Everton play like 'Stoke'

[grahamando]

FOOTBALL
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has backtracked on his claims that Everton play long-ball football.

Speaking immediately after Sunday's 2-2 Merseyside derby draw, Gerrard likened Everton's style of play to that of Stoke, but he has now moved to clarify his views.

"I've watched the game again, and I've seen some of Everton's matches this season," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"What I said in relation to their style of play went too far."

 

[Joey66]

He's lucky Stoke FC do not report him to the FA - they played them a few weeks ago at home Result 0-0 - LFC are hardly top of the league at the moment are they?
Let's see if we can finish above them then make our comments to this crass comments from Stevie G string!

 

[EFC Si]

We've come out of this looking weak:

• reliant on the press and radio to fight our corner for us
• allowing a long ball tag to be resurrected (and it's still being used by the back door by Rodgers today)
• failing to nail them post match for their assaults on our players

I think this really isn't a big deal.

'Oh no, other people think we play long balls'

Great, now let's finish 4th at the end of the season please

 

[Royal Blue Jersey]

I agree with davek. He's got it all spot on.

 

[davek]

Dave, i'm sorry but I just don't agree, this is my view on your post.

Here's the bottom line:

Gerrard has been throwing his toys out of the pram for the last 3 days and the media haven't bit; in fact they've printed his story and then countered this by printing the stats to prove him wrong. The club have kept quiet and let the national press take care of this for them; and they have been proven right because LFC have forced Gerrard to make an apology, may not be an apology we expected, but its made him look like the fool.

We would look like bad tits if every player would have come out arguing the toss over Gerrards comments, the bitter tag would have stood. Does it matter that he say we are long ball merchants??? Let him, i don;t give a **** coz i know, and so do most, that we are not.

Its highly known that Everton have been one of the most creative sides in Eurpoe since the start of the season, so Gerrards comments prove he his bitter that his beloved team are no longer a match for us.

By not saying anything, its getting Brenda, Gerrard and who ever else at the pig hole wound up, Everton are just sitting back and laughing by not saying anything. Well played to them

But this is the whole thing, we relied on the media to take this allegation apart. Why did we do that? Because 1/ we never got our story effectively across on the day of the game and 2/ because there was a vacuum created for the media to do that provided by a club that wouldn't defend itself.

It's shameful to me at least that the likes of Jagielka and Ian Snodin have been the only one's piping up to even tackle the issue when we have a media department run by that chocolate fireguard Paul Tyrrell, and a manager and his backroom staff who should be out there saying 'you're not ****ing on'.

In short: I dont give a flying one what the media are saying because it just underlines the inertia at the club over the matter.

 

[Tubey]

But this is the whole thing, we relied on the media to take this allegation apart. Why did we do that? Because 1/ we never got our story effectively across on the day of the game and 2/ because there was a vacuum created for the media to do that provided by a club that wouldn't defend itself.

Oh come on, that's just silly. If we'd have came out batting away these allegations, it would have been "one side against the other" and both clubs accused of bias.

By staying silent, we've allowed the impartial media to call out their claims as the bullcrap they were and they alone have been made to look like the twisted bitters they are.

Read those last two paragraphs over and over until the obvious sinks in mate. We've handled it perfectly. Sorry davek, I agree with you on a few things, but on this you're being negative about the club for the sake of being negative.

 

[davek]

Oh come on, that's just silly. If we'd have came out batting away these allegations, it would have been "one side against the other" and both clubs accused of bias.

By staying silent, we've allowed the impartial media to call out their claims as the bullcrap they were and they alone have been made to look like the twisted bitters they are.

Read those last two paragraphs over and over until the obvious sinks in mate. We've handled it perfectly. Sorry davek, I agree with you on a few things, but on this you're being negative about the club for the sake of being negative.

Well, therein lies the crux of the matter. I'd far rather the club be seen standing up to this and forgoing a pat on the head from the media.

 

[Tubey]

Well, therein lies the crux of the matter. I'd far rather the club be seen standing up to this and forgoing a pat on the head from the media.

