RAFAEL BENITEZ, the beaten Liverpool manager, voiced his dissatisfaction at the manner in which his team was beaten 2-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday, suggesting opposition winger Antonio Valencia had dived to win a penalty.
In a contentious meeting between two of the English game’s most bitter rivals, Liverpool led through an early Fernando Torres goal before Javier Mascherano was judged to have hauled down Valenica. That flashpoint saw Benitez and Alex Ferguson engaged in a furious verbal battle on the touchlines as the United manager claimed Mascherano should have been shown an automatic red card.
"One situation changed everything," said Benitez. "I’ve seen three replays and the last one was very suspicious, seeing the replay and how he fell to the ground. From the bench, I was asking the people who were below with the TV and they said it was a penalty. Did Valencia dive? Yes, I think so. It’s not clear. There is maybe a contact but the way he fell down....strange."
Benitez was also asked whether Ferguson’s comments late last week that Liverpool receive preferential treatment from the FA’s disciplinary arm could have had a bearing on the performance of referee Howard Webb.
"I’m really surprised when you talk about things like this," said Benitez. "We know the influence of Alex on everything but I think Howard Webb is still a very good ref. When you have different opinions, you have to express your opinion."
The beleaguered Liverpool manager was also less than impressed by an incident which left midfielder Maxi Rodriguez requiring treatment to a head wound inflicted by a high kick from Gary Neville.
"Maybe it was a bird flying around that did it!" deadpanned the Spaniard.
Meanwhile, defeat leaves Liverpool’s hopes of a top-four finish looking ever more faint. "We have to keep going," he said. "It depends on some other teams if they lose games. They have some difficult games. If we can win our games we will be there until the very end."
For his part, Ferguson had no doubt that Mascherano should have been dismissed. "I thought the penalty kick decision was a red card," he said.
"There was no way Carragher could have got across and stopped Valencia from shooting, he’s too quick. We got the penalty kick but you see this time and time again, if you stop a player from a goalscoring opportunity, it’s a red card."
Without being close to their best, United ensured they will remain top, at least until Wednesday night when Chelsea play Portsmouth in their match in hand.
And whilst Rooney is gaining most of the plaudits for his goalscoring feats – he now has 33 following his 12th-minute equaliser – Ji-Sung Park, who scored United’s winner with a brave header, is also emerging as an unlikely hero for United.
"Park is one of those players we can give roles to," said Ferguson. "He has such intelligence and discipline. Today we found another role for him that was slightly different but was really important for us.
"He is such a brave little lad that his courage got him the goal."
As Carlo Ancelotti’s men still have to come to Old Trafford at the beginning of next month, Ferguson’s side are in charge of their own destiny.
Now Rio Ferdinand has revealed the full extent of the back injury that kept him out for three months – and from which he has now fully recovered – and, for the first time in four meetings with Liverpool, Nemanja Vidic managed to avoid a red card, Ferguson can look forward with confidence.
"We have a very experienced back four, a very experienced goalkeeper and that gives us a real outstanding chance, albeit with seven difficult matches – but we have all got difficult matches, so what does it matter?
"No-one is going away. We are all knocking on doors. If you look at the run-ins for the teams, it could very well go to the wire."
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, March 22, 2010
