Santini quit due to personal problems. Hodgson was written off before he'd even started and then sacked, after being stabbed in the back by his subsequently unsuccessful successor.
He was written off because he was a twat who blamed the fans for Liverpool getting knocked out by Northampton and getting other brilliant results instead of accepting some of the blame himself. No one really wanted him but he was given a chance and the backing off the fans, until he eradicated all the support for him by acting like a prick.
I agree we'll probably get 6th. But there is always a chance. You do understand what chance is, right? Same as there's a chance Spuds could come 4th, or finish 10th. It's the beautiful part of football that nothing is set in stone. I disregard the rest of your post because I don't agree with your reasoning. As for your, 'hanging on the coatails' comment; do all your posts have to try bait an arguement? We've been improving overall (bar arsenal) since game 1. Steadily improving in form whilst others drop in form isn't what I'd call, 'hanging on', it's what I'd call, 'catching up'. Also, your, 'played out of their skin' comment is another lame bait. If anything, we've played below what we're capable of. Our first 11 is strong. It's our squad depth which fails us, hence us needing reinforcements in January. With that coming up, we're moving up. Where are Spuds moving lately?
As I appear to have started this "debate" about Suarez, I'll reiterate what I originally said. Yes, I agree with you, he's one of the best strikers anywhere in the world. However, he has this other side. What he did yesterday, once again, was completely unnecessary, malicious, and should have earned him a red card. If Rodgers does not put his foot down, hard! Suarez will continue to be as much of a liability as an asset to you.
It didn't harm Alan Shearer's career that he was prone to the odd elbow. Fellaini's reputation isn't suffering because of the fact he kicks and elbows opponents almost every game. Bergkamp was a nasty bastard aswell when he wanted to be. Van Persie is no angel, either is Rooney. Zidane was given loads of red cards aswell. Football is littered with examples of centre forwards & attacking players who dish out their own (subtle) punishment to defenders that kick them all game. They were never called liabilities, and I don't see it being any different with Suarez. Its part of the game, just like defenders wrestling attackers at set pieces and diving.
Watch the video and the timings. Jones has lunged for the ball and it has only just squeezed away from Suarez. If Jones had been a tenth of a second slower then Suarez would have won the ball fairly. This wouldn't even make the top five fouls in the vast majority of football games. I see Martinez wasn't too chatty about Allen needing stitches for a two handed assualt on him that ended with studs in his face after being wrestled to the ground.
I suggest you look at the action of Suarez's foot, preferably without your red tinted glasses. It's a clear stamping motion! It was certainly no genuine attempt to win the ball.
Yes, we've had this argument from one of your fellow supporters already. It is not a contest! This is not a niggly, sly dig by Suarez! He could easily have broken Jones' leg. I repeat, it's not the first time he has indulged in deliberate attempts to cause serious injury. It won't be the last.
This. Add in the fact that Suarez' foot could actually reach the ball before Jones does and it's pretty clear what he's doing. Plus: please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Thanks for that, PNP. Yes that makes it perfectly clear what his intentions were. It's a shame, he's a fantastic striker. Why he has to behave like that, only he knows. Maybe it just comes naturally!..
The first one is a joke. There isn't a single player who wouldn't have been fooled by that skillful dink to the right. Again look at the timings. If Suarez is doing these fouls on purpose he has reactions bordering on psychic. The second one is very clumsy and a definite yellow. In the one from Wigan, both Jones and Suarez are making the exact same "stamping" motion on the ball. Jones arrives a fraction of a second first so Suarez ends up standing on his foot. It could have easily been the other way round, in which case no doubt Suarez would be accused of diving.
If he wanted to injure Jones then he would've tackled him a lot higher on his leg than that and would've gone right through him. It was a sly dig on him, nothing more. If a player genuinely wanted to injure another player you'd know about it, like Keane on Halaand. It rarely happens, if ever. Stamping on toes, going through the back of players and elbowing them? Yes, showing them that you won't be intimidated. Deliberately trying to injure players? No, it rarely happens, definitely not something that I can remember happening in the last 5 years in the premier league.
I can think of a few off-the-ball elbows to the head that would definitely count. Rooney on McCarthy or Gerrard on Brown, for example. please log in to view this image
I have no idea why you continue to try and defend the blatantly indefensible. It was a malicious, nasty, totally uncalled for, assault that could easily have broken the other players leg. If you can't see that, you really are kidding yourself, Again, this is NOT a comparatively bad foul contest! Yes, I know there have been worse. That in no way excuses Suarezs' behaviour.
I give up talk about see only what you want to see!!...the guy is a loose cannon. He will seriously injure an opposition player very soon, if he's allowed to continue. Neither of those examples is bad timing, or anything other than malicious assault.
That was vicious. Definitely an attempt to injure Brown and put him out for a lengthy period of time. I am surprised Brown managed to carry on with the game. Infact, I'm surprised he didn't suffer severe brain damage and hasn't been confined to a life in a wheelchair after that vicious assault.
