circumstances such as those at Hillsborough and while you were waiting to find out the reasons a piece of tabloid sensationalism helped skew public perceptions, not just about what happened that day, but playing on stereotypical views of Liverpudlian’s as people. That is why public awareness of what really happened on that day on April 15 1989, is vitally important, even over 23 years later.
Jen, explains after the FA Cup Semi-Final why awareness is vitally important
The is not rhetoric and never has or will be. It’s based on the fact that 96 people lost their lives and the testimonies of family members (like Margaret Aspinall, Chairman of the Hillsborough Family Support Group, HFSG), friends and LFC supporters alike have refuted the spurious lies over the years which have gathered pace, and what should never be forgotten is the eye witness testimonies from those who were there and survived that horrific day. The Parliamentary debate in October 2011 which HFSG were at the forefront of for the release of Government Papers regarding the tragic event was a day when the families and friends found an assemblance of real awareness for what has been a uphill road in the most trying of circumstances.
Last season, whether I’d attended matches at Anfield or at Wembley at the Carling Cup or the FA Cup Semi-Final the emotive feeling has been there for all to see. The same fervent feeling which interrupted Andy Burnham’s speech at the memorial of the 20th anniversary at Anfield, will ensure that the damning lies will eventually prove to a nasty blot on history’s copybook.
The Rt Hon. Steve Rotheram stated at the debate that it is only when you read the names on the Anfield Memorial that you realise just how many people died on that day. He read out the names of all those who sadly passed away that day so the names and ages would be kept in perpetuity in Hansard. I timed how how long it took him to read out the names. Five minutes and seven seconds to read out the expunction of 96 lives.
Listening to Trevor Hicks, the Chairman of HSFG, before the debate his opening statement said it all, “we would love for the panel to name the person who leaked the scurrilous stories to the Sun.” Up until this point it seemed to those in authority that the truth was not something which mattered even though Taylor report said that the “Police fundamentally lost control of the situation.”
Are we supposed to surmise from that if over 140,000 people hadn’t put their names to a e-petition to force a debate that families and supporters voices would have been lost in the wilderness and that the Taylor report would’ve been filed away under unproven?
At the moment, I like many, many others have just gone through my paces as a volunteer for the Olympics and Paralympics. During my last bout of training, we learnt about crowd control. For example, if you look into a crowd and can see the chest, shoulders and head of people, then there is no flash point. But if can only see shoulders and heads then its too late to stop over crowding. Our crowd control trainer read out the transcripts of the chatter between the police and the fire brigade. The police requesting the attendance of the fire brigade and specialist equipment to brought to the ground. It was a shocking waste of time with the police not being precise in its directions and the fire brigade being pedantic in requesting the exact road of the football ground, while people were dying inside. Unbelievable.You don’t have to be an expert to realise that there were no checks and balances and something catastrophic went wrong that day with the police at fault which the Conservative M.P. The Rt. Hon. Chris Heaton-Harris MP reiterated at the debate. “…it was a complete breakdown in communication in the police…. actually Liverpool fans were magnificent on that day in the way they helped each other after the tragedy took place and it’s unbelievable the emergency services were so slow in responding and ambulances were kept outside the stadium. Hooliganism played no part whatsoever and police failure was the cause.”
The Sun’s lies caused and is still causing pain and has stood in the way of the truth even 23 years later. The paper was not alone in its lies. The Daily Mail, Daily Star and The Yorkshire Post were also culpable and helped perpetuate the falsehood. That is why it was so important that the full disclosure of Government papers was granted. This is the first rung on the ladder to begin destroying these myths and lies which have gathered pace over two decades and injected a poison into public perception and consciousness.
The fact that the Hillsborough Memorial Service is still going and is part reminder of the disgraceful co-ordinated lies both political and from the police means the battle is far from being won, but we will not be moved. And the Hillsborough Independent Panel's disclosure of thousands of documents will hopefully get us that step closer to not necessarily easing the pain, but allowing the families to have some assemblance of closure with the deaths of the love ones even under such trying circumstances.
JUSTICE FOR THE 96!
Justice For The 96
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Counter attacking Arsenal too much for LFC - Lack of board backing adds unfair pressure on Rodgers
By David Douglas (dedlfc)
The closing of the transfer window brought to a close the hope that Brendan Rodgers would be given the full backing of the owners to bring in the required reinforcements to assist Suarez and co to get the goals to enforce his plan to play an extensive passing/possession game.
With us now having no opportunity to improve the squad now until January the squad will have to work harder to provide goals from all over the pitch.
The first major test was against an Arsenal side who seemed to be more solid defensive since Steve Bould has been promoted to the assistant manager's role but lacked the killer instinct since losing Van Persie to Man Utd.
With us remembering the legendary work that Bill Shankly did to set the foundations down for our club on what would have been his 99th birthday today.
