Once again Howard Webb gets it wrong and makes a critical ruling against Liverpool
Only last month Liverpool found themselves deep into injury time and up against the wall attempting to get something out of the game away to Arsenal. Liverpool were awarded a free kick outside the Arsenal box, Gerrard sends the ball over the wall only for Fabregas on the edge of the penalty area to deliberately handle it and referee Howard Webb, a few yards away, dismisses an obvious penalty and Liverpool lose the game. (Here's the link to the post I wrote about that incident. Click Here.)
Yesterday at Old Trafford Webb was at it again. Liverpool got off to a roaring start and had taken a deserved lead through an excellent Fernando Torres header. Things were looking good. Several minutes later, however, Valencia gets the ball and heads toward the 18 yard box only to be fouled by Mascherano a few feet outside the box but due to his momentum ends up falling inside the penalty area. Once again Webb made another critical ruling against Liverpool and judged the foul to have been committed inside the box and awards United a penalty which got them back into the game both from a scoring and, more importantly, a psychological point of view.
Would United have still gone on to win the game had the penalty not been given? I'm not so sure. They had the better of the play in the second half but the penalty changed the game and robbed Liverpool of the upper hand and the momentum they had created. Had Liverpool been able to frustrate United deeper into the 1st half and gone in at half-time 1-0 up we may have seen a different outcome. Poor decisions like this completely change the complexion of a match and that's exactly what happened at Old Trafford.
During an after match interview Benitez refused to make too many comments about the penalty decision but clearly felt that United getting level so quickly after Liverpool had taken the lead was a major blow and changed the game.
Let's hope Liverpool have seen the last of Howard Webb for a long time to come.
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as always, the ref saves man u, and as always we get the short end of the stick. I cant count how many times we have been screwed sideways by refs this year. We should be at least 10 points better off and that is being polite. From the beach ball to the two blatant penalties against spurs not being given, it started from day one. Hoow fergie can say mascherano should have had a red, after what vidic did in the carling cup final just sums up the corruption that is the premier league. Fifa dont want to introduce video into the game for that very reason. The more money u have, the more you win the league, in my heart we won it last year, the refs won it for them with some appalling decisions.
That is absolutely true because this season, too many things have gone against us. This penalty should never have been given. But perhaps Masch should have let go of Valencia before he entered the penalty area. The fact that he still stuck with him might have encouraged Webb to give the penalty. But I simply don't know how to qualify Neville's foul on Maxi. A foul wasn't even given, Neville escaped without a card and Maxi was injured instantly on the head. This shows that Utd were indeed playing with 12 men on the pitch. In fact, they always do. In the second half, Liverpool were tired. IMO Rafa should have introduced Benayoun, Babel and Aquilani earlier. Aqua makes an impact in this midfield. Everyone saw his backpass to Torres who should have hit the back of the net. Man U looked simplistic yesterday. Yes they played well but if that penalty wasn't awarded, I think we would have won this game comfortably.
You guys sound all like Rafa himself, finding excuses and clutching at straws to do so.
It was a foul and a pretty stupid one by a player who has kind of a fallacy to do silly things like that. Maybe it was slightly outside the box, but it appeared to me that it was also still inside the box. The blame should be laid at Mascherano's door and nowhere else.
Ahemmmm
Hibbert, Gerrard, Clattenburg anyone????
i was waiting for gerard to trip over his own feet and get a penalty, liverpool fans can't moan about penalties, they have certainly had enough dodgy ones given to them over the years, they have also had many penalty claims against them not given, remember the derby when carragher almost choked lescott or do they forget those
Never mind 4th getting a Europa spot could become a bit dodgy.
i am old enough to remember when liverpool were in there pomp and they got every decision going. where was the biased ref last season when you scored 4. ? didnt gerrard get away with an elbow? swinga and roundabouts. deal with it.