Jason McAteer believes that Liverpool were fortunate not to have Trent Alexander-Arnold’s winning goal against Fulham on Sunday disallowed.
The former Reds midfielder was on duty for beIN SPORTS when he – along with fellow pundits Dwight Yorke, Richard Keys and Andy Gray – insisted that Kostas Tsimikas unlawfully shoved Bobby Decordova-Reid in contesting the 50-50 from which the ball dropped to our number 66 to finish to the net.
The 52-year-old stated [via Football365]: “I’ve got to admit, I thought there was [a foul]. Tsimikas, the way he challenged, he didn’t win the ball. He barged into the player. It’s a brave call to disallow that but for me that’s a foul.”
It seemed like the kind of decision which, on another day, could’ve gone the other way had a different referee been tasked with calling it.
However, the verdict from Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports‘ Ref Watch on Monday was telling, with the former Premier League whistler – who was assessing the incident objectively – claiming that Tsimikas and Decordova-Reid ‘came together’ rather than the Liverpool man shoving or ‘leaning in on’ his opponent.
The Reds have already been dealt a rough hand by some officials in the top flight this season, so fans may argue that our luck is due to even itself out on that front.
The man whose opinion counted the most is Stuart Attwell, and thankfully he felt no need to blow for a foul in the lead-up to Trent’s winner.
If that’s a foul Jason we might as well pack the game in and call it a day !! Never a foul!
If barging is a foul then winning the ball or not is still a foul.
By the same logic, Fulham’s second goal should have been disallowed due to the scorer barging in on Tsimkas.
However if two players competing for a high ball is 50-50, and it is a contact sport, so no foul.
Ironic that Tsimkas was the player fouled in the Fulham goal which of course was not commented on by the pundits. The foul for Fulham’s goal was more blatant in terms of referee observation and VAR check. Either way give both or none at all. In some sense this was a bit of unusual consistency from the officials. It seems ex LFC players when they are on TV apart from LFC TV need to suggest they are totally unbiased. Gary Neville for instance does not have that hang up at all for MUFC.
When I hear and read about these so-called experts, getting paid to make armchair criticisms, which ANY fool can do, I begin to realise that they just like the sound of their own voices, including Mr. Jason McAteer. Why not discuss the consistent inconsistencies of the officials or what a great game of football that was. To be clear, it was a 50-50 ball and had Tsimikas got the ball, then MAYBE, just maybe, it could be called a foul…….NOT!!!
Today’s papers read LFC 4 : Fulham 3. So, your opinions actually mean didley-squat!!!!
The gentleman are now too old to differentiate a foul from a lawful tackle or the just want to sell their newspaper with false reports. These so called former players must sit and watch the game enjoy and go home