We started the game with our loan signing Nuri Sahin getting a first start for us and the impressive Sterling again getting another league start after his promising debut last week vs the champions Man City.
The majority of the first half was flooded with poor passing from our side where we struggled to match the crispier passing of the North London team who dominated midfield through Diaby and Cazorla and the equally impressive Arteta, it was one of those poor passes by our captain Stevie G (who again has looked off colour since the start of the season) which initiated the move for Arsenal's first goal where they broke away and with the lack of concentration of the ball watching Glen Johnson allowed Lucas Podolski to get off the mark for the season with a cool finish.
Arsenal should have gone in at half time 2-0 up but Giroud missed a gilt edged chance when we were again opened up at will by the counter attacking pace and power of the Arsenal midfield.
The only two bright spots for us in the first half were the performances of Sterling again who showed he is again ready for this level by hitting the outside of the post with a clever piece of trickery and Allen who was very tidy again throughout the whole game. Most of our attacking options broke down with either Gerrard, Suarez or Borini losing the ball through poor pass selection.
The real indictment of the first half was the fact that we had 56% of possession but no shots on target which contradicts the philosophy of Rodgers who states that when you control possession of the ball and are better with the ball you have a 79% chance of winning the game.
My reaction to that Rodgers philosophy today is that without a cutting edge we will not win the majority of games and partly that is down to the fact that we have only one way of playing and it is such a highly publicised way of playing sides have found a way to combat this tactic already.
The second half continued the way of the first half with Arsenal passing the ball better than us and eventually creating a second goal with Cazorla finishing the move with our keeper Reina at fault for the goal for getting beat at the near post.
Reina has been very poor so far this season and to me should not have had an extended break after the Euros because he never played at all - the only sweat he managed to raise in the summer was to be the master of ceremonies for Spain's celebration for winning the Euros and has come back a poorer keeper for the extra time off.
At 2-0 down the side's head went down but still had a chance for a consolation with Suarez again missing a great chance after a smart pass by Gerrard.
At the final whistle it became apparent that we are going to struggle until January unless we can bring in someone like Michael Owen who is available as a free transfer who despite his injury issues and fact he joined our hated rivals during his career is still a clinical finisher given chances.
This is now our worst league start for 50 years (1962-1963)so we need to pick ourselves up after the international break and just hope Suarez and Borini come back from the break fit and ready for the next league challenge.
Man of the Match -Sterling- the only bright spark in an otherwise disappointing performance from the whole team- what a bright future this player has!
Other disappointing aspects of our game - Borini has started his career with us under unfair pressure of now being our other main striker after Suarez and at the moment the job looks too big for his you 21 year old boots, he has a tendency like Suarez to play head down and make the incorrect decisions which hopefully will improve long-term.
Stevie G- our captain has been extremely poor especially his passing and with the lack of support in the transfer window we again are looking for him to inspire the troops, at the moment he has not performed to his normal high standards.
Suarez - as our main goal threat until reinforcements can be brought in to assist we are going to require him to be more clinical if that doesn't occur we could be struggling to hold onto him in the January transfer window- his goals will dictate whether he can push us on or whether we will struggle to cope with the pressure.
The closing of the transfer window brought to a close the hope that Brendan Rodgers would be given the full backing of the owners to bring in the required reinforcements to assist Suarez and co to get the goals to enforce his plan to play an extensive passing/possession game.
With us now having no opportunity to improve the squad now until January the squad will have to work harder to provide goals from all over the pitch.
The first major test was against an Arsenal side who seemed to be more solid defensive since Steve Bould has been promoted to the assistant manager's role but lacked the killer instinct since losing Van Persie to Man Utd.
With us remembering the legendary work that Bill Shankly did to set the foundations down for our club on what would have been his 99th birthday today.
We started the game with our loan signing Nuri Sahin getting a first start for us and the impressive Sterling again getting another league start after his promising debut last week vs the champions Man City.
The majority of the first half was flooded with poor passing from our side where we struggled to match the crispier passing of the North London team who dominated midfield through Diaby and Cazorla and the equally impressive Arteta, it was one of those poor passes by our captain Stevie G (who again has looked off colour since the start of the season) which initiated the move for Arsenal's first goal where they broke away and with the lack of concentration of the ball watching Glen Johnson allowed Lucas Podolski to get off the mark for the season with a cool finish.
Arsenal should have gone in at half time 2-0 up but Giroud missed a gilt edged chance when we were again opened up at will by the counter attacking pace and power of the Arsenal midfield.
The only two bright spots for us in the first half were the performances of Sterling again who showed he is again ready for this level by hitting the outside of the post with a clever piece of trickery and Allen who was very tidy again throughout the whole game. Most of our attacking options broke down with either Gerrard, Suarez or Borini losing the ball through poor pass selection.
The real indictment of the first half was the fact that we had 56% of possession but no shots on target which contradicts the philosophy of Rodgers who states that when you control possession of the ball and are better with the ball you have a 79% chance of winning the game.
