“We don’t think he should ever have been away but we are delighted to get him back,” he said. “For me, Luis Suarez doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone at Liverpool FC.”

Ahead of the game at Anfield, Dalglish called for the players and fans to act in a “responsible” way. Evra was booed for 90 minutes by the home crowd and Dalglish incredibly referred to this as “friendly banter” after the full time whistle. Just like Suarez had used some friendly racism a few weeks before, I suppose.

It seems Dalglish’s fleeting moment of responsibility is well and truly out of the window though, with him now ludicrously claiming that the FA were wrong to ban Suarez.

There’s no denying that Dalglish heavily contributed to the rise of Liverpool Football Club. It is brilliant to watch him now contribute to their demise, dragging their name through the mud whenever a camera is put in front of him. I wonder what Shankly would think of them now…

Scott the Red: Does your current league position match with your expectations at the start of the season or had you been anticipating a serious title challenge from Chelsea?

Darren Mantle: If we’d kept Ancelotti I’d have expected to compete but with a new manager it was always going to be transitional period. A new manager needs time to get his own players in and get them to play to his style. But yes I did still expect a serious title challenge, and I’m not willing to rule it out yet.

STR: Interestingly enough, you’re in the same position as you were this time last season, except you’re a point better off. Do you think the manager deserves more time to improve and do you think he will be given it?

DM: He deserves at least two of the three years of his contract for the reasons mentioned above, I’d like him to be given the full three years. If we come top three he’ll be fine, out of the top four and I can see a change, if results are bad in the next month I can see them lining up Hiddink again.

STR: Ancelotti got sacked for a lot less though and that was with the double as well. Which players have helped out Villas-Boas the most this season – who have been your best?

DM: Ramires has been outstanding, easily my player of the season, Mata has had a great first season and Sturridge has been impressive too.

STR: What have been your best and worst games this season?

DM: Best – Man City at home and Newcastle away. Worst – Arsenal and Fulham at home, followed by Liverpool and Aston Villa at home. Away – Norwich and QPR .

STR: What would make this season a success for Chelsea now?

DM: Top three for sure. Getting to the final of the Champions League (United try and stop us!) But more realistically the FA Cup (again – try and stop us!)

STR: The last time we played Fernando Torres could have had an easy hattrick. Do you still have faith that he will come good?

DM: Of course, he’s playing well, he’s working for the team, tracking back, closing down making runs, getting assists, he’s had some bad luck lately, a great shot that rattled the bar vs Villa, the overhead that Lampard then tapped in Vs Sunderland, the outside of his boot chance against Norwich. I said at the start of the season he’ll score 15, I’m willing to lower that to 12 now.

STR: It’s been two years now since he was scoring goals on even a fairly regular basis though. Anyway, I’ll try not to tempt fate too much ahead of this afternoon… How would you feel about Jose Mourinho managing United or any other PL club in the future?

DM: I’d hate him to manage any other club in England, he’s made no secret that he wants to return to the league though, but I don’t think he knows where it’ll be. He plays the media well by never dismissing being linked to clubs, including United. But that won’t be this summer, I think Fergie will be in the job until his health stops him, as far as results go he’s showing no signs of losing it, fantastic manager.

STR: The big news this week was John Terry being stripped of the England captaincy, again. What do you think of the decision?

DM: A lot of our fans have been saying it should be innocent until proven guilty, appalling to have lost it over an accusation that no player heard. Capello should have the full decision, not a bunch of businessmen who don’t have the first idea about football and are more interested in marketing potential.

STR: Being suspended pending the verdict is fairly common practice for any professional though and he hasn’t even been suspended, just relieved of the captaincy. I suppose if Terry wanted it resolved before the Euros the club shouldn’t have asked for a delay. Five days off training is probably a small price to pay when it comes to proving you’re not a racist, I’d think. Anyway, who do you think will win the league?

DM: Well, until its mathematically impossible I always say Chelsea, and I believe we still can, but realistically now I’d say United – Mancini isn’t good enough and they’ll fall apart, I’ve never rated him and he’s never come close to changing that opinion, I still think we’ll come above them.

STR: That’s optimistic, but I would be happy with that. Who do you want to win the league?

DM: If not Chelsea then United, I really couldn’t care less who has won it more out of you and Liverpool, and anyone who says we bought it before should see how long its taking City.

