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December 28, 2013

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Reds鈥 Rodgers flays 鈥榟orrendous鈥 officiating after 2-1 loss to City

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers faces FA action and a possible disrepute charge after complaining about referee Lee Mason in the wake of his team’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City.

Manchester City got goals from Vincent Kompany and Alvaro Negredo to battle back after Phillippe Coutinho opened the scoring for Liverpool.

The win moved City above Liverpool into second place in the English Premier League while the Reds dropped to fourth. Arsenal tops the league with 39 points. City has 38, Chelsea 37 and Liverpool 36.

Mason, who did appear to make errors on a number of key decisions against Liverpool, is based in Bolton which is technically in the county of “Greater Manchester.”

Bolton is never considered to be part of the city of Manchester but that did not prevent Rodgers from implying that Mason is from “Manchester.”

“We had no help whatsoever from the officials,” said Rodgers.

“I thought they were horrendous. We had nothing go our way at all. I was surprised we’re playing in Manchester with a referee from Greater Manchester. I didn’t think we got any decision go for us.

“Hopefully we don’t get a Greater Manchester referee again in a Liverpool-Man City game. I will ask the question (of the FA).”

Rodgers was specifically angered by an incorrect offside flag that brought back Raheem Sterling when he was clean through on goal, by a trip on Luis Suarez on the edge of the area and by a failed Suarez penalty appeal.

“I thought on the offside, the linesman wasn’t even on the same cut of grass,” said Rodgers. “If you are working at this level, you’ve got to get it right.”

Kompany said the win was a big boost for City.

“That’s the hardest game so far. Liverpool are a good team so it’s great for us,” Kompany said.

Despite the loss, Rodgers was pleased with his team’s performance. “I was very proud of the players, I thought they were absolutely outstanding,” he told the club’s website.

“They really took the game to a team that is a top, top side full of top European players.”


 

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