by Sachin Nakrani
MY NAME is Sachin Nakrani and I am a Liverpool supporter. That may appear an unusual and rather pointless statement for someone to make on a Liverpool supporters’ website, but in light of recent events I feel it necessary to make clear my allegiances.
Let me explain. My day job consists of working as a sports journalist for the Guardian and last weekend I was asked by the paper to cover Liverpool’s match at Stoke. As you can imagine I was delighted to be given the assignment, but given what followed there is a large part of me that wishes I had stayed at home. Never before has seeing the Reds led to such personal distress.
The reason for this is that in the report I wrote on Liverpool’s subsequent 1-0 loss, I made a reference to Kenny Dalglish’s rather explosive post-match attack on referees which led to a Twitter shitstorm scooping me up and spitting me out in tiny, mangled bits.
Commenting on how odd and worrying Kenny’s general’s attack had been, I suggested that for “the second time in two decades the task of managing Liverpool may be proving too great a responsibilty for the club’s greatest player”.
The piece was posted on the Guardian’s website at 11pm on Sunday [a good few hours before the print version hit the shops] and was met by immediate outrage.
When I woke up at just before 6am on Monday, there was at least 20 comments on Twitter calling me everything from a“disgrace” to a “back-stabber” to a “Man United supporter”.
Working as a reporter in the era of Twitter, online blogs and forums means you have to become pretty immune to this type of stuff – far better writers than me get far worse abuse – but this still took me back, partly because it came from fellow Reds, and partly because I could see their point.
In hindsight I know I should not have written what I did; linking Kenny’s angry reaction to a slender defeat at Stoke with his decision to leave Anfield in the aftermath of Hillsborough was crass.
It genuinely was not my intention to link the two – of course there is no comparison – instead the comment was an attempt on my part to reflect just how stunning Kenny’s post-match attack had appeared to those gathered in the Britannia Stadium press room and how, to me anyway, it appeared worrying given it was out of a character for a man who is normally so respectful of others.
I was trying to say that for the second time in two decades, there could be concern for Kenny’s state of mind, but not that Saturday’s incident in any way, shape or form, compared to the trauma he must have felt when he resigned as the Liverpool manager in 1991.
My attempt was clumsily done and, as I say, crass in how it came across. I should have left well alone.
I did not go back on Twitter following my early-morning shock at what was being said about me so have no idea how bad the abuse got. What I will say in my defence is that I still feel it was worth focusing on Kenny’s attack in my piece, particularly as it was rather unfounded.
From what I can tell, Liverpool have not had decisions go against them in each of their four league games and the penalty Stoke were awarded at the weekend was a fair one.
A real challenge of the job I do is balancing supporting a club with remaining balanced when reporting on them and often that can lead to over compensating – i.e. being too critical in order to not come across as a fan with a laptop.
Looking back on the comment I made about Dalglish, I do wonder if I was guilty of that and, if so, I need to learn from that and make sure it doesn’t happen again. All I can do now is move on and strive to improve as a journalist.
In the meantime, I ask that you believe me when I say I regret the reference I made in my article and that I remain fully behind Kenny Dalglish and the team.
I was in the away end at Old Trafford when he returned to manage Liverpool in January and sang his name with as much gusto as the next Red there. The moment the King emerged into the daylight of a cold Manchester afternoon will forever remain a golden memory.
I plan to be at the derby in October, too. If you recognise me and feel the urge to come over and give me a thump then, fair enough, go ahead. I’ll take it on the chin.
Fair play to have the balls to respond and admit your mistake
Wah wah wah.
Not much of a “Liverpool supporter” if he fails to remember the failure to send off Richardson against Sunderland or any of the three clear penalty shouts against bolton.
Maybe he should thank his lucky stars that he’s got a job on the Manchester Guardian and doesn’t have to carry on writing anti Rafa blogs for that dreadful Liverpool Way website.
Cretin.
Per
@sachinnakrani I was about to ask how could you write such a piece on Guardian. If I don’t know you’re a Reds fan, I might have joined others & shouted at you on Twitter.
Let’s learn from the mistake, just like the Reds army & keep improving. Think twice & be more objective when you write in the future. YNWA.
