I seen the corner which was given our way when it was blatently not, and then Given whacked the ball into the crowd and got booked, but it was 5-1 then, and yes I seen the pass back too. I think overall though the ref had a decent game, I just didnt like Taylors tacke when pep had just been treated on a head injury, and the tackle on owen from carra was just a bit of a friendly reunion .

As for the liverpool support it is usually good away from home, but i would say that our support is different from most, singing rather than shouting and not bleeting out the normal chants of every day teams like barmy army for example, plus I heard a few renditions of fields of anfield rd and poor scouser tommy.

I'm not sure on our title winning cridentials just yet though, united seem to be creeping up on us quietly with 1-0 wins which is slightly ominous, they play chelsea after boro anyway so something has got to give either way.

P.S did alonso score from half way when it was brought back for a free kick?

Edited at 00:35 Mon 29/12/08 (GMT)

All I'm picking out on the Liverpool fans is that I would expect a the fans of a team beating a team 5-1 to be outsinging the team's fans that are losing, it wasn't the case

After seeing you yesterday I do believe you have what it takes to win the title, the way that the passing and movement goes to get you up the pitch and into an attacking position so quickly was top class, but then again, it would be harder against a team actually capable of playing football.

BUT with Steven Gerrard having now been arrested, where does that leave you if he is charged? Because he was by far your main man yesterday, a massive influence and a top performance. But again, the time and space he was given by Newcastle, he could turn and run with the ball for 20 yards without a challenge.

Nah he didn't score, hit it well wide lol

Hes an idiot alright, just what we didn't need, I think we'll be alright, we havent got a premiership tie till the 10th I dont think, with the fa cup game against PNE coming up, that is the reason he would have been out clubbing, as he defo wont be playing against preston regardless. All it has done is tarnish his and our reputations, especially being club captain, i expect he'll be warned, released and given a stern talking to by rafa, then point out that he is not immune for dropping, and that carra is just a worthy possible captain as him.


Anyway.... cmon boro!

Did he actually do it? Or has someone just seen him out, been done in by someone else and thought "Hmm... Could get him in trouble here"?

If he has done it, I wonder if he would be labelled as scum across the media and pretty much everywhere like another scouser was in a similar situation!

Im a stoke fan and i belive Fuller Shud Be banned from playin for four matches docked wages for the season and put on the transfer list !

wa do you think

Yeah, then we would see the back you

And its still alleged Tom so who knows, the point was he was obviously bladdered and been stupid, and Gerrard aint quite like Barton - not yet anyway lol

Av read his book and he has been in a similar situation under Houlliers management, and got dropped and fined, even though he didnt do what was alleged, the fact was he was in the situation which was his fault, either way, hes not been very clever.

I do however sympothise with him, it drives me mad when people see footballers as "role models" hes a young lad with a load of cash who wouldn't go out getting bladdered? If people want role models to look upto they should look elsewhere, but as things are, he has been stupid.

Edited at 19:56 Mon 29/12/08 (GMT)

Manchester United 1 - 0 Middlesboro


The boro defence was brilliant tonight, but that was taken away by Berbatov then we ran riot over them.


Pogetez is a disgrace and should'a been red carded for the stranglation on Ronaldo.

I probably wont see it due to no MoTD or anything. But in my opinion, at least someone's getting away for something like that on Ronaldo after the way he gets away with stamping and kicking players when they're on the floor or have just tackled him.

And also, good to hear something is going against Man Utd to do with referees on something like that, along with Ronaldo's kicking and stamping, but even more so, Rooney's attempted elbow on the Stoke player.

Edited at 22:40 Mon 29/12/08 (GMT)

That was a strangle, and anyone who has been in any sort of scrap will know that putting your hands round somebodies throat doesn't send you on your backside, ronaldo made the most of it - again. He has been crap this season, me thinks hes sulking.

Stevie could face 5 years, that would end his career and our chances of ever winning the prem. Hope it doesn't come to that, its his 1st offence, but I fear he wil be maken an example out of.

5 years I take it that's maximum? what's the minimum he could get.. community service?