Why? If Everton came out and did that, Everton fans would be happy, but neutrals and the general public would have just seen it as a tit-for-tat featuring two clubs who hate eachother who are probably both at fault.

As it stands, we stayed silent, and the neutrals are laughing at them and they're shown up for what they are, which makes the Everton fans happy.

For years, we've been flagging up what absolute bells they are, and what do we get? Labelled as "bitter" and the "unruly small club neighbours" or, at best, "plucky Everton". To hell with that!

I'd rather give them the rope to hang themselves with every day of the week.

 

[davek]

Why? If Everton came out and did that, Everton fans would be happy, but neutrals and the general public would have just seen it as a tit-for-tat featuring two clubs who hate eachother who are probably both at fault.

As it stands, we stayed silent, and the neutrals are laughing at them and they're shown up for what they are, which makes the Everton fans happy.

For years, we've been flagging up what absolute bells they are, and what do we get? Labelled as "bitter" and the "unruly small club neighbours" or, at best, "plucky Everton". To hell with that!

I'd rather give them the rope to hang themselves with every day of the week.

As I said, that's the fault line in this matter.

 

[Tobin]

Quite happy the way the club behaved in this. Stood strong and silent.

While the reds were made by their own mouths to look weak, pathetic and silly.

We have come out of this facade with a huge amount of respect.

The grown up thing to do now is except the apology (even if we don't agree with it) and move on.

Silence can be a huge weapon and to not let us be involved in any petty arguments, chants or ramping insults on the net. We know the truth - so does the world of football. We don't have to prove anything.

The more they shout rubbish, the more pathetic the kopites look.

Let them insult us - what's the old playground saying "sticks and stones may break our bones but names shall never hurt us"

 

[Ihaters]

Well, therein lies the crux of the matter. I'd far rather the club be seen standing up to this and forgoing a pat on the head from the media.

Unless they had of done in which case you would far rather they had shut up and stop mouthing off.
Hate to say it but your quite transparent in your requirement to, unimaginatively I have to say, post the opposite to anything that club does and claim your post is the correct procedure and what should of been done.
That rarely makes it correct, even if the club were wrong, and in this case you are overwhlemingly in the minority if you think that we came off badly from this.

 

[Elong]

He actually hasn't apologised though has he? Didn't see the word sorry in any of that. He just goes on to use the excuse we pick on their racist. Not sure how this is deemed an apology.

 

[Tubey]

He actually hasn't apologised though has he? Didn't see the word sorry in any of that. He just goes on to use the excuse we pick on their racist. Not sure how this is deemed an apology.

That's even better. The contrast between our club captain apologising with 5 minutes for his dive and their club captain spouting incorrect biased bile and struggling to bring himself back from it is absolutely golden.

If he had said the word "sorry" people would by and large let him off with it.

It's like when a politician says "I regret the offence caused"... everyone knows he's a t*t because he's not apologising, he's sorry people got offended. Same thing here.

Honestly, they've been shown up big style by this.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

He actually hasn't apologised though has he? Didn't see the word sorry in any of that. He just goes on to use the excuse we pick on their racist. Not sure how this is deemed an apology.

You're right, it's not an apology merely a back track, having made some factually incorrect comments.

It shows that he hasn't even got the good grace to apologise for making incorrect statements, which makes him look an even bigger prick than he did to start with. As he's patently been forced by his club to make the statement & has done it through gritted teeth whilst sucking a lemon, it's brilliant stuff.

 

[Elong]

That's even better. The contrast between our club captain apologising with 5 minutes for his dive and their club captain spouting incorrect biased bile and struggling to bring himself back from it is absolutely golden.

If he had said the word "sorry" people would by and large let him off with it.

It's like when a politician says "I regret the offence caused"... everyone knows he's a t*t because he's not apologising, he's sorry people got offended. Same thing here.

Honestly, they've been shown up big style by this.

This is exactly how I read it. "deeply regret" etc. Do one you crease headed knob.