OSG Prem: Liverpool Escapes QPR With A Win

((HT: NBCSN/Beanyman Sports/BBCSport))

And the HQ means "escapes..."

In a game that was, mainly, Liverpool coasting against an inferior side in Queen's Park Rangers the last few minutes were stuff that was edge-of-the-seat madness really...

Two own goals...??? Really...??? Really...


QPR manager Harry Redknapp exposed a big flaw of his team post-match


Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers knows he's lucky...


The end result means that Liverpool move up to 5th with QPR dead last in the table. Burnley and QPR are tied at 4 points but the Clarets have an advantage from goal differential of 3.

OSG Prem: Liverpool Commits Epic Collapse To Draw Palace

((HT: NBCSN/BPL/BBC Sport))

There is no other way to describe it...

The collapse of Liverpool was nothing short of jaw-dropping in the last 20 minutes of their match with Crystal Palace. And, frankly, it was a ten minute stretch where the game went from 3-0 Liverpool to a 3-3 draw. It amounts to an amazing home finale for Palace and the run that manager Tony Pulis had when he was named manager during the season.

And it amounts to leaving the title in Manchester City's hands as the Citizens have a game in hand that they make up this week against Aston Villa. A win on Wednesday will eliminate Chelsea from title contention and leave it to a two-team race on the final day. City plays West Ham at home while Liverpool takes on Newcastle.

Here's the collapse- edited, of course...


And the Reds knew it, too, once the final whistle sounded...


And the HQ gives mad props to Arlo White, Lee Dixon, and Rebecca Lowe in the broadcast. White and Dixon laid out (That's a TV term for "not talking") for almost 2:30 to let the above breath. And Lowe, in her talk back in studio expressed the right amount of context as to JUST HOW GAWDAWFUL important and outright shocking it was.

Here's Brendan Rodgers afterwards all-but-conceding the title


Now, Liverpool needs to make sure ManCity draws or loses Wednesday to get back in it.
Hey, happened when Norwich played Chelsea...

Hillsborough At 25: A Town United

((HT: SkySports))

It is the 25th anniversary of one of the most tragic events in the history of sport- the Hillsborough disaster. There was

a memorial service (pictured right, thanks Huffington Post UK) at Anfield to mark the day and there was a sight to see... Everton and Liverpool, blue and red, inside the Liverpool ground remembering as one...

And for someone who has only been blue for a year, Everton manager Roberto Martinez was a passioned man...


Here's the set-up ahead of time...
((HT: BBC))


And from Sky Sports...


To remind us all about how things should have never gotten out of control, here's the BBC's "Panorama" on the cover-up


Never forget... and that just goes to the rest of us who just watch and relate- those who are intimately involved deserve justice on an infinite scale...

OSG Prem: Hazard And Liverpool Shine, Man City Listless

((HT: BPL on NBC))

The top of the Premier League table is a mess again... short of the Everton result with Spurs tomorrow...

1 Chelsea 25 56
2 Arsenal 25 55
3 Man City 25 54
4 Liverpool 25 50
5 Everton 24 45
6 Spurs 24 44

Chelsea is atop the table after a Eden Hazard hat trick in a romp over Newcastle, 3-0...


Liverpool drew closer to Arsenal with four goals in the first 20 minutes at Anfield on their way to a 5-1 win. Skrtel and Sterling each scored twice with Daniel Sturridge scoring the fifth...

It wasn't even THAT close...
Brendan Rodgers was blown away...
((HT: BBC Sport))


Man City drew at Norwich- which was a wasted opportunity, frankly...

Elsewhere, Hull City, West Ham, and Crystal Palace all pulled wins out to get them closer to being out of the drop zone conversation. Stoke and Southampton drew for a point a piece. And Swansea got a well-needed three points at the expense of their Welsh derby mates, Cardiff, with a 3-0 shut out at Liberty Stadium...

West Brom, Cardiff, and Fulham are now in the relegation zone with Fulham having to play Manchester United this weekend.

OSG Prem: Hughes And Rodgers Answering The Piper Soon...

((HT: BBC Sport/BPL))

If you haven't seen why these two managers are currently in trouble...

Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers after his loss to ManCity when he went off on the officials...
((HT: BT Sport))


The Football Association has asked Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers to explain his post-match comments:

When asked about it at his press conference today, he said:

"I think they know that when I come out and make a statement like I did yesterday, it was obviously emotional after the game of course, but it was something that I will speak honestly on. As I said, whatever action they will take, they will decide.

"I have to speak on behalf of the supporters of the club, a club that has an emotional investment for many, many millions of people throughout the world. As the manager I represent them, and I'm sure where they were throughout the world yesterday they would have been asking the questions on the decision-making, which I repeat I didn't think was so good, after the game.

"In terms of geography, it wasn't the case at all, I certainly wasn't questioning the integrity of the referees. As I said before, I fully understand the job, it was more the logic of it, in terms of having a referee from that particular part of the world refereeing a game in Manchester, I wouldn't suspect that Mike Dean from the Wirral has refereed many games for Liverpool over the years."

Here's Stoke's Mark Hughes after being sent to the stands in their game Boxing Day, in the process of losing 5-1 to Newscastle...


And his post-match questions-and-answers


Hughes has been officially charged by the FA after jettisoning his coat:

"Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has been charged by The FA following his side's game at Newcastle United yesterday [Thursday 26 December].

"It is alleged that his behaviour in or around the 40th minute of the fixture amounted to improper conduct."

Hughes has until the 2nd of January to respond... which will be an interesting answer to the FA charge...

Looks like a reprimand and a suspension are coming...