STR: Which United players are you most fearful of ahead of this afternoon?

DM: Rooney and Hernandez. If Terry was fit then maybe Evra too!

STR: Ha, fair play. If you could pick one United player to be in your squad who would it be and why?

DM: Hernandez, bags of energy, gets in good positions, I said last March when we played you that he did everything right off the ball but wasn’t strong enough on it, but every match since then I’ve been impressed with him.

STR: He definitely has toughened up this season but he’s been some way short of his form from last season. He did really well against Chelsea last year though, you’re right. Finally, what’s your prediction for today?

DM: 2-1 Chelsea. Torres brace for us, and Young (if fit) for you.

STR: I’ll go 2-1 United. Cheers.

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Follow Darren on Twitter

On Tuesday, the Manchester City official website claimed that they had already sold out the weekend’s fixture against Fulham. This obviously came as a surprise, given that just 30,000 blues bothered to show up for their League Cup semi-final against Liverpool a few weeks ago, with tickets being sold for as little as a tenner on the day.

“With every home league game selling out so far this season, becoming a Blue member with ticket priority will give you that all important chance to get tickets for the remaining home games this season.”

Really?

For some reason, Manchester City’s official Twitter account claimed that the ground was full. Why do City fans always lie?

Welcome to the Etihad. Sit where you like.

#manchesterisred

“I know my phone will be packed with texts from United,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of mates there and I’m closest to Jonny and Wazza. I’m sure there will be a few calls from them. But I’m just delighted to get my first goal. I was a bit frustrated in the last few games because I didn’t really manage many shots, but I’m buzzing about it. I’m an Everton player now but it does mean that little bit more to score against City, aye — although really I’m just glad we got the three points.”

The 19-year-old central defender joined the club in 2008 but has become frustrated by the lack of first team opportunities. He made his debut for the club in a pre-season friendly in the summer but when the dreadful Stefan Savic got the nod ahead of him during Vincent Kompany’s absence, the Veseli clearly realised it was time to leave.

Veseli captain the Swiss U-17 team to World Cup victory back in 2009 and the City academy boss, Jim Cassell, sung his praises. “Frederick is an exceptionally talented defender renowned for his ability on the ball,” he said. “He can also play in a number of positions and could eventually develop into a central midfield player.”

However, Veseli’s agent has claimed the paper has jumped the gun and that nothing has been agreed yet. After a trip to Liverpool yesterday, we might not be the reds that the youngster has signed for.

Video

One Liverpool fan was caught on camera doing a monkey impression when Evra was on the ball. “This matter is now under investigation by specialist hate crime detectives and we are working with Liverpool Football Club to identify the man in question.”

In response, following kick-off, Liverpool fans started spreading the disgusting rumour that United fans had been arrested for spitting on the Hillsborough memorial.

The Merseyside police have quickly spoken out against these rumours, claiming that whilst two people were arrested and seventeen people were ejected from the ground, it was all for “low level incidents.”

Is there no limit to the depths those vermin will sink today? Why on earth would you make up a rumour like that?

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Picture from Yolkie

However, if their fans do racially abuse Evra, the club have no one to blame but themselves, having whipped their fans in to a frenzy in order to keep Luis Suarez, their prize asset, protected.

Whilst Andre Villas-Boas made the dreadful mistake of claiming he would still give John Terry his full support even if he was found guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, Chelsea, for the most part, have kept quiet. In contrast, Liverpool have stirred the situation, before and after their player was found guilty of racially abusing Evra. The siege mentality they have developed over this case is an embarrassment, with them genuinely believing that they are the victims in this situation, for a change.

Who on earth came up with the idea of wearing t-shirts in support of a player accused of racial abuse? Who on earth wrote those press releases for Liverpool claiming that if Evra couldn’t prove he was racially abused he should be punished? Why on earth did Dalglish tell the press it was some FA conspiracy?

For them to believe that Suarez, after kicking him and smacking him round the head, was calling Evra “negro” in a friendly way was quite frankly unbelievable. “His wife calls him that,” Dalglish claimed, as if during a Liverpool vs United clash any player from either side would talk to each other with the same sentiment they would talk to their wives. Ludicrous. Suarez was trying to make a friend of Evra, was he? If you’ll believe that, you’ll believe anything. Sadly, it seems that Liverpool fans, whose behaviour is akin to those in a cult, will believe anything.

