The referee ensures a Liverpool win against us

[Matt10]

He's holding onto him, it's so very clear. At first I thought he was going to let go of him, then he held onto him even longer. Sorry, that's the equivalent of slide tackling a player with your backfoot - it's still a foul.

[Fernhurst]

The last decent unbiased ref was Alan Wiley, always gave us a fair crack, how it should be.
So unbiased Fergie called him unfit and didn't think he should be a Premier referee.

Always impressed by his performances...... Well done Alan, retired with your head held high.

[Whitesideup]

I thought the ref had a decent game.

So Fabinho shouldn't have had a second yellow?

[CorkCity]

The ref was right definitely a penalty. Pity he didn't give Rico a straight red

[SP]

I thought the ref had a decent game.

So Fabinho shouldn't have had a second yellow?

Not from the view I had from the Riverside, by the sounds of it you had a better view & are better placed to judge?

[MikeTheCubed]

Craig Pawson yet another Big Four Bitch.

[Andy S]

I think the ref did have a decent game. It is not right to expect the ref to have a perfect game but not bad

[KJS]

Are we ignoring the fact Fabinho should have gone before half time with two challenges insider 5 mins. Had he not have been on a yellow he would have got one for that tackle, the public want Man City to win the league but seems the FA are determined as hell to make sure Liverpool get in there first

Agreed!

Someone talking sense at last hooeffinrsy

[grandad]

You see more grappling , shirt pulling, pushing & shoving at every corner & rarely is anything given. Rico didn´t grab hold of Mane. His left hand brushed across his front. Never enough contact to make the cheat collapse with arms & legs like an upside down tortoise.

[Logicalman]

I thought the ref had a decent game.

So Fabinho shouldn't have had a second yellow?

I'm not certain how many (current) refs would have given him a second yellow for that foul, even though had he not been on a yellow he would have gotten one. Very few times do we ever see anything like that consistency. Even worse was a comment made during one game this past week where a terrible foul was committed within minutes of the start and to paraphrase the comment "it's too early in the game for a red", I believe it was studs at chest height.

[The Old Count]

Over both matches v Liverpool this season the decisions have been heavily weighted in Liverpool's favour.  Coincidence? Luck? Unfair bias (subliminal or otherwise)?    Just wondering.

[Chesh]

Ref very relieved to give penalty...... didn't want to upset Liverpool/Premier League .......
Experienced so many times now......

Sorry, that's rose tinted at best.

With Rico grabbing at him, what was the ref supposed to do - and yes, Sane did make an absolute meal of it.

Rico cost us that penalty - plan and simple.

He's just not a very good goalkeeper.

[filham]

Prediction: Sadio Mané to dive at least THREE times and get free kicks EVERY time!

Rico made a mistake but Mané dived theactrically as predicted!  Penalty was hit at Rico also, he moved out of the way - should be Rico's last match for Fulham.

Without Betts Rico has to continue to play, we have no other keeper capable.

[The Old Count]

Craig Pawson yet another Big Four Bitch.

Ha ha! like it.

[Dixie]

In real time yesterday I thought it looked ridiculously harsh.
In the first replay i saw (in McBride's) i still thought it was ridiculously harsh.
I have now watched this incident again about 15 times on the offal highlights and I have to say that when Rico spills the ball, i think that Mane might have got to it first if he was not held back... hard to say from the angle, but that combined with the fact that Rico keeps his hand on him for far too long kind of makes it an easy decision for the ref (who i thought did OK by the way)

Even though we lost (as expected - Liverpool were 1-6 for the win on Paddy Power), we did put up a fight and for a period in the second half, we had them very worried. The performance is more important really at this stage and i for one am really hoping that Scotty P gets given the chance to take the club forward.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Over both matches v Liverpool this season the decisions have been heavily weighted in Liverpool's favour.  Coincidence? Luck? Unfair bias (subliminal or otherwise)?    Just wondering.

Definitely biased.

[ALG01]

I thought the ref had a decent game.

So Fabinho shouldn't have had a second yellow?

He should and IMO that lack of decision by the ref turned the game.
He clearly favoured them fronm start to finish, not halsey or oliver or riley or dean or mason or one of many others bias but none the less was always going to give liverpool a penalty.... in fact (or if you prefer opinion) if it was the other end and mitro went down then he would have been booked for diving. We all know that. IMO it was a pen and Rico is a shambles.

[Bill2]

From looking at the highlights it was very soft but as he was going away from goal did he have to grab him.

[WindyCity]

Prediction: Sadio Mané to dive at least THREE times and get free kicks EVERY time!

Rico made a mistake but Mané dived theactrically as predicted!  Penalty was hit at Rico also, he moved out of the way - should be Rico's last match for Fulham.

To be honest, FFC's goalkeeping this season has been rather poor.  Needs an upgrade heading into the Championship.  Our keepers (mostly Rico?) have not been sure of themselves, punching away many balls/crosses/corners/etc when it was surely clear that the ball could have been easily caught.  Lots of unnecessary punch outs tells me the keeper isn't sure of himself and hasn't taken steps to be in the right position.  Sure, a few spectacular saves here and there, but every keeper at this level makes great saves, it's expected at this level.  But moving forward, methinks FFC had better improve on their goal tending.

[filham]

Prediction: Sadio Mané to dive at least THREE times and get free kicks EVERY time!

Rico made a mistake but Mané dived theactrically as predicted!  Penalty was hit at Rico also, he moved out of the way - should be Rico's last match for Fulham.

To be honest, FFC's goalkeeping this season has been rather poor.  Needs an upgrade heading into the Championship.  Our keepers (mostly Rico?) have not been sure of themselves, punching away many balls/crosses/corners/etc when it was surely clear that the ball could have been easily caught.  Lots of unnecessary punch outs tells me the keeper isn't sure of himself and hasn't taken steps to be in the right position.  Sure, a few spectacular saves here and there, but every keeper at this level makes great saves, it's expected at this level.  But moving forward, methinks FFC had better improve on their goal tending.

I think we will have to make the best of Betts, hard to see a really good keeper wanting to play for us in the Championship with our defensive record.