After the trials and tribulations suffered at the hands of the mighty Manchester United and lowly Northampton Town, Liverpool’s supporters filed into Anfield on Saturday afternoon (yes, Saturday afternoon!) in general agreement that the game against Sunderland along with next week’s fixture against Blackpool had taken on ‘must-win’ status. Although the Barclays Premier League table printed in the programme did not make pleasant reading, closer examination of the right hand column confirmed that a maximum return over the next eight days would probably see Liverpool back in the top third of the table at the very least. And so it was that having lost the toss the eleven men in red kicked off and the Kop settled into their seats, knowing that their general mood for the remainder of the weekend would largely be determined by the events of the subsequent two hours or so.
It was very early in the proceedings that the referee caught my eye, for no other reason that I had no idea who he was. (Reminds me of the good old days standing on the Kop when someone asked who the ref was, only for some wit to reply “That old fella in the middle wearing the black kit!”). Making a mental note that referees like policemen are getting younger these days I gave the matter no more thought. Of course I now know, along with almost every other football follower in the country that the referee on Saturday was Stuart Attwell. Young Mr Attwell , not only looks young, he is young. Twenty seven years young in fact. Fate had decreed that this particular novice official would be thrust well into the Anfield spotlight almost before he had time to break into a gentle sweat.
After barely 3 minutes Fernando Torres stole around the Sunderland right flank and expertly controlled a Steven Gerrard free kick before volleying into the roof of the Kop net. Alas the celebrations were cut short by a correct offside decision. Very marginal, but correct. The next real incident of the game was one which was destined to be the biggest talking point of the weekend for football fans throughout the land. An innocuous ‘challenge’ by Raul Meireles on Titus Bramble just short of the centre circle was deemed to be a free kick by referee Attwell. I am sure that if he could live his weekend over again he would have waved play on. (For what it’s worth I felt that if anything the award should have gone in Liverpool’s favour as Bramble had slid in through Miereles from the back.)
I am sure that everyone has seen replays of the incident that followed with Turner of Sunderland casually playing the ball back towards his keeper after initially preparing to play the ball upfield. There is little doubt that the defender intended for the goalkeeper to come forward to take the kick, but unfortunately for him he played the ball instead of just jogging away from the scene. Torres raced forward, stuttered in temporary uncertainty before bearing down unimpeded on the Sunderland goal. After frantically standing his ground waving in protest Mignolet in the Sunderland goal suddenly realised that he had better belatedly attempt to challenge the Spanish raider, but good old Dirk Kuyt was the one other player to be alive to the situation and was on hand to slide Torres’ short shifted pass into the unguarded goal.
The whole incident had a touch of Monty Python about it with Sunderland’s players motionless, Torres racing forward but stuttering and looking back to the ref, the referee raising his whistle to his mouth on at least three occasions whilst looking almost pleadingly towards his assistant. As the ball nestled in the net, the Liverpool players celebrated their good fortune, the visitors were outraged and Steve Bruce was as usual apoplectic. If anything this made the goal celebrations even more enjoyable for the Liverpool faithful. Looking back on replays later that evening, it became clear that once Torres had ran onto the ball the referee really had no cause to disallow the goal, the only question being the morality and general sportsmanship of it all. Referees are human (believe me they are, really), and this poor young fellow had found himself in the centre of a storm. My own feeling was that if he had not already disallowed a Liverpool goal then the hapless Mr Attwell may well have found cause to strike Kuyt’s effort off.
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I think Turner stopped the ball at where the free kick was to be taken, then casually back heeled the ball to the keeper, unfortunately for him he was too casual, Torres was right to pounce on this mistake and the ref was right to allow the goal. Turner is bound to try to cover his clanger is’nt he. The result against Northhampton was nothing short of disgraceful, Hodgson has to hold his hands up and accept responsibilty, i know we should still have won it, but to have no back up on the bench, tut..tut naughty boy Roy, embarrasing your club so early, not exactly getting the fans on board. On the plus side we should have had six points from United and Sunderland, just some dreadful defending let us down, Agger should be sweeping behind Skirtle and Carra should be at right back, Johnson should be left back… in the changing room, that is! Oh, well, Roy should get it sorted, soon i hope. YNWA.
remember big fat head gloating over the beach ball goal, going on about liverpool upsetting kenwyn jones, who he willingly sold to stoke, he should look the constant attempts at upesetting our great players – fat head is the correct desription for bruce.