Such an overreaction to Kenny after match press conference reenforces why I don’t read the Guardian football articles. You obviously haven’t watched our other games if you don’t know about the other issues Kenny was talking about.
Remember how we were playing this time last year and rejoice that we have the best manager for Liverpool.
your a liverpool fan but have no idea of the poor decisions we have had so far in games? are you really fit to be commenting on such things?
Fair comment and an apology is in the right direction for what was said. Whilst there were decisions against us let’s be fair we didn’t take our chances and gave away a soft penalty that was so obvious it was sad – as It may have marked the beginning of the end for a loyal servant of the club.
You have to rise above the decisions and get the basics right. There has been a basic lack of leadership on the pitch and yet there are signs of better things to come. We need to give the team confidence as whilst mistakes have been made its early days
Even without the hillsbrough link i just cant see where he gets the opinion that dalglish was strained or that in his post match interview he was ‘shockingly enraged’. When ferguson says anything he is a psychological wizard. Its obvious he was frustrated due to dominating the game and being on the receiving end of a few dodgy decisions. I think your article along with russel kempsons pathetic article in the independent was an unfair and inaccurate doublewhammy from two of the better papers.
Fair play Sachin! respect.
I do believe LFC have had a quite a few key decisions against them over the last 4 games. I don’t think this is bias against liverpool though, but rather poot quality of the refs. Above all, they really need to be more consistent.
Naturally, the team dominating play, like LFC did at SCFC with 72% possession and so on, will suffer the most from this.
Yes, you should leave well alone. You are clearly unsuited for either the job that you do, which requires observation and clear thinking, or for the role of LFC fan, which requires complete support.
I think admitting you were wrong is admirable, and something more journalists could learn from. Some will still be angry, but I’m happy with this.
Self-obsession…. that’s one of the major problems of media-pimp trash masquerading as journalism these days; & almost certainly one of the reasons why the Murdoch-inspired filth known as the News of the World was publicly executed – even you can probably understand that language, Sachin; although it is meant in the strictest metaphorical sense.
So you want to offer ‘an explanation’? The fact is, that your dirty little mind spouted nasty slander – do you seek forgiveness? If so, take a cushion filled with feathers to the top of Mersey Tower & cut into pieces; & when you have gathered every one of them, come back & ask forgiveness.
As for your content, if that’s what you call it; “… there could be concern for Kenny’s state of mind,… I still feel it was worth focusing on Kenny’s attack in my piece, particularly as it was rather unfounded. From what I can tell, Liverpool have not had decisions go against them in each of their four league games….” – The truth is, if you’re interested in that, there could be absolutely no question of KD’s state of mind; has virtually never acted in an ‘unfounded’ way; & I’m not even sure if you’d know what those ‘four league games’ were, if you conclude that they ‘have not had decisions’ against them. Maybe you should be following another team!
Let me ask, what does ‘rather unfounded’ mean? You also write ‘it appeared worrying (that Kenny Dalglish could behave) out of character…’ So who was he being disrespectful towards? Clattenburg; who made sure the Reds didn’t get a whiff of two penalty claims, & giving a soft penalty to the Potters? Unbelievable disrespect, that! And why not actually write something substantive, if you understand what that means – is Dalglish’s behaviour ‘worrying’, or does it ‘appear worrying’? Perhaps your meaningless pap is an apparition!
Good one lad..you’ve got balls to admit your mistake. Not many would do it… YNWA
Leaving aside the reference to twenty years ago Sachin, what amazes me is the lack of experience on your part. How could it come as a surprise to anyone, let alone a seasoned journalist, that a manager takes a pop about the standard of refereeing? Kenny learned from Stein, who alongside Shanks was a master of this long before Ferguson ever started using these tricks.
You don’t even have to immerse yourself in history – just stay awake and listen to the likes of Wenger, and Mourinho, and whoever else. If its an option to them, it’s an option to Kenny (just like it was an option to Rafa before him).
Anyway nothing personal, but it always strikes me as odd when journalists overlook the subtext of these exchanges.
