Liverpool vs Sheffield United - Goals Video
The game against Sheffield United promised to be memorable for several reasons - the reverse fixture had been Liverpool’s first league game of this season, one that they only salvaged after a dive from Gerrard and a penalty from Robbie Fowler.
Sheffield United believed that they had the measure of this Liverpool squad, and expected, at the very least, to put up a good fight.
Imagine their surprise and disappointment when they were meted out the same treatment, this time two penalties in four minutes.
At Anfield, you don’t recover from that, not if you’re Sheffield United.
Liverpool could have still won the game without those penalties, but no way could it have been a flattering 4-0 win. Did they deserve the win? Definitely, because they were much better on the day.
But against a team that posed no serious dangers, diving to win the game was petty, and not worthy of Gerrard.
Here are all the four goals, plus replays.
Two first-half penalties from Robbie Fowler put Liverpool in total control.
Steven Gerrard won both penalties after he was fouled first by Rob Kozluk and then by Nick Montgomery, with Fowler finishing each time with precision.
It’s ironic how all Britain condemned Ronaldo for diving at White Harte lane. Yet Gerrard’s dive didn’t even get a mention on the football365.com website, one of the harsehest critics of Ronaldo’s Lane dive. They are largely hypocrites really. Especially those like Gerrard. Excellent article Ahmed.
Players like Pires, Ronaldo and Robben have and continue to dive in situations where their is no indiscretion from the defender. They’ve shown that on numerous occasions they will throw themselves to the ground in the box when a defender gets anywhere near them despite the defender not making contact.
The first penalty is a penalty, only because the defender had been warned to stop obstructing Gerrard. He continued to do so and Gerrard no doubt wanted to emphasize that fact, had the defender not tried to obstruct him I have no doubt he would not have dived.
In the premiership it’s so easy for defenders to get away with holding in the box from corners and free kicks and referees will more often than not call the players over to chat and the offender will just get back to doing the same thing. I imagine its hard for referees to have to give away a penalty from a situation that isn’t really in direct play, they don’t want to be seen to be handing the game to the opposition on a platter however it’s still a foul in the box and therefore a penalty. You can argue all you want but i’m sure you’ve often shouted at the ref for similar fouls on your players.
The second foul is a definite penalty, running at top speed and having a player pull down on your shoulder is enough to put you off your run so that a certain shot or easy cross becomes nothing.
The only reason that Gerrard is being labelled a diver and that this is an issue is because he won 2 penalties in 1 game, had it been 1 we would not have heard anything.