However, for all their fuss, they didn’t appeal the decision, which speaks volumes. If they were so certain that Suarez was innocent, why accept the decision to find him guilty? They accepted it but claimed not to agree with it. Suarez didn’t even have the decency to apologise for Evra. Even if, as he claimed, he didn’t mean to cause offence, the fact that he had done warranted some gesture. But as was typical with their whole dealing of the situation, he lacked any sort of class or remorse. Even on the pitch, with Evra visibly upset about what Suarez had called him, there was no apology. If Suarez was meaning “negro” in the friendly way he claims, why would he not say sorry when he could see that Evra hadn’t taken it that way? The obvious answer is because Suarez wasn’t addressing Evra as a companion, but an enemy, as that is what he is.

Then we have Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard talking about the responsibility of both clubs to behave properly today, which is incredible given how little responsibility their club has shown up until now. Liverpool FC and Dalglish are responsible for the vile treatment Evra will get today because they have painted him as the bad guy in order to make Suarez the victim. If that vile treatment turns to racism, the club has no one to point the finger at but themselves.

It is ridiculous to think that today Evra is going to be on the receiving end of awful abuse, whether they manage to keep racial overtones out of it or not, but our player can take it. He’s hardly Mr Popular at Stamford Bridge or the Emirates either. The point is Evra is a pantomime villain to those fans, disliked for petty reasons, but still things you can relate to all the same. If United had just been battered in big game against our rivals, we wouldn’t take kindly to one of their players say it was “men against babies”. The difference in this situation though is that Evra hasn’t done anything to warrant the abuse. He went to Anfield to play a football match and was racially abused by an opponent.

How will Liverpool fans make themselves look today in abusing Evra, whose only crime was being racially abused by one of their own players? Dreadful.

A banner in the United end reads: “MUFC – Defending Champions LFC – Defending Racists”. Can’t say fairer than that.

———–
The Liverpool Myth
The Suarez report broken down
Transcript of Dalglish’s defence of Suarez at a press conference

Liverpool players then warmed up in t-shirts in support of Suarez and once Suarez was found guilty, showed no remorse. Instead, Suarez refused to apologise to Evra whilst Dalglish claimed the decision was some kind of FA conspiracy. Liverpool FC refused to accept that Suarez was guilty and released an official statement offering him their full support, despite the guilty verdict.

As a result, Liverpool fans believe their player has done no wrong and that Evra is the guilty party. Three weeks after Suarez was found guilty, their fans were racially abusing an Oldham player during a game.

Liverpool are now worried that during this high profile FA Cup clash on Saturday that their fans will be guilty of more of the same, with captain Steven Gerrard voicing his concern.

“We all have a responsibility,” said Gerrard. “We all have a responsibility to ensure that this game is remembered for the football. Liverpool and Man United is a massive rivalry and, of course, there is going to be stuff in the papers and banter between fans. But it would be fantastic if, after the weekend, it is remembered for being a top game and obviously, from our point of view, a Liverpool win. We don’t want any front-page stories from this game or any stories besides a football match between two top sides.”

Cole scored at Anfield in our 3-1 win in the 1996-1997 season, scored two there the following season, and again in 1999.

“When I was in the team I used to love playing at Anfield,” he told the official site. “I was very fortunate that the manager always used to play me against Liverpool because I always seemed to get myself a goal there. I don’t know what it was. It’s a special arena that always used to bring the best out of me.”

United knocked out Liverpool on the way to claiming our historic Treble in 1999, after Michael Owen took the lead for the opposition after three minutes. An 88th minute equaliser from Dwight Yorke followed by an injury time winner from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer secured our place in the next round.

“That year we were in the ascendancy, we feared no-one,” he continued. “We always believed that whoever we played against, we could always knock them over. Even if we were a goal behind going into the last few minutes, we’d still beat teams. That’s how it was when we beat Liverpool in the Cup that year. We were knocking on the door for 85 minutes and then finally the goals came and we won the game. If you’re going to win the Cup then you’re going to have to knock out the tough teams. If you do that in the earlier rounds, hopefully it won’t be as tough if you reach the final.”