Why Liverpool FC should not let Sunderland's beachball goal lie
Let's get one thing straight for a kick-off.
Liverpool's performance yesterday at Sunderland was by far the worst of the season and surely one of the most insipid in Rafa Benitez's entire reign.
A two or three goal victory would not have flattered Steve Bruce's energetic side and serious questions must be asked (again) about the depth of the squad and particularly the decision to change the formation of the side when there had been no time to work on it in training because of the international break.
The old axiom about fate kicking you when you're down was illustrated in the moment just four minutes into the game when Darren Bent's shot was deflected past Pepe Reina, as the world and his wife now knows, by an LFC-branded beach ball which had emerged from the away end behind that goal shortly before kick off.
It is often said that the opening goal in a match, particularly one so early, can be critical, changing the entire complexion and atmosphere of an encounter and Sunderland swarmed all over Liverpool after their lucky break.
Liverpool still had eighty five minutes to salvage something from the match but weren't able to - and never really looked likely to.
The home side, and Bent in particular (I wonder how many Reds who sniffed dismissively when he was linked with an Anfield move are now drawing wistful comparisons between him and Liverpool's back-up striking up options), created a host of other opportunities to put the black and gold-clad visitors out of their misery and seal an impressive home victory to add to their point at Old Trafford two weeks previously.
But they didn't take any of them, meaning that freakish moment, which should haunt the clown who brought the ball into the stadium (did you think you were going to get on the pitch at half time for a kickabout?), decided the contest.
And while, as stated above, Liverpool's performance on the day got exactly what it deserved, the rules of the game state unequivocally that the goal should not have stood.
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce stated afterwards, "If anyone actually knew that rule then they are a saddo".
And he's right. Even a self-confessed football tragic like myself wouldn't have known that one before it emerged in the aftermath of yesterday's game.
But surely, as many of the refereeing fraternity have stated, one of the FOUR match officials on duty at the Stadium of Light should have known what to do.
Ten years ago during an FA Cup tie at Highbury between Arsenal and Sheffield United, the Gunners scored a goal after the visitors had kicked the ball out of play to get treatment for one of their own players who was injured.
Nwankwo Kanu, new to English football and unaware of the convention that the ball be returned from the resulting throw-in to the opponents, played on and centred for Marc Overmars to score.
Sheffield United understandably were outraged and after the game Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger graciously offered to replay the fixture which the the visiting manager that day was only too happy to take him up on (they ended up losing by the same score as the first game).
That visiting manager's name? Steve Bruce.
Rafa Benitez did well to keep his counsel after the game yesterday and not try and make excuses for his team's poor performance on the day.
But in the cold light of day, the fact remains that if the match officials had applied the rules of the game correctly, Sunderland's profligacy in front of goal would have earned Liverpool an undeserved but useful point.
If Liverpool miss out on the title (or, perhaps more realistically bearing in mind current form, Champions League qualification), how important might that point be?
One can only speculate how this scenario would play out if Manchester United were the team affected.
What I am fairly certain of is that they would fight their corner to try and ensure at least a fair hearing - and Liverpool must do the same.
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All of the so-called experts are wrong and should stop embarassing themselves in the media.
The ref could have stopped the game at any time because the ball was in a dangerous place - but he didn't.
You cannot apply the rule retrospectively - the goal stands.
If the ball was going in, and it deflected off a foreign body and went wide, would Sunderland be awared a goal? I think not!
The rules ofthe game also state that when the ball hits the back of the net, it is a goal as in the Crystal Palace v Sheffeild United game.
That was never turned around retrospectively so why should this be?
Yes goals change games and Sunderland not scored it, then for all you know they might have won more hansomely. There can be no guarantee that Liverpool would have got a point from the game. To suugest that they would have done is just pure speculation.
A good article and I'm glad to see a Liverpool fan pointing out Sunderland's good performance especially that of Darren Bent.
I really must say, if the tables were turned and it had been Liverpool who had scored the goal I'd have a very similar view to you.
However, how many goals do we see a season that are offside, penalties given that are not penalties and goals that do not even cross the line? Too many would be my answer. This is all adds up to BAD officiating.
When a BAD decision is made during a game, pundits and the media alike will often say "these things level out over the season" and Sunderland are a team who have had a lot of BAD decisions go against us over the past two years.
Kieron Richardson had a goal disallowed from a free kick at Fulham last season which cost us two points, Stephen Taylor won a penalty against us in the Tyne-Wear derby which was never a penalty, for which Howard Webb also apologised after the game saying he had got it wrong.
If those points had cost Sunderland at the end of last season and meant Sunderland were relegated would those decisions not be even more important than Liverpool missing out on the title? Sunderland would have lost a lot their Premier League status and a lot of money because of BAD decisions made by officials.
So perhaps yesterday's bizarre incident was Sunderland's moment to "level out" those bad decisions that have cost us previously?
I would be outraged at any kind of match replay or Sunderland losing any of the points earned yesterday because what was witnessed yesterday was simply BAD officiating and Sunderland should not been penalised for this.
So perhaps there should not be an appeal from Liverpool for a match replay, but for that referee to be fined or suspended? That outcome would certainly be fairer on the broader scale.
I've watching it 20 times and I'm still not sure that it hit the beach ball it looks like it could have been Johnson that hit the ball and then deflected the matchball into the goal with the back of his foot - time for hawkeye. Either way why was the beachball that was in the back of Pepe's net at kickoff on the pitch in the first place!
