Everton v Liverpool (Match Thread)

[Steveo]

Fair doo's..That's ok then..

Pickford meant no harm and 'really sad' at Van Dijk injury, insists Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed Liverpool’s criticism of Jordan Pickford and insisted the challenge that injured Virgil van Dijk in the Merseyside derby was mistimed rather than malicious.

https://www.theguardian.com/football...jury-ancelotti

[Balinkay]

Ah well, then by all means.

I mean there's not much else he could say tbf.

[justme]

he could have said that our cloggers set out to win 40/60 balls and that it doesn't matter if we leave one on the opponent.

[skyebo]

All managers will defend their players in public so it's no surprise he's come out and said that. Pickford may be villain of the week, but he isn't that type of player. There isn't much else they can do as i think they've both apologised for the Van Dijk injury, although apologies may seem hollow at the moment. The officials are as much to blame for not acting on it, if ever there was an incident that warranted a red card, it was that one. Shame on VAR too who decided no punishment was needed.

[Steveo]

Absolutely managers will do that - although I am sure Klopp would have been more candid. It is 100% on the officials and it is they who I am most angry at. Pickford was always going to be hyped up - still no excuse for his assault but the officials inaction kept Everton top of the league and led directly to that horror tackle on Thiago. No way Richarlison does that if Pickford is dealt with.

The Everton comments though in ONLY addressing the VVD assault - so disingenuous...

[Crimson Dynasty]

All managers will defend their players in public so it's no surprise he's come out and said that. Pickford may be villain of the week, but he isn't that type of player. There isn't much else they can do as i think they've both apologised for the Van Dijk injury, although apologies may seem hollow at the moment. The officials are as much to blame for not acting on it, if ever there was an incident that warranted a red card, it was that one. Shame on VAR too who decided no punishment was needed.

Apparently they demoted the VAR official who was in the booth at the time ('Coote', I believe is his name) from Stokely park and he'll be 4th match official for the upcoming round of matches this weekend - and it will also be the first time he's not in the VAR boothe this season.

It's the league's standard shitty way of (unofficially) admitting they fucked up,......without actually admitting..... that......they fucked up.

With no public apology to us and no retrospective punishment to Pickford, it's a pointlessly meaningless gesture to make themselves feel better and I guess, keep other officials on their toes to not screw up big calls (this assumes the VAR booth gig pays better for match officials than being on the field or being the 4th official).

Given that this isn't even the first high profile screw-up of this Coote fella, I'm surprised he wasn't demoted even further to officiate a league one match or be a 4th official for those matches or something.

Even ex-officials and retired referees almost all unanimously thought that that should have been a straight red card for that horror tackle. So now that the full extent of Virgil's injury and the time he'll miss (possibly the rest of the season) and the impact of us is known, they're trying to cover their stupid asses.

Fucking cunts.

[skyebo]

Apparently they demoted the VAR official who was in the booth at the time ('Coote', I believe is his name) from Stokely park and he'll be 4th match official for the upcoming round of matches this weekend - and it will also be the first time he's not in the VAR boothe this season.

It's the league's standard shitty way of (unofficially) admitting they fucked up,......without actually admitting..... that......they fucked up.

With no public apology to us and no retrospective punishment to Pickford, it's a pointlessly meaningless gesture to make themselves feel better and I guess, keep other officials on their toes to not screw up big calls (this assumes the VAR booth gig pays better for match officials than being on the field or being the 4th official).

Given that this isn't even the first high profile screw-up of this Coote fella, I'm surprised he wasn't demoted even further to officiate a league one match or be a 4th official for those matches or something.

Even ex-officials and retired referees almost all unanimously thought that that should have been a straight red card for that horror tackle. So now that the full extent of Virgil's injury and the time he'll miss (possibly the rest of the season) and the impact of us is known, they're trying to cover their stupid asses.

Fucking cunts.

Thanks Crimson, i didn't know they had demoted him.

[scientificred]

Rhys Williams on the other hand looks a much better prospect, needs to work on scanning the pitch more to know where everything is, but he wins his headers, goes body to body very comfortably which a lot of youung players don't and plays some cracking RCB to LFWD balls

And on another hand we may be back in for Ozan Kabak in January
https://www.teamtalk.com/news/liverpool-linked-schalkes-ozan-kabak-transfer