My reaction to that Rodgers philosophy today is that without a cutting edge we will not win the majority of games and partly that is down to the fact that we have only one way of playing and it is such a highly publicised way of playing sides have found a way to combat this tactic already.
The second half continued the way of the first half with Arsenal passing the ball better than us and eventually creating a second goal with Cazorla finishing the move with our keeper Reina at fault for the goal for getting beat at the near post.
Reina has been very poor so far this season and to me should not have had an extended break after the Euros because he never played at all - the only sweat he managed to raise in the summer was to be the master of ceremonies for Spain's celebration for winning the Euros and has come back a poorer keeper for the extra time off.
At 2-0 down the side's head went down but still had a chance for a consolation with Suarez again missing a great chance after a smart pass by Gerrard.
At the final whistle it became apparent that we are going to struggle until January unless we can bring in someone like Michael Owen who is available as a free transfer who despite his injury issues and fact he joined our hated rivals during his career is still a clinical finisher given chances.
This is now our worst league start for 50 years (1962-1963)so we need to pick ourselves up after the international break and just hope Suarez and Borini come back from the break fit and ready for the next league challenge.
Man of the Match -Sterling- the only bright spark in an otherwise disappointing performance from the whole team- what a bright future this player has!
Other disappointing aspects of our game - Borini has started his career with us under unfair pressure of now being our other main striker after Suarez and at the moment the job looks too big for his you 21 year old boots, he has a tendency like Suarez to play head down and make the incorrect decisions which hopefully will improve long-term.
Stevie G- our captain has been extremely poor especially his passing and with the lack of support in the transfer window we again are looking for him to inspire the troops, at the moment he has not performed to his normal high standards.
Suarez - as our main goal threat until reinforcements can be brought in to assist we are going to require him to be more clinical if that doesn't occur we could be struggling to hold onto him in the January transfer window- his goals will dictate whether he can push us on or whether we will struggle to cope with the pressure.
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Lack of Transfer Activity Leaves FSG With Questions To Answer
Brendan Rodgers claimed that moving Andy Carroll on was partially motivated by the need to bring in fresh blood. Now we understand that neither Daniel Sturridge, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar nor Clint Dempsey will be joining the club. Either Rodgers is the coolest cat known to man or the board is displaying a vice-like grip around the Liverpool spend column. While know one wants the club to again spiral into the uncertainties of the last regime, for those of us who attended match upon match last season watching the wastrels in full affect in front of goal, we are asking ourselves does this make sense?
Is Luis Suarez suddenly going to become the prolific scorer the supporters crave? Not judging by the chances he has already squandered. Or does Rodgers believe that in Adam Morgan he already has the rough diamond he can readily shape into a ruby. Allen is more of a conductor of play and Sahin at his best a creator supreme. It thus falls on Suarez, Sterling, Assaidi and Borini and as ever Gerrard to be the primary source of goals. If Rodgers had known then what he knows now would he have bought Oussama Assaidi?
I would suggest that there are supporters all over the land scratching their heads in disbelief seeing Spurs, QPR and Stoke spending money to improve squads and with the 'big three’ already having spent and Man City still spending on the final day, it seems ludicrous that we are languishing in the slipstream of Newcastle and Spurs.
As our blogger David Douglas (dedlfc), said in a text earlier “LFC have moved on Maxi, Bellamy and Carroll responsible for 37% of goals in a team that struggled to score goals last season!” Clint Dempsey snatched from the grasp of Ian Ayre after having his bid turned down. Liverpool also sold Nathan Eccelston to Blackburn with Daniel Pacheco only remaining at the club because his move to Real Valladolid fell through.
The question then is have Liverpool become just another core component part of FSG where financial constraints are placed on the club so that funds can be released for the Boston Red Sox or other sections of the organisation? With Dempsey having left Fulham for Spurs for £6 million (and having sold Adam for £5 million) after Liverpool’s widely publicised pursuit of the player, underlying suspicions lie afoot that Liverpool are cash strapped or like Arsenal and the UK Government tightening their belts for the long haul.
The difference lies in the fact that the economy is in dire straits and Arsenal has a shiny new stadium to use an excuse. Should Luis Suarez suffer an injury, Liverpool already down to the bare bones, would be in serious trouble. Quality in depth was the critical analysis from last season, but with the lack of replacements following the exits of Carroll, Kuyt and Bellamy there is seemingly a chasm between us and the front runners, let alone Spurs.
This week Sven Goran Eriksson claimed that Steven Gerrard must leave the club to fulfil his wish of winning the Premiership, although sounding fairly phlegmatic in his interview earlier this week in which he rebutted he former England manager’s view, as a natural born winner he must feel that those chances have been all but extinguish.
There were questions upon arrival of Fenway Sports Groups the lack of understanding and experience of football. I would suggest that those questions still remain and Liverpool as a club is now part of a future organisational marketing scheme.
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