Asking for the game to be replayed is a bit far, and in all honesty its not something that we need or is ever going to happen.
My problem is the way its been reported. As Liverpool fans we're labelled as feeling sorry for ourselves and being conspiracy theorists etc. But if this had happened to United, there would be absolute uproar. Not least from Ferguson. If I was Rafa I would have been FUMING, but he wasnt, no outwardly anyway. Did he get praise for the way he reacted to a clearly unfair goal that cost us in an important game? No. Its just a laugh, ho ho ho a beach ball was on the pitch. In actual fact the rules were clearly broken and clearly cost us.
For me, the Premier League has become like WWE wrestling. Its a bit of a laugh, half decent entertainment. But its not a competition, its not a real contest. Because some of the things going on are so incredible, so unreal that you just cant count it as a competition. If this had happened to United, mark my words this game would be replayed. No doubt whatsoever. But as Liverpool fans, we shrug it off and we carry on.
Chins up.
The game can't be replayed as there have been so many incidents over the years such as this which could have led to a replay and haven't.
The Arsenal vs Sheffield United incident apart - but then the opposition manager offered the replay.
Playing it again would set an awful precedent.
Has anyone heard from the referee yet? Perhaps at the time he thought it had deflected off Johnson - it was only when I saw it a third time I realised it had taken a deflection which had deceived Reina. At the time was anyone really sure what had happened - no referee is going to change a decision like that on a players say so as most players will say anything to influence the referee.
These things happen in football and it's just one of those things but it does lend more weight to the argument for video refs - a couple of views of that could have easily sorted out the problem and disallowed the goal in about 30-45 secs. No time at all.
Finally just a couple of decisions you Merseyside lads might remember from the past which didn't result in a replay but should have done if the writer of the above comment piece had had his way about rules being broken.
Sunderland vs Liverpool 2003 at the SOL - Either Gary McAllister or Milan Baros gets brought down 3 yards outside the penalty area (same end as Bent goal) and a penalty is awarded - Liverpool score and win 1-0.
Tranmere vs Sunderland FA Cup - probably about 2000 / 01 - at Prenton Park.
Clint Hill is sent off in the final few mins with Tranmere winning 1-0. As he is sent off Tranmere are preparing to make a substitute and the sub runs onto the pitch thinking Hill is coming off. Tranmere play the next few mins with eleven men when they should have had ten and with Sunderland pressing the sub (whoever he was) even makes a late clearance which could have resulted in an equaliser. Eventually Tranmere realise their decision and pull Barlow (I think) off with Aldridge refusing to offer any replay after the game despite Sunderland's appeals for it - the FA didn't allow one either. Which was fair enough - just let it lie!
Premier League ? More like Vaudeville League. The referee didn't know the rule ?, the Assistant Referees didn't know the rule ?, the Fourth Official didn't know the rule ? Perhaps they should have been wearing red noses and colourful wigs ? For God's sake, this is meant to be THE best competition of any football code in the World. Football may be the most popular game on the planet, but it is squarely in the Dark Ages when it comes to technology and decision making. No video ref for contentious off sides, balls crossing the goal line and incidents like an errant beach ball. Hang your heads in shame, you're just Third World.....
Rafa didn't say anything because he was just thankful we only lost 1-0. It was a poor team selection, poor tactics and over all a very poor performance from Liverpool. The energy Sunderland had was phenomenal compared to the stuck in 1st gear approcah from Liverpool. This was Babel's opportunity to perform and he was a complete failure, surely he has to be sold in January.
the most valid point i've seen is if the shot was on target and the beach ball deflected the shot wide, would sunderland have been given a goal ? of course not !
in my mind reina should have moved the ball if it had been there since before kick off and the goal was scored in the 5th minute ?
the bottom line is sunderland were the better team on the day and deserved the 3 points....get over it :)
if you watch closely the ball kicked does not change direction and the beach ball is KICKED BY JOHNSON and does not influence the direction of the football kicked by BENT ? the game could have been stopped to remove the beach ball prior to the attack, but once bent scored that is it, end of story . . . .
i think that sunderland would have went on to win the game anyway regardless of this as liverpool were inept of attacking ideas and were lucky to hang on and only lose by the one goal - - - - the better team won, so lets all move on
That must be the most silly and least thought out idea I've heard for a while.
The Beachball was in the back of the Liverpool net.
It could only have been placed there by a Liverpool player. Most likely the Keeper.
Why didn't he hand it to a Steward, or deflate the thing?
He will (or should) have been aware of the breeze that was blowing.
Therefor it seems reasonable, to me at least, to argue that it was a Liverpool Player, probobly the Goalkeeper, who introduced the thing into the field of play. I'm assuming that the goalmouth is considered part of the field of play.
So if the Goal had been disallowed, then the player responsible for placing the ball in the goalmouth should have been sent off.
At this stage things are getting rediculous.
A replayed game, but with Liverpool starting with only ten men then.
How about a refund of the entry money and travel costs as well.
What's past has passed, but I sure hope at the end of the season we don't miss out on... Champions League qualification. By a point or three depending on how you see this game could have ended. The fact though was that we played really badly on the day and like my brother said, it could have gone for days and we still might not have scored. Fiorentina was the worst according to Rafa, but this would not have been far behind (although in all fairness, the players did try much harder).
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