Yh as i just said to you

He will never get five years for it. He'll probably claim the community service he gets sentenced for is making Liverpool fans happy

You fear he'll be made an example out of? So he should be. He should get similar treatment to what Joey Barton got/gets, but considering he's one of the top England players, I doubt that'll happen

Well from a Liverpool point of you I fear he will get made an example of. From a point of view of everybody else, he should get time. You can't go around hitting people with glass, especially in a 6 on 1 attack - which is also pretty cowardly tbh. Wouldn't mind but a week before he was preaching about how people on merseyside shouldn't turn to knife crime and violence, and make it a safe place for children. Ever so slightly hypocritical.

If he gets an ASBO, that would be an ASBO and an MBE, how ironic

I thinks its stupid how these 'big players' get bubble wrapped by the refs all the time then as soon as they do something the F.A jus seem to look over the matter for instance rooney elbowing faye in the face if that wudda been the other way round then im sure that faye wudda been red carded ronaldo kicking out i not sure of the player but if the player had done it to ronaldo not only wud he b red carded ronaldo wud be rollin round the floor like he having a heart attack the priemer is slowing getting as bad as the goverment is now !!

Can anyone find a video of the fuller incident? Still haven't seen it yet!

mike,

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2213733/ricardo_fuller_slaps_his_captain_andy_griffin_stoke_vs_west_ham_new/

it will take 2/3mins to loads but there you go mate

Here is fullers tlak with skysports:
(Also just let you no he got docked 2 weeks ages)

Fuller was sent off for slapping his skipper during Sunday's 2-1 away defeat by West Ham, sparking speculation the Jamaica international could be sold in January.

Chairman Peter Coates insists the forward will not be leaving, but rumour continues to suggest that the Potters could look to cash in.

And Fuller confesses that he is unsure as to whether he has a future with the Premier League new boys and acknowledges the final decision lies with the club.

"Who knows?" Fuller told Sky Sports News when asked if he had a future at Stoke.

Provoked
"It is up to the club. I give my all for Stoke, maybe I give too much and that is maybe why I am in this position.

"I always try to do so much for Stoke City. I am a Stoke City player and that is all I care about.

"It is up to them. Anything that goes, goes. I am okay. I love to do football work for Stoke City. It is up to the club."

Meanwhile, Fuller has revealed that he was provoked by Griffin during the incident, which occurred immediately after West Ham has equalised Abdoulaye Faye's opener.

"I said to him, 'Griff, clear the ball out' and he was very rude and disrespectful," added Fuller when asked why the confrontation occurred.

Grudge
"What he said was bad but what I did was worse."

But Fuller is adamant that there will be no long-standing grudge with Griffin and insists the incident is now in the past.

"That is how it goes in football. You want to do so well that these things happen," he added.

"I am sorry for the fans, especially, and for costing the team three points.

"These things happen and hopefully it doesn't happen again.

"It is all done and dusted. I am looking forward to the New Year and hopefully it will be a better one."

Stevie has been punished by the club

Hmmm... When Joey Barton was charged with assault & affray, I remember one of the back page headlines was something along the lines of:

"Kevin Keegan had the chance to make a stand for English football and sack Joey Barton, instead he's given him a second chance".

Any sign of anything like that about Gerrard? Because he plays for the team that are top of the league and constantly in the top four, and because he's one of England's best midfielders, they're just saying about how Liverpool will help him through, not critisising them for it or anything... Really is pathetic some time.

In particular, there's someone who goes on Sky Sports News some week day mornings and he doesn't half have his rose tinted glasses on. When Newcastle played Man City & Beye got sent off (This was when City were doing alright), he was saying how it was the right decision and the referee did right and Newcastle fans were wrong to give him a hard time and everything. Despite the replays clearly showing it was a good tackle. This isn't the only stuff he says against the 'lesser' clubs, but considering I'm a Newcastle fan and was really annoyed about that decision, that's the main thing that sticks in my head.

Yet when Ronaldo is kicking out and everything, he's saying that the referees need to protect him and that he has the right to react to being treated like that by kicking out. Really does get on my nerves