- Feb 13, 2004
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My understanding of the rule (at least from endless debates of this kind - Liverpool at Old Trafford a couple of seasons back springs to mind) is that the foul is still a penalty if it goes "into" the penalty area. Which this did. Where the first contact is doesn't matter. In theory you could hoist a player onto your shoulders on the halfway line and running powerbomb him on his arse in the penalty box and it's a spot kick.
I was actualyl very impressed by Webb. He was very consistent in dealing with tackles. The bar was set early on - it was to be a lenient interpretation of what constitutes a tackle. Good news for us as we have tacklers in Sandro, Pienaar, Dawson and Kaboul. The policy suited Liverpool more though and as the game went on they got dirtier and dirtier as they knew they'd, at worst, get bookings if they went in hard. It was possibly dangerous but - because Webb talks to the players and they knew very well what was happening and what the ref was thinking (take note, Clattenburg, you fucking liability), they both understood what was going on and didn't get into huge slanging matches with the ref.
It was a fine example of a tough match to referee (hard tackles, reasonably big stakes, a few difficult decisions at both ends, crowd on your back) being 'managed' effectively by the referee.
I think Webb can be proud of that performance. As Omar said, it was his best in charge of a Tottenham game (although admittedly that isn't saying much).
In which case, and I'm not saying you are wrong, that means virtually no-one involved with football, because game after game, week after week, commentators, pundits, fans and managers constantly appeal to the fact that the challenge happened (or started) outside the area. The refs usually give it that way, too.
So, fair play to Webb if that if indeed the rule.
Funny how you don't make any mention of the Suarez kick on Dawson, or the constant diving my him and the later blatant one by Maxi, or the push by Sheveley on Sandro when they were off the pitch and the ball was long gone (that sent him,very dangerously for him and the Scousers, into the crowd).