EPL ~ Bruce brand Torres and Kuyt as 'unsportsmanlike'
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Bent rocks Liverpool
Dirk Kuyt celebrates a farcical early goal for LiverpoolLiverpool's horror week is still in session. Despite an early strike from Dirk Kuyt for which farcical is the only possible description, visitors Sunderland are leading after a Darren Bent double. Bent scored a penalty after a Poulsen handball and then headed in on 48 minutes. -
Bent is really gd man
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2-2
Gerrard equaliser
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Kuyt really make them different... He make them a better side...
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Full time also?
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1st team can't even beat Sunderland (only won 1 out of 20 travels)... -
sunderland deserve 3 points
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6points out of 18points... this is wat Reds can do... very disappointed !! my bank a/c too... haiz...
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Furious: Roy Hodgson (right) and Sammy Lee express their anger Photo: REUTERSPerhaps it was poetic justice that Liverpool should have opened the scoring in such freakish fashion. After all, it is almost 12 months since a beach ball condemned former manager Rafael Benitez’s side to defeat at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland have still not forgotten their glee at that incident - the beach balls dotted around the away end testament to how the moment endures - but Kuyt’s goal was every bit as controversial, and just as comic.
Referee Stuart Attwell, just a moment after ruling out a Fernando Torres strike for the most marginal of offsides, awarded Sunderland a free kick just inside their own half for an apparent foul on Titus Bramble by Raul Meireles. Sunderland sought to restart play too quickly for Attwell’s liking, demanding it be returned to Michael Turner.
In the confusion, the defender seemed to play the ball back to his goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The pass, though, was far too weak, and Torres pounced, streaking towards the Kop and presenting Kuyt with a simple finish. Sunderland protested, Attwell consulted his linesman, and the goal was allowed to stand.
No doubt, at that point, the plans were already underway for the cardboard cut-outs of Attwell for the visit to Wearside later this season, a retort to those beach balls. Liverpool, though, did not build on their fortuitous start. Instead, for the second time in four days, they were outplayed and out-thought on their own turf.
Sunderland used the ball better, attacked with more purpose, played with more poise. Just like Northampton on Wednesday, they came to Anfield and looked like they owned the place.
Steve Bruce’s side deserved Darren Bent’ equaliser from the penalty spot, secured after Christian Poulsen handled Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross, and, in truth, could consider going level at half-time as scant reward for their efforts. Little matter. The visitors scored immediately afterwards, Bent heading home Onuoha’s deep cross.
For a moment, Liverpool crumbled. Sunderland cut their hosts open at leisure. Hodgson, seated on the bench, cut a disconsolate figure, his players seemed directionless, powerless.
There was a time when Liverpool would automatically turn to Steven Gerrard at such instances, the club’s totem’s drive and determination enough on its own to turn however strong a tide. So, too, here, though Gerrard’s headed goal owed a great deal to good fortune - Torres’s cross was deflected twice on the way to his brow - and could not disguise an otherwise anonymous showing.
As so often, though, he served to galvanise his side. Suddenly, Liverpool swarmed forward, their momentum not even halted by seeing both Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel badly cut after clashing heads.
David Ngog was denied by Mignolet, Joe Cole’s follow up blocked by Titus Bramble. Gerrard went close once, so too Dirk Kuyt, and, in the extended period of injury time, Turner made up for his earlier error by denying Ngog on the line.
None of those chances were quite so glaring as the one offered to Daniel Agger just moments before Attwell blew his whistle, though, the Dane heading just wide from Skrtel’s flick on.
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why all the shamelss liverpool fans like poolman shut up now??no farting anymore??usually,every year they say liverpool will win the league for wth the crappy players they have.go fuck the wall u piece of shits!!!!!!!
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When Turner let in Torres: The 'unsporting' goal that may just save Liverpool's season
Dirk Kuyt and Fernando Torres
Steve Bruce branded Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt, below, as 'unsportsmanlike' after another bizarre incident involving referee Stuart Attwell.
The pair combined for the Dutchman to score the opening goal in yesterday's 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Anfield after defender Michael Turner tried to reposition a free-kick.
Attwell had to consult his assistant before allowing the goal to stand, but Bruce was furious. 'For me it's unjust, it's unsportsmanlike,' the Sunderland manager said.
'It is not in the rules of the game and they have capitalised on it. Everybody in the ground - including most of the Liverpool team - knew Turner didn't take the free-kick. He was passing it back to the goalkeeper to take the free-kick from where it should have been taken from.'
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Liverpool 2 Sunderland 2: Steven Gerrard rescues embarrassed Reds
"Maybe in the past a Liverpool team would have come back and said it was unfair and unsportsmanlike"
Kuyt put the Reds ahead after Turner simply knock the ball back for his stopper to take the set-piece.
FUMING Steve Bruce lashed out a the "crazy" goal that got Liverpool going at Anfield.
Dirk Kuyt put the Reds ahead after Michael Turner had tapped a free-kick to keeper Simon Mignolet.
Turner argued that he was simply knocking the ball back for his stopper to take the set-piece. But rookie ref Stuart Attwell waved play on and allowed Fernando Torres to intercept before Kuyt slotted home.
And Mackems boss Bruce raged: "I've been in enough trouble so I don't want to talk about it but you all witnessed it and he got it wrong.
"The free-kick was 25 yards from where the incident was and I think everyone in the ground realised that too.
"He has put his whistle to his mouth three times and if he is in doubt he should have given the free-kick to be taken in the right position.
"Maybe in the past a Liverpool team would have come back and said it was unfair and unsportsmanlike — I doubt it though.
"We are going to talk about this crazy goal and not the performance of the team, which was terrific."
Darren Bent levelled from the spot after Christian Poulson handled in the box. But Hodgson reckons Attwell had the hotly-contested first goal on the brain when he pointed to the spot.
He said: "I thought the penalty they got was fairly compensatory because I don't prescribe to accidental handball, for me handball has to be intentional.
"We suffered the cold shower of going 2-1 down in the second half and after that I thought the reaction was really good.
"We dominated the game after that and created lots of chances but only scored from one of them.
"I think over the 90 minutes we were more than worth the point we got. Sunderland got back into the game and it certainly evened things out."
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson sits dejected on the bench