Apology accepted for the Hillsborough link but the rest of your piece was bobbins anyway. Kenny Dalglish is fine, don’t you worry. You have massively overreacted! Also your comment
‘From what I can tell, Liverpool have not had decisions go against them In each of their four league games and the penalty Stoke were awarded at the weekend was a fair one’
A Liverpool fan, really? Did you miss the other games and have your eyes closed with the Delap handball? I’d also add that the majority of people I’ve heard comment on the Stoke penalty have said it was soft. I look forward to 8 penalties a game from now on.
Fair enough, he’s now had the chance to explain himself. He’s still, quite simply, completely and utterly wrong. Each and every game we’ve played there has been a major decision gone against us.
Very poor decision making, thought process, journalism…whatever…but quite simply, WRONG!
Sachin
I have to give you credit for having the balls to apologise but that’s as nice as I’m going to be to you.
It may seem a bit harsh but the only conclusion I can reach is that you aren’t competent enough to do your job.
At best, you’ve suffered from a conflict of interest and should maybe request to your bosses that you are never given a Liverpool assignment ever again.
At worst, you’ve shown no aptitude to do your job. Ability to read between the lines? Provide insight? Accurately report an event?
As for being a Liverpool fan, to even consider in your mind that there was a link between a contentious penalty decision in a football game versus the living through a tragedy and becoming so personally involved in the aftermath is simply beyond the pale. Yet you not only thought it, you put it into print in a national newspaper to be used against us by the many enemies of our club! It’s simply incredulous.
Furthermore, once you realised your mistake, why did you not attempt to go back and have the online version edited with a suitable comment? Will there be an apology or correction published tomorrow. Astonoshing.
Dear Sachin, Pity you dont have the nifty footwork of your namesake Mr Tendulkar. Now there is a sporting great, up there with the one you’ve chosen to denigrate in your mealy mouthed piece.
While accepting your apology over Hillsborough, no true Liverpool supporter would even have put themselves in that position in the first place.
What a pity you’ve chosen here to attempt to put things right instead of in the same place as your original snide piece of work.
But if you are going to stoop so low as to mention Hillsborough then you should know we are used to people printing things which are garbage and not having the guts to put the record straight.
Dont worry about Kenny he’s got the real supporters behind him.
Superb post, Paul – I wonder if he’ll even bother to look at this blog again
I agree with most of the postings here, well done on having the guts to apologise. It doesn’t change the fact that the whole article was poor, but I guess it does mean you probably aren’t an ar$ehole, which is the impression I had having read your article. Good luck improving the quality of your work.
Agree with Dan Kennett, leaving aside the Hillsborough link it was still an awful piece of sensationalistic journalism. The worst thing I’ve read in months….and from a Liverpool supporter? Also agree with Paul that if you want to make an apology it should be in the same place you wrote the article. Only you should apologise for the entire article and the complete and utter bullshit it implies.
Terrible…although you show some cojones and accept what you wrote is wrong, you still try defending yourself and say that there were no foul decisions against liverpool. Honestly, did you even watch the 4 matches or have you slept through them?? and you really think ol king kenny is losing his marbles? You should go take a dip in the Ganga so that ur washed of your sins, and once you’re done with that get yourself admitted to the mental asylum in Agra. Please lay of journalism, it seems its not your thing !!
LISTEN FELLA YOU DID A HATCHET JOB ON BENITEZ WHEN YOU WHERE BLOGGIN ON THAT EXCUSE OF A WEBSITE TLW AND NOW YOU ARE TRYIN TO DO KENNY IN.
YOUR A POOR EXCUSE OF A JOURNO
ANY WAY I CANT TAKE A MAN SERIOUS WHO IS AS GOSSEY EYED AS CLARANCE OFF DAKTARI NO WONER YOU MISSED THE PENOS WE SHOULD HAVE HAD
Kenny did what absolutely every manager does during press conferences at one time or another, complain about refereeing. Do other managers have their mental states brought into question?
Think it would of been a lot better if you did that piece in your paper as well.
Ye going the derby,id pass your ticket on if i was you because i imagine a few reds would take you up on your offer.
I really appreciate your response. It takes a lot of guts to respond to people, most of whom are pretty angry with you. I applaud that.
That being said, I still really don’t agree with your article at all. And while the comment linking Kenny’s past was definitely crass, it’s not at all what really irked me.
