WHINGEING LOSERS FORGET THEIR LINES

Last updated : 03 July 2006 By Editor

Strangely forgetting his own regular diving and cheating (most recently to win a penalty against the might of Hungary back in May) Steve Gerrard leads the way in deflecting blame from his own inadequacies:

"I think that sums him [Ronaldo] up as a person. I saw what Ronaldo did and if it was one of my team-mates I'd be absolutely disgusted by him because there's no need for that.

"If I was playing against a Liverpool colleague and they were involved in a situation like that I'd never try to get them sent off. I saw Ronaldo going over and giving the card gesture and I think he's bang out of order for that.

"But Wayne won't get any blame from me because I love him and he's done so much for this team and will do so much more in future."

Meanwhile, Chelsea's finest rush in to encourage disharmony in United's ranks. John Terry:

"It will be interesting to be in the Man United dressing room at the start of next season. It's disappointing when you see Premiership players and team-mates running over and putting pressure on the referee like that.

"A few of the referee's decisions on Saturday were shocking. I got a ridiculous booking and Wayne's red card proved to be vital.

"Wayne should have had a free kick 15 or 20 seconds before the incident. Any other team, they go down and the referee gives a foul.

"But Wayne stayed on his feet and tried to win the ball, even though he had two defenders fighting him. That is the honesty we show."

Frank ‘wank' Lampard:

"Maybe we're a victim of our own honesty in England — and Wayne more than anyone.

"He was being fouled but tried to be strong and carry on. If it had happened to one of their players they would have gone down straight away and the ref would have given a free kick.

[On Ronaldo] "That's not nice, is it? He's supposed to be a team-mate at Man United. FIFA have been making a big deal about fair play at this World Cup — but that was certainly not fair play."

Joe ‘stupid' Cole:

"We were told before the World Cup began that players were supposed to get booked if they put their hands up and made gestures like that to the ref.

"But it doesn't seem to be happening. It's up to FIFA and the game's authorities to sort it out — or we're going to have to stoop to their level to beat them.

"These teams do it all the time, wade in and try to do that.

"Before Saturday's game we all posed for a picture behind a big banner demanding fair play.

"So it's up to the people who run the game to stamp out that kind of thing so we really can have a proper, fair game."

Of course all the above completely ignores the facts of the matter: Rooney's red card did them a favour as England were far better with 10 men; Ronaldo didn't run 40 yards; he wasn't the only Portuguese on the scene; and didn't wave any imaginary card. Still, if it can provide a fig leaf to cover England's latest humiliation then pile in!