Moyes: It was a legitimate goal

Lyndon Lloyd , 5 May, 33comments | Jump to most recent

David Moyes feels he was denied a first victory at Anfield after referee Michael Oliver penalised Victor Anichebe for a non-existent foul on Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina.

Sylvain Distin beat Jamie Carragher in the air to head Leighton Baines corner in to the home side's net but the match official blew the whistle for a foul by Anichebe even though the striker made no contact with the goalkeeper.

That decision denied Everton what would have been the only goal of a tepid encounter and Moyes, who has been on the wrong end of a number of contentious derby decisions in his time at the Goodison helm, was in no doubt that his side had been robbed.

You wonder if he was going to blow up no matter what," Moyes said after the game. "It was a goal, a legitimate goal.

"The goalkeeper runs into Victor Anichebe and it's a goal. The referee said that Victor impeded the goalkeeper but it was actually the goalkeeper who ran into him so it can't possibly be a free-kick.

"It is frustrating because people are quite quick to remind me that I have not won here at Anfield but if you don't get any decisions it is very hard to win here. And that is quite a regular occurrence when we come to Anfield.

"It was not a foul. It's disappointing because it is not easy to come here and win. I need to have something going for me, you need to get something. I have been here a lot and I have drawn here quite a lot.

"We have not won but maybe what we are coming here with, a draw isn't that bad a result and maybe we don't get the credit for that. I thought we had a good chance to win."

The draw keeps the Blues five points above their neighbours with just two games to go but Moyes's men were fairly toothless in the final third and, other than Distin's header, managed to muster just one shot on target in 90 minutes, that a low shot by the otherwise ineffective Kevin Mirallas.

Chelsea's win at Manchester United officially eliminated Everton from the Champions League race and the Blues' Europa League hopes rest on a 100% record for their games against West Ham and Chelsea and Tottenham not getting more than a point from their three remaining fixtures.

Quotes or other material sourced from The Guardian

Reader Comments (33)

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Sean Patton
1 Posted 05/05/2013 at 19:04:43

Nah, if the goal would have been given he would have defended the 1-0 lead and let them come onto us for the remaining 30 odd minutes.

Tony J Williams
2 Posted 05/05/2013 at 19:09:56

And what Sean, at least we would have been one nil up and able to defend, not nil nil and hanging on

Patrick Murphy
3 Posted 05/05/2013 at 19:13:53

Interesting that the BBC's take on the disallowed goal is more in sync with Brenda's claim that it was given against Distin Fouling Carragher although he went on to say after closer questioning that he assumed that's what it was disallowed for. Sounds like the Referee tells a different story to each manager and that can't be right unless BR made the whole stroy up of course.
.

Peter Laing
4 Posted 05/05/2013 at 20:16:10

Gerrard and Carragher in the refs ear on numerous occasions as type in derby games. As posted on another thread, Anichebe marked his card with the referee just prior to the corner being taken, I just wish he would get on with the game and concentrate more.

Stuart Mitchell
5 Posted 05/05/2013 at 20:19:01

We have to beat West Ham next game, Cannot see the shite dropping points vs Fulham or Q.P.R.

I was looking into the Europa league situation and I think (not sure) the only way we can qualify in 6th is if Chelsea win the Europa cup and come 5th in the Prem.

Kase Chow
6 Posted 05/05/2013 at 20:34:29

Should have been a goal

Wouldn't we qualify if we finish 6th and Citeh win FA Cup?

Vince Furnier
7 Posted 05/05/2013 at 20:44:05

It was clear that the ref only had eyes for Vic as he had had words previously. Felli could have elbowed Gerard a million times and the ref wouldn't have seen it. It happens all the time – ref warns the player for argy bargy in the penalty area then watches him like a hawk, just so he can play the macho 'don't mess with me' role.

Stuart Mitchell
9 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:15:47

Nah Kase Wigan will qualify I believe.

Kev Johnson
10 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:22:00

Vince - here's an alternative interpretation... The ref warns a player several times and then penalises him. Sounds fair to me. That's his bloody job!