I can’t truly believe you have watched all the games this season if you honestly believe that there have not been extremely poor decisions made against Liverpool by the ref in each of the four games. The Richardson non-red card, the penalty shouts at Bolton, and the at least 2 or 3 penalty shouts at Stoke, including some blatant hand balls, as well as a penalty given against Liverpool that was never a penalty in my opinion. Before the Stoke player fell over at the slightest contact from Carragher, Carragher was clearly fouled and the play should have been brought back and stopped there – with Liverpool earning a free kick.
Sometimes the game can be subjective, and we all see things differently, but I have been absolutely enraged at all the poor calls that have gone against Liverpool in the first few games and I’m just wondering what you’re watching that you don’t feel the same way. I was so happy to hear Kenny mention this as it’s starting to become ridiculous and really hurting the team.
The only thing Liverpool did wrong against Stoke was not score. The finishing hasn’t been good enough and needs work, but the performance and chances created were outstanding. I can’t understand any more criticism than that.
Thanks again for your response, it’s nice to see a journalist be open-minded and respond to criticism. Keep up the good work.
I’m not really interested in this ‘apology’ which doesn’t actually seem to show much contrition at all. What I am interested in is this notion that somehow the media has become about the writer, rather than the topic.
Who gives a shit who you ‘support’ in your desperate plea to try and claw back some level of credibility?
Frankly I find it rather pathetic..’oh, I’m sorry, I’m one of you really, I care too much, I’m your fwiend…”
What was written was vacuous, spurious and entirely and completely without foundation. After 4 games of a season you have the audacity to presume to comment on the mental state of a man who has seen more pain, triumph, glory and despair than I hope you ever have to imagine.
Unless of course you are in fact a qualified psychologist and have spent many years studying behavioural psychology in high pressure football matches? Thought not.
So it was pure and simple sensationalism, cheap, lazy journalism of the kind usually peddled by Murdoch & his cronies.
Maybe that’s the solution? Get yourself a job on the Sc*m & then none of the true Liverpool family will have to read your dross.
To those who have commented above, you’re entitled to your views. If i may comment on a few points, however:
In regards to me making an apology on the Guardian website – that simply is something that would not happen unless I had made a factual error (and i guess some of you will be saying I have).
On the point about referring decision in Liverpool’s first four games, I do recognise there have been errors but, for instance, i would say there wasn’t any in the Arsenal win. I may be wrong.
To whoever said i did a ‘hatchet job on Benitez’, I honestly cannot remember doing that, in face I’m sure I never did.
Also, and this is important, i never directly mentioned Hillsborough in my piece. I was clumsy and crass in what i did write but i would never have refereed to the tragedy directly.
But, as said, you’re entitled to your views. All i’ve tried to do here is admit to a mistake. To anyone who thinks I have an agenda against Liverpool I would ask that you look at previous pieces i’ve written on the club. I feel sure you’ll find that they were all fair and well-meaning, This was a one-off which i have no intention of repeating.
You’re nothing but a self-serving weasel – you don’t even remember Arshavin’s push in the box; which very nearly cost Liverpool a goal
And why not respond to some fairly obvious questions about the substance of your article? What the hell does ‘rather unfounded’ mean? Is it without foundation; maybe has some basis, or does it mean you can’t make a definitive statement no matter how hard you try?
Similarly, what is to ‘appear worrying’ actually supposed to mean? Either KD’s behaviour is worrying, or it’s not – ‘appearances’ have nothing to do with it! But of course, you can’t make a definite statement, can you? Silly me! & you imply he was being disrespectful – but you can’t tell us towards whom… can’t you see a pattern developing?
I guess it’s too much to expect – to have perhaps one more honourable writer intelligent enough to stick to LFC’s principles
Guardian article aside, looking at the sheer number of typos and grammatical errors you’ve made in the 6 short paragraphs above makes me despair that they’ve given you a job at all.
You can’t tell the difference between ‘refer’ and ‘referee’: tells us a lot about the quality of your work and your overall grasp of the subject
Yes, leaving aside your non-sensical attempt to claim your original article was somehow better because you did not use the actual word Hillsborough, your reply here leaves a lot to be desired for a so-called professional writer.
Basic grammatical errors, appalling spelling mistakes and sloppy typos.
How on earth did you get a job at a national newspaper?
