Mar 09

Steven Gerrard unlikely to be punished for V-sign at referee

• Liverpool midfielder gestured at referee after yellow card
• Andre Marriner deemed incident unworthy of punishment

Steven Gerrard is unlikely to face censure from the Football Association for allegedly flicking a V-sign at the referee Andre Marriner during Liverpool’s costly defeat at Wigan Athletic last night.

Footage of Gerrard’s reaction to his 82nd minute booking at the DW Stadium appears to show the Liverpool captain gesturing towards the match official and mouthing an obscenity. Marriner, however, is believed to have witnessed the incident at the time and deemed it unworthy of further punishment.

Unless the FA are informed the referee has reconsidered his initial verdict, no charges are expected to be brought against Gerrard, who captained England against Egypt last week in the wake of the John Terry controversy.

The FA is likely to let the matter drop with Liverpool officials, who spoke to the midfielder after the game, adamant Gerrard’s gesture was not offensive or intended for the referee.

Steven GerrardLiverpoolPremier LeagueRefereesAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

Mar 09

Rafael Benítez: Liverpool ‘played without intelligence’

• Liverpool manager could not hide disappointment after 1-0 loss
• ‘We have to keep going for fourth place,’ said Benítez

Rafael Benítez cut a dejected figure as Liverpool’s Champions League ambitions suffered a serious setback with a 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic last night, though he mustered enough venom to condemn his players for the attitude and lack of character they displayed at the DW Stadium. “We didn’t show the right attitude and even though we worked harder in the second half, we played without game intelligence,” complained the Liverpool manager.

Wigan’s first ever league win over Liverpool has left the Anfield club in a precarious position. Hugo Rodallega’s first-half goal gave Roberto Martínez’s side a major fillip in their bid to avoid relegation, but Wigan’s emotions were in stark contrast to Benítez.

The Liverpool manager added: “We didn’t do anything in the first half. The attitude was much better in the second half but it wasn’t enough. It is difficult to explain because we prepared for the game properly. We knew Wigan would play in this way but there were too many things from us that I cannot understand.”

Liverpool had five players booked on the night and Steven Gerrard was pictured raising two fingers after he was shown a yellow card for a foul on the impressive 19-year-old, James McCarthy. Liverpool later denied the gesture was intended to be offensive or was directed at the match referee, Andre Marriner.

“We have to keep going for fourth place,” added Benítez, who had described this fixture as a must-win before kick-off. “That is all we can do. You can have good and bad times but we had to do better tonight on what was a crucial moment.”

LiverpoolRafael BenítezWigan AthleticPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk

Mar 08

Football Weekly podcast: Terry strong arms Chelsea into the FA Cup semi-finals

The pod squad is suited and booted for your brand new Football Weekly.

We start with the FA Cup, where Harry Redknapp could be set for another encounter with Portsmouth, and Aston Villa came from behind against Reading to set up a semi-final with Chelsea – for whom John Terry was the perfect gentleman in his victory celebration and post-match interview. Barry Glendenning gives his thoughts.

James Richardson looks ahead to Milan’s trip to Manchester United in the Champions League, and Sean Ingle remembers that Liverpool are still involved in Europe (and Fulham and Juventus too, for that matter).

Sid Lowe tells us about a dramatic weekend in Spain, where Real Madrid went ahead of Barcelona in La Liga for the first time in three months.

Finally, John Ashdown regales us with tales from the Championship, where it is Newcastle United’s title to lose. That said, stranger things have happened, especially to the Magpies. Good job they’ve got Spiderman playing on the wing.

Have a listen and post your feedback below. We’re also on iTunes, Facebook and Twitter, and if you enjoy this type of thing, get your daily dose of fooball with our tea-time email, The Fiver.

James RichardsonBen GreenSid LoweJohn AshdownBarry GlendenningSean Ingle

Num	Team	PTS	G	GD
1	Manchester United	63	29	43
2	Chelsea	61	28	39
3	Arsenal	61	29	37
4	Tottenham Hotspur	49	28	23
5	Manchester City	49	27	17
6	Liverpool	48	29	16
7	Aston Villa	45	26	16
8	Birmingham City	43	28	-1
9	Everton	41	28	4
10	Fulham	38	28	3
11	Stoke City	35	28	-5
12	Blackburn Rovers	34	28	-15
13	Sunderland	30	28	-8
14	Bolton Wanderers	29	29	-22
15	Wigan Athletic	28	28	-26
16	West Ham United	27	28	-9
17	Wolverhampton Wanderers	24	28	-25
18	Burnley	24	29	-31
19	Hull City	24	28	-33
20	Portsmouth	19	28	-23

Watch Liverpool

Steven Gerrard unlikely to be punished for V-sign at referee

Rafael Benítez: Liverpool ‘played without intelligence’

Football Weekly podcast: Terry strong arms Chelsea into the FA Cup semi-finals

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