Anthony Flack
11 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:30:01

Kev I know what you mean ie. Anichebe made his bed so lie in it...problem was there was no offence for the goal....typical of our luck

Patrick Murphy
12 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:30:48

Unless the club book an end of season in France / Germany / Spain Everton FC will NOT be playing in Europe in 2013-14, save Spurs losing all their remaining games and us winning both of ours.

Patrick Murphy
13 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:33:55

Kev he shouldn't penalise him if he didn't commit an offence regardless how many times the player was warned.

Stuart Mitchell
14 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:41:05

Not sure that is correct Patrick

Kev Johnson
15 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:39:43

True, Patrick and Anthony. I was responding to Vince's idea that the ref was just being macho in following up his warnings. That's good reffing, IMO. If there was no offense then that's a different matter. Still, if you were warned for doing 'X' then surely you would stop doing it. It's stupid not to, because you know if you do you will be pulled up.

Unless, of course, it's just a matter of "getting away with it". But if we accept that way of playing the game then there is really no such thing as cheating and the vile antics of Suarez will be considered fine and dandy.

The whole obstructing the keeper (?) and general pushing and shoving in the box issue simply has to be addressed by the FA. It's a right old mess.

Patrick Murphy
16 Posted 05/05/2013 at 21:51:01

Sorry Stuart what is not correct the Referee or the Europe post?

Stuart Mitchell
17 Posted 05/05/2013 at 22:13:41

Europe post mate, I was reading an article today saying we have a chance if Chelsea come 5th and win Europa cup

Patrick Murphy
18 Posted 05/05/2013 at 22:31:27

Ta Stuart but my reading of the situation is that Chelsea winning the Europa would only give an extra place to PL if Chelsea finished outside the top 5 and as they are assured at least 5th place only the current top 5 qualify. As I said if Spurs lose all 3 of their games and we win both of ours then we could sneak in, but it's a long-shot.

Stuart Mitchell
19 Posted 05/05/2013 at 22:36:49

Kind of makes you curse results like Norwich, Sunderland, late goal from Spurs to steal a point. The two disallowed goals vs Newcastle.

This should have been the season we came in the top 4 and I think with a signing or two in January we would have.

I'm just worried everything will fall apart this summer.

Steve Guy
20 Posted 05/05/2013 at 22:38:44

What would the ref have done if that had all happened at the red end of the pitch? Certain goal IMO. Truth is though that as per so many games this season we didn't turn possession into goals.

Kev Johnson
21 Posted 05/05/2013 at 23:30:59

The ref made a mistake, that's all. He was OK apart from that.

We were unlucky today, but we were lucky in the last derby as their valid last minute winner was wrongly ruled out.

Some you win, some you lose. Let's not get paranoid about it.

James Martin
22 Posted 05/05/2013 at 23:41:54

Steve, what possession was this? Fair enough in games like Fulham away and Newcastle at home, but we were hardly bossing them all over the place where we? It was two average sides facing off, one so frightened of the others counter attacks they wouldn't dare stray out of formation, the other so desperate to play on the counter attack that they weren't sure what to do with it when they had to make the play themselves.

In another world we could well have ended this season in the top 4 with a cup final appearance. As much as it may be Moyes' fault that we haven't quite done that, its also to his credit that we're in a position to even be considering it. Would we challenge agian next year if we reinvested some of the TV and Fellaini money wisely and got a bit more luck in some games? No reaosn why next seaosn can't be better than this one.

Phil Friedman
23 Posted 06/05/2013 at 01:01:24

We're conceded 3 goals in the last 8 matches, since Neville's Last Crap pass in the Wigan match--pretty damn good. The reason we lead the world in draws is we don't have a striker worth a damn, neither Jela nor Vic would start for any other team in the league. Liverpool without Suarez look totally underwhelming, for instance.

Speaking of underwhelming, Fellaini has been less and less a factor as the season has gone on. Sell him off, reduce the wage bill further by dumping Heitinga and Jelavic too, and put the money to a world-class striker, a creative midfielder with some physical size, and a future defender to be ready to replace Distin in a year or two.

Spragg Johnson
25 Posted 05/05/2013 at 19:51:47

If the goal had been awarded I'm sure an official would have found a red card or penalty to award against us ... Just the way things are preordained for us at Anfield.

