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A proposal from Germany could help cut out diving

Referee Peter Walton could face a suspension from the Premier League list if it is decided he made a mistake in Monday’s 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Birmingham.

Walton reckoned Liverpool striker David Ngog had been fouled by Lee Carsley and ignored the protests of his Birmingham team mates before Steven Gerrard converted the spotkick. Even Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez said afterwards he did not think it was a penalty.

Former Premier League and FIFA referee Graham Poll is among those saying the FA must change the rules, arguing that if the referee can be banned for a mistake, players should be punished too. Under current FA rules, players who dive cannot face retrospective action if they were not booked for “simulation” during the game.

Maybe the FA could follow a recent German experiment. If a player was thought to have dived, the referee was instructed to ask him: “Did you dive?”

If he said he did, he was not punished, but neither did he gain any advantage and the match went on.

If he said he didn’t dive and DVD evidence later proved he did, he was handed a severe ban.

Not a foolproof system by any means, but something needs to be done as diving players are damaging the credibility of the game.

PHOTO: REUTERS/Sergio Moraes

Source

Tags: Birmingham, credibility, David Ngog, fifa referee, foolproof system, Germany, Graham Poll, lee carsley, Liverpool, liverpool and birmingham, mistake, Peter Walton, premier league, proposal, protests, rafa benitez, reuters, Sergio Moraes, simulation, Steven Gerrard, striker, team mates, Walton

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Carsley: “An embarrassing case of cheating”

A controversial penalty proved to be decisive for Liverpool in their match against Birmingham City (2-2). Rafa Benitez’ squad needed a theatrical display by David Ngog to equalise. The French striker went to the ground after a tackle by Lee Carsley despite no contact appearing to have been made. Steven Gerrard converted from the spot.

“An embarrassing case of cheating,” Carsley described Ngog’s action. “I was absolutely nowhere near him.”

Birmingham City coach Alex McLeish also accused the French forward of diving. “It was a clear dive, it was not even close to being a penalty. This is a serious disgrace.”

Paul Haring

Tags: alex mcleish, birmingham city, coach alex, controversial penalty, David Ngog, disgrace, lee carsley, Liverpool, match, Steven Gerrard, striker

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Hooliganism mars Hammers fightback

West Ham survived a League Cup scare at the hands of London neighbours Millwall on Tuesday in a second round clash that was overshadowed by serious crowd trouble before and during the match.

Playing a quality of football that belied their current status in the third tier of English football, Millwall got within three minutes of knocking their Premier League hosts out of the competition after being given a first-half lead by Neil Harris.

But an 87th-minute equaliser from Junior Stanislas sent the tie into extra-time and a second goal from Stanislas, from the penalty spot, and a Zavon Hines strike wrapped things up for the Hammers.

An admirable display by Millwall and a gutsy fightback by their hosts was however marred by the ugly scenes surrounding the match, with one fan scarred in pre-match clashes and the game itself marred by a series of pitch invasions and crowd scuffles.

Birmingham also flirted with danger after spending most of the evening trailing another League One outfit, Southampton.

Adam Lallana had given Saints a well-deserved lead but a couple of goals in the space of three minutes from veterans Lee Bowyer and Lee Carsley sent Alex McLeish’s side into the third round draw as 2-1 winners.

Burnley went through in similar fashion with Steven Fletcher repaying a significant chunk of his three-million-pound transfer fee with a late equaliser against Hartlepool before striking the winner in extra time.

Hartlepool had taken a first-half lead through Adam Boyd but Burnley were worthy winners after having Richard Eckersley sent off in extra time.

Wolves made hard work of their encounter with Swindon but, after 120 minutes of dour action, Mick McCarthy’s side finally squeezed through with a 6-5 win in the penalty shoot-out.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: adam boyd, Adam Lallana, alex mcleish, Birmingham, crowd trouble, english football, equaliser, extra time, gutsy fightback, Hartlepool, hooliganism, Lee Bowyer, lee carsley, london, mick mccarthy, neil harris, pitch invasions, premier league, richard eckersley, Southampton, stanislas, Steven Fletcher, ugly scenes, west ham, worthy winners, zavon

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McFadden spot on to give Birmingham last-gasp win

Birmingham forward James McFadden gave his promoted side their first win of the season as his controversial penalty defeated Portsmouth 1-0 at St Andrews on Wednesday.

McFadden struck from the spot in stoppage time after referee Lee Probert ruled that Portsmouth goalkeeper David James had fouled Sebastian Larsson.

The Scot’s goal got Birmingham up and running after their opening weekend defeat at Manchester United, while Portsmouth remain without a goal or a point.

Birmingham boss Alex McLeish made an attacking change to the side narrowly beaten at United on Sunday as Scotland striker Garry O’Connor replaced midfielder Lee Carsley.

Birmingham striker Cameron Jerome had the first shot on target after some sloppy defensive work by the visitors, but James held on to his low drive away to his left.

Portsmouth responded as debutant midfielder Anthony Van den Borre, on loan from Genoa, made a powerful run only to lift his shot high over the bar.

Back came City and Jerome teed up Keith Fahey on the edge of the box. His low shot took a slight deflection but did not overly trouble James.

Larsson came close to putting City in front after 18 minutes when he got on the end of a deep first-time centre from left-back Gregory Vignal but he could not keep his header down.

It was 35 minutes before Portsmouth forced a save from Birmingham keeper Joe Hart as the on-loan Manchester City man held onto a long range attempt from Niko Kranjcar.

Hart then parried a low effort around the post from Frederic Piquionne although the shot was probably heading just wide before his intervention.

Nigeria’s John Utaka came on for Van Den Borre at half-time but Portsmouth had a narrow escape when McFadden released Jerome and his shot curled wide.

