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Posts Tagged ‘campaign’

• Liverpool manager adds fuel to United referee row
• ‘We will try to maintain our dignity,’ says Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish has prepared for the visit of Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney to Anfield by accusing “the ones who shout loudest” of receiving preferential treatment from referees and undermining the Football Association’s Respect campaign.

Ferguson is to defend himself against a charge of improper conduct brought against the Manchester United manager following comments about the referee Martin Atkinson at Chelsea on Tuesday and has Rooney available for Sunday’s game with Liverpool despite elbowing James McCarthy at Wigan. Rooney is free to assist United’s pursuit of a record 19th league title, one more than Liverpool, after the referee Mark Clattenburg prevented the FA taking retrospective action against the striker by insisting he handled the incident correctly at the time. Dalglish did not mention United or Ferguson by name in his allegation of double standards but, while indicating Liverpool could withdraw their co-operation from the Respect campaign, he conceded recent events had fuelled his frustration.

The Liverpool manager said: “There has been a theme about referees for most of this week. When I came back in we were made aware of the Respect campaign that is there to help referees and which, obviously, we have adhered to. We have never come out and criticised the referees after games. It is difficult for them not to make mistakes but if we are going to respect the campaign and we are the ones adhering to it, then I just hope that we are not the ones who are suffering.

“Sometimes you think that the ones who shout loudest are the ones who get the more beneficial decisions and that would be totally unfair. We will respect the campaign as long as we think that we won’t be suffering in any way, shape or form. Right at this particular moment in time I cannot say that it is particularly true that we haven’t suffered. We will try our best to maintain our dignity and respect for referees but we would also like to think they would show us respect for going along with the guidelines of the

• Tottenham fail to complete late move for Scotland midfielder
• Blackpool put £14m asking price on player who cost £500,000

Charlie Adam has been left distraught by Blackpool’s unwillingness to sell him to Liverpool after heated talks between the player and club officials at Bloomfield Road tonight.

Adam, who had been targeted by the Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, made it clear to Blackpool that he was keen on a move to Anfield by submitting a transfer request last week.

However, the Premier League newcomers steadfastly refused to sell their captain and key player of this campaign. That matter will leave the Blackpool manager, Ian Holloway, with at best a frustrated, and at worst disgruntled, player for the remainder of this campaign at least.

Tottenham also made a last-ditch attempt to take Adam to White Hart Lane. Harry Redknapp is a long-time admirer of the midfielder, although he confirmed that the offer came to late. “We pushed on and tried to do it. Daniel [Levy, the Tottenham chairman] was confident he could get it through. It went to the wire but we missed out by minutes,” Redknapp said. “Apparently the boy was definitely up for coming … apparently the chairman couldn’t get hold of two shareholders who had to sign the forms as well. It’s just one of those things.”

On a frantic final day of the transfer window, Blackpool are understood to have rejected offers from Liverpool of £8.5m and £10m for the Scotland international – the latter bid arriving as late as 8pm. Blackpool have valued Adam at £14m, despite paying just £500,000 to sign him from Rangers in 2009.

Adam held discussions with the Blackpool chairman, Karl Oyston, in an effort to secure his dream move and a huge salary increase but to no avail. The playmaker believes he should have been allowed to join Liverpool as a show of gratitude from Blackpool for the part he has played in their rapid rise to top-flight prominence and that the valuation placed on him is unrealistic.

Blackpool contest that Adam’s worth to them is significant with Premier League survival in mind. The Scot has 18 months remaining on his contract.

Oyston said: “What we’ve got to consider isn’t so much valuation – obviously that’s a consideration – but its what’s at stake for us and the fact that we really don’t want to lose momentum or part of our spirit or affect things badly.

“Looking back on other Premier League newcomers if they lose the manager or lose some key players that’s when things really tend to start to fall apart.

“The offer was nowhere near what we could even begin to consider and more importantly we’d gone past the stage – and I did flag this up to them a fair while ago – that if they were seriously interested then they’d better put their best offer on the table.”

BlackpoolLiverpoolTransfer windowEwan Murrayguardian.co.uk

Liverpool fans in the entertainment industry offer their support to the campaign to oust the club’s current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett