\t\t\t\t\tLiverpool would not be denied another win, despite Crystal Palace\u2019s controversial goal. It made my celebration that bit sweeter\u2026<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019VE <\/b>seldom celebrated a clincher more than Florian Wirtz\u2019s beautiful goal on Saturday.<\/p>\n
I mean, we all felt the relief of finally putting a game to bed and we all loved the sheer quality of the finish, but more than anything I roared my joy for the simple reason that it rendered Crystal Palace\u2019s blag goal useless.<\/p>\n
Caveat: I\u2019ve both mentioned and been mocked for my pro-Palace stance on these pages over the years. I love a club with soul and a support that\u2019s far more interested in singing about their own club than cheap identikit songs about us. I love their kits and I like that they\u2019re just a bit annoying to the Reds so this has nothing to do with the flavour of the opposition. Actually, in some ways this made things a little worse.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s just that I\u2019m not having their goal or the celebration of it. You don\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n
And I\u2019ve the advantage of stressing this from a position of victory. It can\u2019t be sour grapes if my side got the points. This isn\u2019t moaning because they got something from the game. They didn\u2019t and we got everything.<\/p>\n
But it rankled all the same. I can\u2019t lie.<\/p>\n
And I know the arguments. It\u2019s up to the referee, not the player. You play to the whistle. You\u2019d want a Liverpool player to score in that situation.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t care. 1) The player wouldn\u2019t loft the ball into the top corner if he thought Freddie Woodman wasn\u2019t injured. He\u2019d belt it. 2) Was there even any time for a whistle? The keeper\u2019s clearly waving his arm in the air to show that he\u2019s in pain so I think our lads were just waiting for him to do the decent thing, and 3) I honestly wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
I think it\u2019s a low trick and, what\u2019s more, it\u2019s a low trick at any level. My league, which sits somewhere in the 2,748th tier of the game, would stop the game and treat the player. You don\u2019t take advantage of an injury like that.<\/p>\n
And, yes, he was alright a few minutes afterwards and, yes, he finished the game, but it\u2019s a sh*thouse trick. You stop the game.<\/p>\n
I just don\u2019t like things like that.<\/p>\n
Also, if it\u2019s disallowed and we get a third, the Reds go above Man Utd.<\/p>\n
That doesn\u2019t mean we\u2019d necessarily get a third anyway, but the point still stands. I just wonder why the ref didn\u2019t think the most important player in that situation lying on the floor with his arm in the air was alright. Did he think he was faking it?<\/p>\n
Anyway, we got to see the third goal, and we\u2019ve won two on the trot so that\u2019s all that matters. I could have just done without the ever \u2018on brand\u2019 Leon Osman talking about \u2018Palace being under no obligation to kick the ball out\u2019 on the stream I watched. Mind you, at least he called Jeremie Frimpong by his name and not \u2018Rio Ngumoha\u2019 like his mate did. Honestly, the level of punditry matches the refereeing at times.<\/p>\n
I know. An old man shouting at clouds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There are further positives too. The two \u00a3100m lads scoring in the same game, Anfield looking gorgeous in the sunshine and the fourth keeper not getting on. I only suggest the latter as I\u2019ve never seen someone with such a \u2018What? Me? Really? Are you sure?\u2019 look on his face as he was told to warm up. I often pull the same face when asked a question in a long meeting where I\u2019ve not been paying that much attention.<\/p>\n
\u2018Karl? Anything to add?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Erm\u2026 sorry?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two wins have offered some cheer and a third next week would definitely take a sad song and make it better. Much better.<\/p>\n
Everything is about that now.<\/p>\n
Enjoy the week. Rest your voices. We\u2019ll need them next weekend.<\/p>\n
Hell of a finish for the third though, wasn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n