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Was it really THAT despicable?

Discussion in 'Liverpool' started by carlthejackal, Jan 20, 2015.

  1. carlthejackal

    carlthejackal Well-Known Member

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    Mirallas took the ball and insisted on taking a crucial penalty even though the regular and (usually) very successful pen taker was Baines.

    Mirallas' action was described by Neville as despicable (repeated many times on SSS) and he said he struggled to think of any other worse crimes.

    Surely that's a bit OTT?
     
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  2. Its a bit strong. Mirrallas shouldn't have taken the penalty. He shouldn't have even thought about taking it off Baines, its not good preparation for a already high pressure situation. But if he'd scored then nothing would have been said. If Everton had gone on to win then it wouldn't have been such a big deal but Mirrallas would have still been taken off at half-time. Football is a fickle world and as it stands, it cost them the game. Of course, no one can say how the game would have gone had the penalty been scored either.

    PS; why is Baines not getting any of the attention for allowing Mirrallas to take it...?
     
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  3. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    I didn't see the incident but did he and Baines argue over it? Or did Baines happily give it to Mirales?
     
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  4. I didn't watch it either but listened to the radio, they suggested that Baines didn't put up a fight.
     
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  5. Tobes

    Tobes Warden
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    I'm sure wrestling the ball off him or them arguing like a pair of school kids would have looked great like.......

    Naismith and Lukaku had both stopped him and told him to give the ball to Baines, but he ignored them both and strode into the box, seeing he was adamant Baines tapped his face twice and told him to score.

    It was an act of extreme selfishness and was all about his ego and goal tally as opposed to what was best for the team and the club.

    Ultimately it cost us 2 points and he should be strung up for it, and yes Neville was spot on.
     
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  6. Who gives a **** what it looks like? <laugh>

    Fair enough if Naismith and Lukaku argued though, Baines doesn't come across as the arguing dominant type <laugh>
     
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  7. astro

    astro Well-Known Member

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    If you're going to act like that at least hit a decent penalty

    Even if it hadn't been wide, the keeper read it like a book and had it covered
     
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  8. carlthejackal

    carlthejackal Well-Known Member

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    I think he didn't want to make a scene. Baines himself asked for the ball. Two other players (Lukaku and Naysmith) shouted at him to give the effing ball to Baines. He ignored them all. Nothing would have been said if he had scored.

    But I agree it was a serious breach of team discipline. No manager should stand for it - Would players dare go against the instructions of Mourinho or Van Gaal or Ferguson? It also goes against team spirit. Sacrificing your own ambition for the sake of the team.

    His "selfishness" did cost Everton dear. More than likely Baines would have scored and WBA's gameplan would be out of the window.
     
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  9. Jimmy Squarefoot

    Jimmy Squarefoot Well-Known Member

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    I understand that it looks bad and he shouldn't have done it - but I admire that self belief and arrogance in players.
     
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  10. carlthejackal

    carlthejackal Well-Known Member

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    To the detriment of the team? it's not like Baines is an unreliable pen taker is it?
     
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  11. Tobes

    Tobes Warden
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    You can't have 2 of your players wrestling each other for the ball ffs, what if Baines did that and then has the kick himself - how much pressure has he put on himself by dragging it off him?

    He did the right thing, Mirallas was the **** in that scenario.
     
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  12. Tobes

    Tobes Warden
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    There's nothing to admire in what he did there, it was pure ego that cost the team a result. He should never have even thought about it.
     
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  13. Prince Knut

    Prince Knut GC Thread Terminator

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    Had it been a Liverpool player in the midst of contract talks, then could you imagine the hysteria and conspiracy theories about how the player was engineering a move? I saw the West ham cup tie and Miralles was on fire. I think he just got completely carried away last night, and he deserves a kick up the arse (behind closed doors), but 'despicable'? Way to drive him out the club and sensationalist journalism (which is what, effectively, Neville and carragher are now). Despicable is a player who doesn't play for the shirt or the manager, because he doesn't like them or wants a move. Whatever else Miralles did, he didn't do that.
     
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  14. If he took the penalty and missed, the focus would have still been on Mirrallas regardless. If Baines argued with Mirrallas and Lukaku & Naismith were fighting his corner too, it wouldn't have ended with a wrestling match either.

    Mirrallas was definitely the **** though <ok>
     
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  15. Red Hadron Collider

    Red Hadron Collider The Hammerhead

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    I gather you were there. Must have been fun in those ****ing temperatures <yikes>
     
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  16. Tobes

    Tobes Warden
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    He'd pushed past Lukaku and totally ignored Naismith, he wasn't giving that ball up.

    If anyone Jagielka should have been the one to wade in and sort the beaut out, but he was back on halfway sorting his laces out, just expecting Baines to take it, he wasn't even looking!
     
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  17. Tobes

    Tobes Warden
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    He's got no intention of signing a new deal and never has had, we were always a 1 contract club to Mirallas.

    Which makes his actions even worse, as he's in the shop window at present and he was thinking about boosting his goal tally.
     
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  18. moreinjuredthanowen

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    I reckon the pundits were having a go to make noise and get their faces all over sky cos henry has been all over sky. neville won't want mr henry and his 4mil contract to take his place as gray's successor.

    I reckon neville will be pouncing ala gray on whatever and making all sorts of big deals out of nothing in the next while


    I think ok... sure baines should have put him in his place and i'd be more worried about baines being a puss than mirallas being a clown...
     
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  19. johnsonsbaby

    johnsonsbaby Well-Known Member

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    'Despicable' <laugh> - thought that word was reserved for Suarez .....
     
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  20. moreinjuredthanowen

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    i recall suarez tried this on at lfc for all of one pen... didn't drogba or someone do the same with lampard at chelsea...

    just trying to think... the difference here is mirallas has been at everton a long time letting baines smash em home so its only yesterday he does it.... I've no issue with a manager straightening out an ego or a club pen take telling a new guy to f the f off and putting them in their place publicly if a ego decides as the new guy he should take em.
     
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