We’ve already established it can’t be for your insight and analysis, which are clearly asinine.
Well out of your depth.
Sachin, if it actually was you that posted a comment then you would have been better off not bothering as the contents have done my impression of you more harm than good.
You should ask for that article to be taken down from the Guardian website and redirect the page to an apology saying you had written it while you had lost your sanity on a dopey night. Can’t see any other way a Liverpool fan would have written a piece like that.
Sachin, got a lot of respect this post.
In terms of the Dalglish anger, I think you are getting a manager after a frustrating game just after all the emotion of the touchline is played out… The context can very much explain the situation and I wouldn’t worry too much about his mental health, he’s not running on Arsene Wenger’s form.
Though the piece in the Independent today. Dam I don’t know if that guy has watched a game of Football in his life.
Fair play for coming on and explaining Sachin, you didn’t have to so fair play. I read the article in the paper this morning and had to read it twice. It doesn’t make sense. Dalglish’s reaction was very cute IMO – he has criticised Clattenberg indirectly and can’t be punished, it also puts pressure on whoever is reffing us next week. We should have had two pk’s on Saturday considering that Stoke’s pen could have been ignored as a 50/50 tussle. There was clearly no malice, it was just that the article was poorly written in parts.
You say ye didnt see anything wrong with the Arsenal game,i personally thought frimpong (sp?) should of been dismissed earlier and when he eventually was it should of been a straight red and not another yellow .
So yes Sachin your wrong again.
Not impressed to be honest. “Remain fully behind Kenny and the team”? The article was anything but that.
It was a rant, and a pretty poor one by the way. Hillsborough aside, author showed how incompetent he was at his job.
Liverpool fan? God bless LFC then.
So Sachin, you dont mention Hillsborough directly in your article.
Ok fair enough, but if its not what you inferred how do you explain this sentence from your ‘explanation’ on here.
I qoute :
‘In hindsight I know I should not have written what I did; linking Kenny’s angry reaction to a slender defeat at Stoke with his decision to leave Anfield in the aftermath of Hillsborough was crass.’
Now either you meant Hillsborough or you didnt, there is no inbetween.
You should think before you write, or dont bother writing at all.
By the way you’ll be safe at the ‘derby’ game.
Its almost impossible to recognise a nobody.
not sure im having that lad. suraez seems to have every decision go against him – even that cheeky backpass at anfield. kenny was cool as fuck in the interview so yeh improve your journalism please. nice one
what I don’t get is how do you state, you should have stayed home instead of going to that game, do you remember how we performed there last season? Now that was dire. On Sat we dominated that Stoke team, and played some great football, Stoke defended brilliantly, their goalie made some amazing saves and their players took one for the team with the way they blocked goalbound efforts. We created chances, wave after wave of attacks but just couldn’t score. Yes we gave up 3 points, but that display shouldn’t leave any fan disheartened. Either be a fan or be a journo, it seems you don’t have the intellect or the capacity to be both…
So, Mr. Nakrani, we should anticipate an apology in the guardian? And what is that, a Chelsea shirt in your photo. Maybe not, but if you are going to pander to LFC supporters, at least put a red shirt on…
How is it that we thoroughly dominate a match but have an unlucky day on the pitch (partly down to bad officiating), our manager comes out and says what every other one does in the a similar circumstance, and all of a sudden Kenny is cracking up, his abilities questioned yet again by the press? Terrible journalism.
I called you out on this yesterday and asked you simply to retract your comments. I appreciate the initial apology but the comment you make above negates it. Your defence is trite you are either ignorant of the facts or simple. Just because you didn’t mention the word ‘Hillsborough’ the inference was absolutely there plain as day which is why you pissed so many people off, as you probably anticipated. I have no problem with whatever personal opinion you took from the Stoke game or the other 3 matches, but even in your ‘apology’ you question Kenny’s mental stability after he made a MINOR comment on the officials decisions, if you want insanity look in the mirror. Articles are amended on the Guardian website everyday so I don’t buy your excuse for not having it amended, it was an incorrect statement that caused offence, just amend the para or keep quiet anything else is self-serving.
I think we as supporters need to be a line underneath the article.. it is glaringly obvious (to all genuine LFC supporters), that the piece was way off the mark and bang out of order in so many respects..
