Firstly, I am not saying Liverpool were not the better team, because they were. They hustled and harried the United players into rushed and misplaced passes, and they closed down the space on the pitch giving United little options. However the Referee was very poor in my opinion, and was far too quick to book United players over Liverpool players. Evra was booked very softly (Torres tripped himself) Vidic received his first yellow softly (his second was deserved though) which led to his eventual dismissal, while repeat offender Lucas continually got away with persistent fouling, and Mascherano only got his first yellow for a late challenge on Evra, when he had a number of previously unbooked challenges. Jamie Carragher was gifted the benefit of the doubt from the official, when he got away with his challenge on Carrick in the penalty area, I still think if you look at it again he was over the ball and it's only his heel that makes any contact with the ball, getting more of man than ball. On a lesser example, Giggs was also fouled inside the corner of the area, when he is shoved off the ball by Agger, outside and it's a foul, inside and it's a let off. Carragher was once again granted the second of his three wishes from his Fairy Godmother Andre Marriner, when he was given a yellow card for a stonewall sending off offence. So while I agree Liverpool played better than United, I also believe had the referee been fairer with the decisions, then the result could have been much different.

I disagree with you on the Vidic point, the fact he went in for another challenge after the referee had blown his whistle was cynical and he fully deserved the yellow card, he'd also made a couple of cynical fouls before that. I think maybe you're right about Carragher seeing red for the challenge of Owen though the challenge on Carrick was perfectly legitimate IMO.

I don't think the referee was unfair, just for once Manchester United didn't get all the decisions their way.

I missed this game. Surprised to see more fuss was not made over the 90+6 goal.

Sbfc, I beg to differ with you on the Carragher challenge, I'm sure if Ferdinand or Vidic had made a similar challenge, Liverpool fans would have expected (and most likely gotten) a penalty. As for the cynical fouling (as you put it) of Vidic, what about Lucas??? He had several "cynical" fouls and repeatedly escaped punishment. This for me is not about United being beaten by Liverpool, I have already conceded that Liverpool were the better team, I just wish Liverpool supporters and Man U haters could at least acknowledge the fact that the Referee was very poor, and call a spade a spade.

(10-27-2009 11:30 PM)mathiese Wrote:  Sbfc, I beg to differ with you on the Carragher challenge, I'm sure if Ferdinand or Vidic had made a similar challenge, Liverpool fans would have expected (and most likely gotten) a penalty. As for the cynical fouling (as you put it) of Vidic, what about Lucas??? He had several "cynical" fouls and repeatedly escaped punishment. This for me is not about United being beaten by Liverpool, I have already conceded that Liverpool were the better team, I just wish Liverpool supporters and Man U haters could at least acknowledge the fact that the Referee was very poor, and call a spade a spade.

I agree that Lucas should have been booked and it seems so rare these days that a ref actually has a good game.

As for the Carragher challenge, I still think he got the ball and I thought it was a great, committed challenge.