Middlesbrough are understandably angered by the FA and accuse them of double standards, after losing their appeal against Jeremie Aliadieres red card at Liverpool .

The FA considered the appeal by Middlesbrough as ‘frivolous’ and added an extra games suspension to the initial three game ban.

Its outrageous in my opinion, having seen the incident Mascherano clearly raised his hand to Aliadieres face first and the Frenchman responded with a gentle slap to the Argentinians face. The referee responded, I thought, to the crowd and Liverpool players in issuing a red card.

Boro are incensed, after deliberating over whether they should contest the decision, they are hit with a double whammy. Boro chief Keith Lamb insists that there is one rule for the top four and another for the rest, and really thats the way it looks to football neutrals. Chelsea’s Michael Essien’s recent appeal was rejected but not considered ‘frivolous’ enough to warrant an extra games ban.

I cant help feeling Aliadiere and Middlesbrough have been seen as a soft touch by the FA.