OSG Prem: Boxing Day Recap Borders On The Wacky

((HT: BPL on NBCSN))

Let's start with the less eventful...

An own goal saved Manchester United's hind-quarters at Hull City FC, 3-2...

Chelsea scored once and beat an offensively-crippled (at the moment) Swansea, 1-0...

Tottenham and West Brom tied at ones...

Arsenal took care of a tiring West Ham squad in the second half, 3-1, but are concerned over an Aaron Ramsey injury as the weekend continues...

Tony Pulis' turnaround with Crystal Palace continues with a stoppage time goal win over Aston Villa...

Fulham needed a win over Norwich to start a climb out of the bottom of the table and got one, 2-1...

And now for the final four matches of the day...

We'll start with Cardiff and Southampton since the HQ is under the impression that the porous defensive showing in the first half in a 3-0 loss may have buried manager Malky Mackay in the eyes of joke of an owner Vincent Tan. Protests by Cardiff City fans outside the stadium before the match numbered in the hundreds, and there were a lot of fans wearing the team's original color, blue, in the stands...

Here's Mackay's post-match interview...
((HT: BBC Sport))


Everton keeper Tim Howard was sent off for the first time in ten years after getting a red against Sunderland- the team at the bottom of the table. And one goal was all that the Black Cats needed as Gus Poyet continues the team's climb from the basement...


Stoke was leading 1-0 until all hell broke loose, The Potters went two men down on red cards, manager Mark Hughes exploded and was sent to the stands and Newcastle scored 5 in a row to win 5-1.

Here's Hughes eviscerating everyone in ref's colors...
((HT: BBC Sport))


And the finale was Liverpool and Man City...

After Liverpool got the early lead, the rest of the game was Man City's with goals from Kompany and Negredo for the three points and a 2-1 win...

Reds manager Brendan Rodgers was less than pleased...
((HT: BBC Sport))


And that's the beginning of the weekend...

OSG Prem: Mackay Defiant After Liverpool Loss

((HT: BPL on NBC))

As well he should...

Full disclosure...

The HQ is vested in the Swansea City Supporters Trust, so saying anything in support of Cardiff City is like a Georgia fan saying they like the Gators...

But we have come to full support of current CCFC manager Malky Mackay because, let's face it, he's getting screwed by an owner in Vincent Tan who knows nothing about the sport he's an owner in.

Let's see:

You change the base color of your kit, slapping a hundred years of history, because you want to appease a main sponsor...

You swap out your Director of Player Development, who is well-respected in the business, for a 24-year-old who is a friend of your son's... well, because...and he's not even qualified to have the job...

You slam your manager publicly for saying what every other manager in the Premier League says this time of year because he wants to IMPROVE your club to keep them from relegation...

And, then, you tell him to resign of be fired because of his insolence...

Right...

Vincent Tan is now, officially, worse than Jerry Jones... and about elevendy-billion times dumber...

The fans supported Mackay before the 3-1 loss to Liverpool and want the owner gone...
((HT: BBC News))


Brendan Rodgers was asked about the win post-match...
((HT: BBC Sport))


And the fans supported Mackay even more in a humbling display after the match...
((HT: NBCSports))


When asked about it afterwards in his interview, Mackay wasn't backing down:

"I am someone who will absolutely not resign, I don't think there is any need for that to happen.

"Crystal clear there will be absolutely no way I will be resigning from Cardiff City."

OSG Prem: Brendan Rodgers Defends Malky Mackay

((HT: Daily Mail Online))

And slams Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan as someone who "knows nothing about football..."
Evidence below...


Liverpool knows they'll have their hands full with Cardiff this weekend...
Rodgers said as much in the press conference...

But for other managers to come to the defense of one of their own in extraordinary circumstances as these is unheard of...

Good for Rodgers... and even better for Mackay

OSG Prem: Another Weird FA Day As Spurs And Liverpool Lose

((HT: FA Cup/youtube))

The first surprise was when Leeds United, languishing in the middle of the Championship table, led by Ross McCormack helped give the home team a lead that Spurs couldn't catch back from- Clint Dempsey's goal withstanding...

A 2-1 win in Round 4 moves Leeds to the Round of 16


Liverpool is certainly going to get their share of grief after Brendan Rodgers' Reds went down a goal early to financially-strapped League 1 side Oldham United. It was the first time Liverpool had been beaten away from home in the FA Cup by a team at least two divisions below them since defeat at non-league Worcester City in 1959.

And Matt Smith, who was a year removed from playing outside the pro leagues entirely, scored his first two of the year at a great time...
((HT: FA Cup/Fox Soccer))


Brentford almost made it a clean sweep of Prem sides, but will have to settle for a replay at Stamford Bridge after a 2-2 tie with Chelsea.

OSG Prem: ManU Snatches One At Anfield

((HT: SkySports/Premier League))

It was an emotionally charged day as Manchester United took on Liverpool for the first home game after the revelations of the independent search committee delving into the Hillsborough 96.

Before the match, both sides gave their respects in a touching ceremony... ((HT: FoxSports))

But the game itself was one of those hotly contested, call-no call games that will go down for the call that gave RvP his chance to get the game-winner off a PK...
The guys in Los Angeles discuss... ((HT: FoxSports))

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, leading the squad to its worst start in over 100 years, said the "best team lost" today:

"Some of the decisions, I wouldn't want to go on too much, but if Jonjo Shelvey gets sent off then Jonny Evans has to go as well. I think both players' feet were off the floor. "That was out of our control. I thought the players were brilliant and didn't get what they deserved."

Manchester United's Ryan Giggs was corraled after the game as well...
The HQ wonders just how much more rope Rodgers will be given before getting sacked...