But having said that, the fact that Mr. Nakrani has attempted to clarify his comments (albeit poorly) shows some humility and regret..
We all make mistakes in Life.. key is to be open-minded enough to appreciate ones short-comings in order to improve oneself in the future.
A rude awakening for said journo me thinks..
In so far as Kenny and LFC are concerned it seems the agenda driven press pack are targeting our downfall again.. But you know what it’s no surprise as it’s business as usual:
“Us against Them”
Sachin, that has to be one of the most half-arsed, insincere attempts at an apology I have read. That said, I think you should either you stand by what you wrote 100% or you should retract it all. You can’t be in the middle on this one. To be honest, I would rather that you didn’t offer an apology or mentioned that you were a Reds supporter, so that the article could be judged on its content alone; which in my opinion is pure and utter rubbish.
I would suggest that should you wish to continue your career as a writer, you may wish to reconsider your allegiance to Liverpool (or any other club for that matter). Alternatively, you might want to read quality journalists like Daniel Taylor, who manage to write excellent articles irrespective of where their club loyalties lie. Who knows, you might actually learn something.
clueless sachin, u still havent learned your lesson. clueless journalism and words like “attack” been used when kenny was very calm and calculated!
did he have a knife with him??…another sky generation dimwit writing in the press.
The guy made a mistake, admitted it…
A few people here are showing themselves up.
If you don’t like his writing style or disagree with his points, then just outline where you think he’s gone wrong.
Nothing this bloke has done deserves some of the venom aimed in his direction here.
So what was the substance of his ‘mistake that he admitted; as you put it’? When people point out where he’s wrong, he doesn’t respond – whose axe are you grinding?
It wouldn’t be LFC if the media weren’t having a go at the manager. (Which is why under Hodgson it wasn’t really LFC.) Normalcy resumed now!
Fair enough on the apology but you should also apologize for the rest of the article as it was a total nonsense. The man is a born bread winner and after watching us dominate stoke and lose to a very soft penalty all the while watching numerous penalty decisions go against us i can understand and am in complete agreement with how Kenny saw it and also how he reacted. Do you normally sing and clap for someone one minute and stab them in the back another?i know i won’t be reading anything you ever write again.
Sachin – You can’t really be suggesting that when you wrote that Kenny appeared to be cracking under the pressure again, you didn’t for a second think about how the first time was because of Hillsborough?
If you genuinely didn’t think about it then you are either a complete idiot or ignorant of the fact (and therefore shockingly ill-suited to your job and your claims to being a Liverpool fan).
If you did think about it, you are a liar and a fraud for trying to obfuscate in your apology.
I genuinely do not know which option is worse for you – incompetent fool or dissembling jerk.
Fair enough regarding the apology. People make mistakes and should be allowed to apologize for them.
I also will have to disagree with you regarding decisions in the previous games. There have been contentious decisions in each game and 2 games now have cost us points because of them.
As for Kenny’s reaction, I think it will help and should be done more often as it definitely has helped Fergie during his tenure as ManU boss. The refs need to know that they will not get away with stupid or soft decisions against Liverpool.
I agree with John (13 September 2011 at 3:53 pm). Some of ya’ll are just being self-righteous for the sake of it. And to the person who said it couldn’t be an attack because KK was “calm and calculating”, not sure if you’ve ever witnessed an attack before, but the best executed ones are usually those undertaken by a calm, calculating attacker. Getting flustered is not a prerequisite.
Fair play on the apology but the reaction to Kenny’s psot match comments have been blown out of all proportion.
You say you were maybe guilty of over-criticizing him because you’re a Liverpool fan. I think it’s probably closer to the truth to say you were looking for the sensationalist slant the rest of the media were peddling. By the time you wrote your Sunday piece for the Monday papers, we’d already been told it was a “rant” an “attack” and a “conspiracy theory.”
You’re “cracking under the pressure” comments, crass, unwelcome, and unjustified was also as sensationalist as the other crap posted by the red tops.
Your apology is welcomed but I don’t buy it.
For a journalist I can understand you see what you want to see,but for a so called RED not to have seen the decisions Kenny was talking about is beyond me. Oh and WHY the blue and white top,sort yourself out fella.