Thursday, October 19, 2006
Benitez wants keepers protected
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has stepped into the row over dangerous challenges on goalkeepers and demanded that they get more protection.
Benitez was reacting not only in the wake of the rumpus over Chelsea's match at Reading last weekend, but also similar incidents in a reserve game on Merseyside which has seen both Liverpool and Everton facing FA charges and Polish keeper Jerzy Dudek facing a five-match ban.
The Spanish boss, who expects captain Steven Gerrard to have recovered from a hamstring injury to lead Liverpool at Manchester United on Sunday, has long been angered by tactics used against goalkeepers in England.
Benitez did not want to comment on the uproar following injuries to Chelsea pair Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini at Reading - in which the FA have decided to take no action against the Reading players involved.
But he insisted: "Whether there was intent is not the issue, but challenges where a knee hits a head are fouls and dangerous.
"For me it is clear, the six-yard box is for the keeper, that's how I see the laws.
"But here in England everybody is allowed into the six-yard box to push the keeper, stand in front of him, jostle him, stop him jumping. It seems anything can happen.
"We need to protect goalkeepers, sometimes the challenges are very dangerous for them."
Benitez has reviewed the video of the reserve match which saw Dudek red carded for raising his hands to Everton teenager Victor Anichebe following what the Pole considered a dangerous challenge.
And Benitez is also angry about a similar challenge on youth team keeper David Martin, after he had taken over from Dudek in the same match.
Dudek faces a three-match ban for violent conduct and potentially two more if he is found guilty following an FA charge of improper conduct for confronting the referee and failing to leave the pitch quickly enough.
Benitez said: "You saw the incidents at Reading, maybe there was no intent but the challenges were still fouls.
"I have had something similar in a reserve game. The match was against Everton last week and there has been FA charges since then for both clubs.
"There were two challenges on two goalkeepers in that same game. It was really, really dangerous.
"If you tackle a goalkeeper in the head what happens? It is a very dangerous challenge, there may be no intent but it is still dangerous.
"The two challenges in that game were amazing, very dangerous, crazy. You can sometimes understand a player's reaction when something like that happens.
"The challenges on Dudek and Martin were both bad ones."
He added: "Ten years ago players were not as big, quick and strong as maybe they are now, there was not the same chance of injury. But the rules are the same then as they are now.
"For me it is still a free-kick when a goalkeeper is fouled in the six-yard box.
"It is more dangerous now because of the strength and speed of players and the game. Ten, 20 years ago it was not the same.
"But you should still not be allowed to touch a keeper in the six yard box.
"Years ago it was a foul. Now it seems you can challenge the goalkeeper, and nothing happens to you.
"Now you are faced with 6ft 4in strikers challenging you.
"If the keeper is watching the ball in the air he cannot see the striker and does not know what is about to happen."
Benitez continued: "I have seen a few goals scored in England when the goalkeeper was about to catch the ball, a player jumps into him, and a goal is allowed.
"You cannot allow this to happen, you have to protect goalkeepers more."
Both Liverpool and Everton have until November 1 to respond to charges of failing to control their players, likewise Dudek after his charge.
The Spanish boss, who expects captain Steven Gerrard to have recovered from a hamstring injury to lead Liverpool at Manchester United on Sunday, has long been angered by tactics used against goalkeepers in England.
Benitez did not want to comment on the uproar following injuries to Chelsea pair Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini at Reading - in which the FA have decided to take no action against the Reading players involved.
But he insisted: "Whether there was intent is not the issue, but challenges where a knee hits a head are fouls and dangerous.
"For me it is clear, the six-yard box is for the keeper, that's how I see the laws.
"But here in England everybody is allowed into the six-yard box to push the keeper, stand in front of him, jostle him, stop him jumping. It seems anything can happen.
"We need to protect goalkeepers, sometimes the challenges are very dangerous for them."
Benitez has reviewed the video of the reserve match which saw Dudek red carded for raising his hands to Everton teenager Victor Anichebe following what the Pole considered a dangerous challenge.
And Benitez is also angry about a similar challenge on youth team keeper David Martin, after he had taken over from Dudek in the same match.
Dudek faces a three-match ban for violent conduct and potentially two more if he is found guilty following an FA charge of improper conduct for confronting the referee and failing to leave the pitch quickly enough.
Benitez said: "You saw the incidents at Reading, maybe there was no intent but the challenges were still fouls.
"I have had something similar in a reserve game. The match was against Everton last week and there has been FA charges since then for both clubs.
"There were two challenges on two goalkeepers in that same game. It was really, really dangerous.
"If you tackle a goalkeeper in the head what happens? It is a very dangerous challenge, there may be no intent but it is still dangerous.
"The two challenges in that game were amazing, very dangerous, crazy. You can sometimes understand a player's reaction when something like that happens.
"The challenges on Dudek and Martin were both bad ones."
He added: "Ten years ago players were not as big, quick and strong as maybe they are now, there was not the same chance of injury. But the rules are the same then as they are now.
"For me it is still a free-kick when a goalkeeper is fouled in the six-yard box.
"It is more dangerous now because of the strength and speed of players and the game. Ten, 20 years ago it was not the same.
"But you should still not be allowed to touch a keeper in the six yard box.
"Years ago it was a foul. Now it seems you can challenge the goalkeeper, and nothing happens to you.
"Now you are faced with 6ft 4in strikers challenging you.
"If the keeper is watching the ball in the air he cannot see the striker and does not know what is about to happen."
Benitez continued: "I have seen a few goals scored in England when the goalkeeper was about to catch the ball, a player jumps into him, and a goal is allowed.
"You cannot allow this to happen, you have to protect goalkeepers more."
Both Liverpool and Everton have until November 1 to respond to charges of failing to control their players, likewise Dudek after his charge.
# posted by mojtaba @ 10:35 PM 
