While most people with half a brain think that Frank Lampard was a tad unfortunate to receive his marching orders at Anfield on Sunday, this opinion isn’t shared by this Liverpool defender. Using his powers of objectivity, he reckons that the challenge could have done some serious damage to team-mate Xabi Alonso and, on that basis, he deserved to be sitting alone in the away team’s bath.
The Sun report that Alvaro Arbeloa is doing precisely nothing to try and improve the worsening relationship between Liverpool and Chelsea. The Spaniard has continued to fan the flames by describing the red card decision as justified, especially as the FA appear on the verge of overturning Mike Riley’s original verdict, while allowing Jose Bosingwa to get away scot-free with his foot in the back of Yossi Benayoun.
He said: “For me, the sending off of Lampard was justified. He made a very hard tackle in the centre of the field and could have hurt Xabi.
“He was lucky Xabi jumped or it could have been a lot more serious.”
Was Frankie being a bit of a naughty boy with his challenge on a player who he has previous with? The FA aren’t seeing it that way with their likely decision to rescind the red card today, although should the Liverpool players be adding their tuppence into the argument like this? Isn’t it the same as trying to get a fellow professional sent off during a match?