Sir Alex Ferguson’s obsession with Liverpool can be traced back to a television interview given by Manchester United’s manager after a 3-3 draw at Anfield way back on April 4, 1988. Ferguson claimed managers ‘have to leave here choking on their own vomit, biting their tongue, afraid to tell the truth’ after United had ended up on the wrong side of a series of controversial incidents. At the time Liverpool still had the upper hand on their great rivals, brilliantly illustrated when the camera immediately panned to Kenny Dalglish, who was holding his new-born child and announced that people ‘would get more sense out of my six-week old daughter, Lauren’.
Dalglish’s amusing one-liner put Ferguson in his place at a time when they had a remote chance of breaking Liverpool’s domestic stranglehold and winning the league title for the first time since 1967, eventually Ferguson’s side finished nine points short after that thrilling game at Anfield.
Kenny Dalglish and Alex Ferguson way way back in 1986.
After yesterday’s 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford, it was Kenny who was left choking on the ludicrous decisions made by Howard Webb, didn’t Mr. Webb think about the vast history and fierce rivalry between the two clubs before the match started! If he had done, I’m sure he would’ve given Steven Gerrard a yellow card, instead of a straight red, and as for Berbatov’s first minute dive, that deserved a yellow card, not a penalty! It does seem to me that Howard Webb wants to be noticed and involved in the match as much as the players do. They say a good referee goes through a match largely unnoticed, in that case Mr. Webb must be one of, if not the worst, just think back to the World Cup Final last year, I remember seeing Howard Webb with his right hand in the air waving yellow cards to any player who dared to tackle the opposition, when I should’ve remembered the biggest match in world football!
“If he had done, I’m sure he would’ve given Steven Gerrard a yellow card, instead of a straight red,”
History and rivalry have nothing to do with that decision. Gerrard left the ground and went in with two feet. You simply cannot do that and expect to stay on the pitch. Let’s not try to pretend that it was anything but an idiotic lunge that deserved the treatment it got.
The penalty is the legitimate point of complaint.
I agree with Brad. Refs should uphold the rules regardless of whether it’s the World Cup final or QPR-Burnley.
Perhaps on another day with another ref Gerrard would have got a caution. But he can have no arguments about being sent off either.
On the other hand, the penalty was simply horrendous refereeing. It was a very bad decision on the night. If it had happened at the other end or in any other match it would still be just as inexcusable.
Of course there’s always the argument regarding the imbalance of how many times Utd have benefited from inexplicable refereeing (as opposed to suffering from them). That’s another conversation for another time.
The bigger point from this game came from the fact that the rule is if a player feels any contact whatsoever in the box then they are justified falling to the ground and winning a penalty. Is this the way we want football to develop as Kenny said into a non contact sport in the penalty box at least?
If this really is the case and Webb is setting a precedent then I fully expect to see penalties galore this season and I will be keeping an eye on what decisons Webb makes. Otherwise it must be true as Babel suggested that he really does wear a Man Utd shirt under his own.
Definite Red card. Gerrard was a muppet for giving Webb the chance to send him off.
Debatable penalty!