Paul Kelly
26 Posted 06/05/2013 at 06:56:49

Kev it's hard not to get paranoid looking at the decisions that have gone against us this season, or ever the that fact.

I've never been a conspiracy theorist, but maybe, just maybe there is some proof in the pudding.

Got to go, think the CIA are hacking me E.mail account........

Steve Pugh
27 Posted 06/05/2013 at 07:56:41

Kev #531 don't forget that their last minute goal was scored by a man that should not have been on the pitch so I wouldn't say that we were lucky, I'd say that one was justice.

Steven Telford
28 Posted 06/05/2013 at 08:41:48

The amount of draws we have had....... just imagine if we would have had a single half decent stiker.

Yes, it was a goal, but Anichebe had this coming for a long time. Every set peice around the box this season has been the same, him and some defender scrapping, the guy is compleatly usless. And he is two much in the refs ear, flapping his wings like a headless chicken. A game or two a go he almost dislocated his shoulder with one of his "dummy out of the pram" protests.

Anichebe = Titus Bramble what the fuck is he doing in an EFC shirt.

Mark Tanton
29 Posted 06/05/2013 at 09:09:12

Anichebe has upped his game but that's not saying much - he's still a liability. I think Jelavic showed more mobility and presence in his thirteen minutes - Anichebe is like Titanic... Pass the ball to him and watch him slowly turn... Hard-a-Starbord!

Ray Roche
30 Posted 06/05/2013 at 09:30:06

Kev #531
Kev, in addition to Steve Pughs observation re Suarez, the free-kick from which the "goal" was scored wasn't, in fact, a free kick but the subsequent foul on Jags was, so there were three occasions when the ref could have disallowed it but he (thankfully) chose the one which was legitimate! Probably the only slice of good luck in Derby game living memory. And even better when you think of Creaseheads 80yard sprint for eff all. So tragic...

Eric Myles
31 Posted 06/05/2013 at 10:06:09

Steven #575, Anichebe didn't have anything coming, he didn't do anything wrong.
I'd just pointed out to the RS mate I was watching the game with that Enrique was hugging Anichebe when the ref blows for a foul on Reina, who wasn't even fouled!

Kev Johnson
32 Posted 06/05/2013 at 10:25:00

Ray, Steve and Paul - there is a home bias towards the top seven teams, true. You know what, that includes us! Norwich fans (for example) probably go to Goodison thinking: "We'll never get a decision today - their fans will be pressurising the ref non-stop". What's more, if we won the league (and our crowds were a bit bigger) we would get even more decisions going our way.

Now, I think we have an honest manager and a pretty fair team - although I would say that, wouldn't I, being an Everton fan? But we're not spotless. If Fellaini played against us we'd give him a hard time because he's actually a dirty so-and-so. Jelavic is an embarrassingly bad diver. Heitinga is a dodgy geezer and Pienaar falls over at the slightest suggestion of a tackle, as did Arteta before him.

Isn't it obvious that supporters of every single team are complaining, post-match, that the result was unjust in some respect, that an opposition player should have been sent off and that their own man was unlucky to have been booked? It's par for the course, because we are all biased. All I'm saying is, if you take a step back you have to admit that it's not the absolute truth. How could it be?

Sam Morrison
33 Posted 06/05/2013 at 10:56:16

While your objectivity is admirable Kev, it's still a shocking decision.

Ray Roche
35 Posted 06/05/2013 at 14:06:19

Kev, what Sam says.

But I do agree in principle with your comments about the bias which most fans have towards their own team, and also the objectionable behaviour of a couple of our own players but, looking back at the previous Derby objectively, I still think my observations are correct. It wasn't a foul , and Suarez should have walked for the two disgusting tackles on Mirallas and Distin. Can you imagine the reaction from Suarez if those tackles had been made on him? Or the attempted decapitation on Osman from Gerrard?

Brent Stephens
36 Posted 06/05/2013 at 16:04:42

One of my big beefs, Kev, that the guys you mention will fall at the least touch. Jelli just does my nut the way he goes down. Embarrassing.

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