Liverpool played Manchester United on October 15 during which the alleged racist abuse of Patrice Evra by Luis Suarez took place.

Today is the earliest we can expect a verdict from the FA disciplinary hearing. Why have we waited over two months?

You can only assume that it’s incredibly difficult to decide what is right and what is wrong. Evra maintains that Suarez “abused me at least ten times” but the Uruguayan says he merely called him “something his team-mates at Manchester call him and even they were surprised by his reaction.”

We are talking about different cultures here. What is entirely acceptable in Uruguay probably isn’t in this country.

I think the FA is trying hard to get both parties to shake hands and accept it was a misunderstanding because to hold one up as ‘guilty’ is to find the other one ‘innocent’: as Kenny Dalglish wants; if Suarez is ‘innocent’, he wants Evra punished. For once, tardiness aside, I feel sympathy for the FA.