Manchester United and Liverpool

[lazarus]

Alex Ferguson has said that Suarez is a disgrace and should never be selected for Liverpool again.

 

I cannot recall he ever made similar remarks about Cantona (worst offence of all - could have caused a major riot), Keane (lead the possee that effectively ended Andy Durso's career as a top referee), Keane again (for admitting he intended to "do" an opponent, and did so), Ferdinand (failed to take a scheduled drug test, leaving an inevitable air of suspicion). Surely all worse offences than refusing to shake a man's hand who, in his eyes, has just put him out of the game for eight matches?

[Beano]

Well, yes, they are. But then, Cantona and Ferdinand both spent many months suspended for their actions, so the punishments administered were more severe.

 

However, in the context of what has gone on before between the two players, if anyone was going to refuse to shake another man's hand, it should have been Evra. After all, he was the "victim" in the previous incident and Suarez has admitted to using words to him that were deemed serious enough to warrent a long suspension.

 

The fact that Evra offered his hand and Suarez refused it speaks volumes to me about the two players. Evra behaved in a manner that suggested a willingness to turn the other cheek and for Suarez to refuse the gesture just seemed petulant and childish to me. It might also give people a certain perception of him as a man and, to many, render his repeated denials of a racist attitude hollow.

 

Of course, Sir Alex Ferguson's comment is ridiculous and over the top, but that's what he does. Over the years, he has frequently made outlandish post-match statements in order to deflect attention from his own club, or magnify the focus on others.

 

The issue here from my personal perspective is that an artificial flashpoint was created by the handshake. My own personal view is that this pre-match protocol is now causing more harm to the RESPECT programme than doing good. Yesterday's incident showed it to be a hollow and insincere ritual and it is absurd that in a game between two of English football's great clubs the headlines should be dominated by something that happened before a ball was kicked!

[fatboyatmfc]

_.

_{Suarez is a vile and nasty piece of work. He fully intended to kick Scott Parker and anyone that says he didnt are either looking on with red tinted glasses or no nothing about football. I hate him, but he bloody livens things up doesnt he! I thought the fact that he didnt shake hands was irrelevent and far too much is made of this ridiculas ritual dreamed up by the Blazers at the FA. I would like to bet that 80% of the players dont want to do it. However, I think the worst incident of the day was Evra running in front of Suarez gloating at the end. Suarez is not all bad though.....he won me 75 quid yesterday ......Go on Louis!!!}

[manurgrate]

It is good to see that Whitelaw is displaying his usual objectivity about Manchester United!

 

Suarez was well out of order yesterday, it was an opportunity to draw a line under a very ugly period between 2 players and 2 clubs. There is no doubt that Suarez was guilty as charged, he admitted to calling Evra a racist name on 11 or 12 occasions. There are parallels with the John Terry/ Anton Ferdinand episode, except that Terry denies using racist langauge, yet he rather than Suarez is charged by the police! Could it be the that the police on Merseyside are biased towards their version of the red shirt? Perhaps they know that it would be a waste of time putting a Liverpool player before a jury after the Steven Gerrard assault fiasco?

 

I am a supporter of shaking hands before the game, it symbolises that football should bring people together in friendship through sporting contest. It is not the authorities fault if sometimes players and supporterfs behave badly.

[fatboyatmfc]

.

Beano, order Clarky a blazer ! lol

 

I heard, there is tv footage of Terry that the public has not seen.

 

If i was Ferdinand i would have still shaken Suarez's hand and crunched it like a crisp packet!

 

 

AC loves Fergie and the red devils....true love.

[kevchenko]

Play hard, Play fair, compete 100% for 90 minutes then shake hands at the end of "battle" Don't see the point of dicking around doing it before K.O.

[Keith B]

In my humble opinion, m'lords. I do not see the pre-match handshake as important or necessary. However, in this game's context I think Luis Suarez would have gained great respect in fulfilling the handshake in the same way that Anton Ferdinand would have gained huge respect by trotting across to John Terry (knowing the pre-match ritual was not going ahead) before kick-off and offering his hand (or vice-versa).

 

Sometimes swallowing a bit of pride, or offering a conciliatory gesture, can quickly heal un-necessary and avoidable wounds. It is never too late to say sorry, and certainly not a show of weakness.

 

Keith Balmer

Independent Arbitrator

Only £100 (net) per hour

Edited February 12, 2012 by Keith B