Exeter City v Liverpool (FAC 3rd Round)

[Dirty Harry]

Just want to check if my eyesight is still as poor as it's always been...
Watched the BBC highlights of this game and I reckon both Liverpool goals came after fouls/free kick offences...I think the Liverpool centre fwd (Benteke) should have been cautioned for simulation just before Jerome Sinclair picked up the loose ball to score Liverpool's first equaliser and Brad Smith clearly pushed the Exeter No 11 (Davies) over before he scored from the clearance off the Exeter No 15. I have no axe to grind with Liverpool and I don't support Exeter, but I'm surprised these incidents weren't even mentioned by the commentators...one of them even said Davies 'slipped' over and was therefore at fault for the second Liverpool goal! Exeter were VERY unlucky not to win in my opinion. Still, at least they should get a reasonable payday out of the replay, so not all bad news...

 

[SM]

Full disclosure; Liverpool fan. However, I do tend to be able to see beyond the red glasses!

The first Liverpool goal - benteke was clearly kicked from behind. if it wasn't a goal it was a clear penalty.

I can't remember the second goal. Cannot comment. As it was the equaliser and game saver; I'm happy with it!!!!!

Exeter were very unlucky, I agree there. Liverpool looked like what they were - kids who had never played together with a striker who is bang out of form.

 

[Dirty Harry]

I like an honest punter who owns up to any allegiances before posting...Respect Sir!
And to be fair...I'd be amazed if any referee would have blown the whistle as Sinclair was shaping up to shoot! Shall we just say 'good advantage played' and leave it at that? I was more annoyed with the commentator about the last goal to be honest...but I should really know by now that very few of them actually understand the Laws of the Game... 'Twas ever thus and forever shall be I fear'

 

[Jacko]

I think you've seen too much there @Dirty Harry

What you've said didn't happen.

 

[ARF]

Can't remember Liverpool's second goal I'm afraid, although I do remember Exeter's second, and it could be argued that Bogdan was fouled. Not sure whether I'd agree or not, but it could be argued. And IMO it was a foul on Benteke just before Sinclair's goal. So no, I don't think they were unlucky not to win - I think a draw was a fair result.

 

[Peter Grove]

Can't remember Liverpool's second goal I'm afraid, although I do remember Exeter's second, and it could be argued that Bogdan was fouled. Not sure whether I'd agree or not, but it could be argued. And IMO it was a foul on Benteke just before Sinclair's goal. So no, I don't think they were unlucky not to win - I think a draw was a fair result.

Actually, by the time I'd seen the third or fourth replay, I did start to come around to the belief that Bogdan had been fouled. Difficult to see in real time, though and I didn't spot it as it occurred so I can totally understand the ref not giving it.

 

[SM]

I didn't think bogdan was fouled. He was just really weak and flapped. Needs to be a lot stronger than he was.

 

[Peter Grove]

Well, as I say, it's only really noticeable on the replay (3rd or 4th one in the highlights I watched) which is taken from a point on the sideline directly level with the frame of the goal. From that angle you can see (IMHO) a deliberate but subtle push on Bogdan just as he leaves the ground. Without that push, Bogdan would probably have been able to turn the ball over the bar relatively easily. But once you're in the process of leaving the ground even a slight nudge is enough to throw you off balance. The player who does it is definitely not trying to play the ball (it was way too far over his head and he moves towards the keeper rather than the ball anyway). So I am convinced his only intent was to put the keeper off his trajectory and prevent him reaching the ball - in which intent he succeeded.

From all the other angles further up the pitch (and certainly from the referee's position on or about the penalty arc) the slight movement of the player towards the keeper and the subtle push would have been almost impossible to detect.

 

[SM]

If that is your threshold for a foul being committed you will have a game with constant free kicks at every challenge!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Would anyone have given the foul by Benteke just before the save by the Exeter keeper (about 1:52)? Clearly climbed on the back of the defender in my opinion...

 

[Peter Grove]

If that is your threshold for a foul being committed you will have a game with constant free kicks at every challenge!

I would tend to disagree. Most aerial challenges (in my experience) involve two players who are both trying to play the ball. They usually both end up in the air together and if there is moderate but more or less equal bodily contact I'd be letting that go every time. But if you have one player who leaves the ground in an attempt to play the ball and another who remains on the ground, ignores the ball and pushes the opponent off-balance while that opponent is airborne (or in the process of becoming so) that's a foul every day of the week, in my book. You often see it referred to as "playing the man instead of the ball. " To my mind, that's what happened here.

That's just my opinion and you are of course, perfectly entitled to disagree.

 

[SM]

As a Liverpool fan I really wish I could agree with you.

 

[Mooseybaby]

Foul on the keeper? Nah, not for me, just woeful keeping and tactics with absolutely no protection on the posts.

 

[Peter Grove]

I would tend to disagree. Most aerial challenges (in my experience) involve two players who are both trying to play the ball. They usually both end up in the air together and if there is moderate but more or less equal bodily contact I'd be letting that go every time. But if you have one player who leaves the ground in an attempt to play the ball and another who remains on the ground, ignores the ball and pushes the opponent off-balance while that opponent is airborne (or in the process of becoming so) that's a foul every day of the week, in my book. You often see it referred to as "playing the man instead of the ball. " To my mind, that's what happened here.

That's just my opinion and you are of course, perfectly entitled to disagree.

I've just seen a classic example of what I was talking about, where an almost identical incident occurred with two outfield players involved. League Cup semi final between Liverpool and Stoke. High ball near the touchline, Peter Crouch was just in the process of taking off to head the ball when Jordan Henderson, with both feet still on the ground, nudges Crouch ever so slightly, throwing him marginally off balance and causing Crouch to miss the ball. The referee awarded a free kick to Stoke.

Once again, I see no difference in principle between that incident and the one involving the Liverpool keeper and the Exeter forward. In fact if anything, I would say the nudge by Henderson on Crouch was even less forceful than the push by the Exeter player. Also, Henderson seemed to have his eyes on the ball and was at least trying to make an attempt for the ball whereas the Exeter player in question had eyes only for the keeper as he pushed him (admittedly only slightly, but still more forcefully than the way Henderson pushed Crouch).