Pompey midfielder Hayden Mullins was guilty of a glaring miss when he shot wide from close range.

James turned over a curling free-kick from Larsson after substitute Kevin Phillips had been brought down by Mullins. The Portsmouth keeper made another fine save to turn a curling shot from Phillips past the post.

But he was beaten in stoppage time when referee Probert decided that James’s clash with Larsson was worthy of a penalty.

McFadden stepped up to convert the spot-kick and leave Portsmouth pointless.

BIRMINGHAM (AFP)

Tags: alex mcleish, Anthony Van, anthony van den borre, Birmingham, Cameron Jerome, city man, controversial penalty, David James, frederic piquionne, Garry O'Connor, genoa, gregory vignal, Hayden Mullins, Joe Hart, John Utaka, Keith, kevin phillips, lee carsley, Lee Probert, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, narrow escape, nigeria, o connor, Portsmouth, Scot, scotland, Sebastian Larsson, stoppage time, target, time centre, van den borre

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You´re on your own in Socceroo attack, McDonald told

Australia coach Pim Verbeek has warned Scott McDonald to get used to playing as a lone striker and suggested he will have Mark Viduka to compete with for this role in next summer’s World Cup finals.

Speaking ahead of Australia’s game with Republic of Ireland at Limerick’s Thomond Park, Verbeek rebuffed McDonald’s earlier suggestion that he will look to alter the team’s style to be more of an attacking threat before the tournament in South Africa.

With no other senior strikers available McDonald is set to play up front on his own, supported by Mark Bresciano, Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell.

“You should not change too many things that are good and I think we had a very good campaign…and the players know exactly what I like,” Verbeek said.

“I’m not going to use too many friendly matches for changing the system because I think we’re doing well with the system we are playing.

“We have the players to play 4-2-3-1 so why should I change that? It’s up to Scotty and all the other players to pick up a spot in that selection.”

Verbeek was more encouraging to Viduka. The veteran striker is expected to seal a move to Portsmouth in the coming days, but once his future is assured, and assuming he returns to full fitness, Verbeek expects him to return to the Socceroos fold for the first time since the 2007 Asia Cup.

“I think the only motivation for him to start playing football again is to go to the World Cup so that’s good for us,” Verbeek added.

“I did everything to at least get him in the squad (for the June World Cup qualifiers) but at that moment he was so disappointed about what happened in Newcastle…so he said: ?mentally I cannot do it again and come into the Middle East at 40 degrees – I need time to think about my future.’

“The door is open for him, not because he’s Mark Viduka but because he is a good football player and he has ten months to show me that he is good enough to be a part of the selection.”

Verbeek is meanwhile confident his makeshift defence will be competitive against the Irish strike pairing of Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle, who is over a hernia injury.

Rhys Williams will play his second game at right back and, with Lucas Neill looking some distance from match fitness, Jade North will partner Patrick Kisnorbo in the heart of the Australian defence, with David Carney slotting in at left back.

Just as importantly, with holding midfielder Vince Grella out, Mile Jedinak plays in front of the back four.

“We miss some central defenders because they’re all injured or they play in Australia,” Verbeek insisted.

“We will give everything to make it a very interesting game for the fans and a fantastic test for Ireland for their very important game they play next month in Cyprus.”

Irish coach Giovanni Trapattoni for his part rebuffed suggestions from his assistant Liam Brady that his first eleven will be the same which take the field in the World Cup qualifier in Nicosia in three weeks.

“It is not the team that will play in Cyprus,” Trapattoni said. “Don’t think ahead to the future.”

Trapattoni insisted the door is not shut on the senior players not in his squad such as Steve Finnan, Lee Carsley and Clinton Morrison, but suggested that the latter will struggle to be included in future squads because he is similar in style to Doyle.

“My rule is never say never. I don’t forget Steve Finnan. At the moment we have to play with 11 players. (Caleb) Folan is a different type of striker, for playing a different way. Morrison’s movement is like Doyle.”

LIMERICK, Ireland (AFP)

Tags: asia cup, Australia, Clinton Morrison, Cyprus, david carney, Don, football player, giovanni trapattoni, harry kewell, Jade North, kevin doyle, lee carsley, Liam Brady, Limerick, Lucas Neill, many things, Mark Bresciano, mark viduka, Middle East, Morrison, motivation, NEWCASTLE, Patrick Kisnorbo, pim verbeek, Portsmouth, republic of ireland, rhys williams, Robbie Keane, scott mcdonald, South Africa, steve finnan, strikers, thomond park, tim cahill, veteran striker, vince grella, world cup finals, world cup qualifiers

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Ten-man Birmingham overcome the Wolves

LONDON (AFP) – Birmingham strengthened their hold on the second automatic promotion place to the Premiership on Monday as despite being reduced to 10 men they beat Championship leaders Wolves 2-0.

Goals by Cameron Jerome and Gary O’Connor moved Birmingham to within two points of Wolves with third-placed Reading six points adrift of the victors, though, they have a game in hand.

Birmingham looked to have given themselves too much to do when former Republic of Ireland international midfielder Lee Carsley was given a straight red card in the 37th minute for a dreadful foul on Chris Iwelumo, which saw him stretchered off.

However, the hosts gathered themselves together and took the lead deep into first-half injury time as Jerome scored with a scrappy effort.

Wolves barely threatened and Birmingham wrapped up the match when O’Connor scored in the 69th minute.

Written by: AFP

Tags: automatic promotion, Birmingham, cameron, Cameron Jerome, chris iwelumo, English Premier League, Gary O'Connor, hosts, injury time, Jerome, lee carsley, london, match, o connor, premiership, promotion place, republic of ireland, six points, victors, wolves

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