Even if it had been unpunished the FA would have let him off with it anyway.

It wasn't a free kick in any position where the ref needed to blow or Sunderland needed to ask permission to take a quick free kick.

The ball was in a position to be played, the ref was running into the Liverpool half so it was just a case of Sunderland being able to take the free kick when they wished. For some idiotic reason the Sunderland player just rolled the ball back a few metres. Liverpool attacker said, "Thanks very much", went up to the keeper and squared the ball for a supporting Liverpool player to roll into the net.

No matter how much Sunderland want to whine about the ref, it was their own stupid fault for gifting Liverpool a goal. There was nothing the ref could or should have done.

Just been reading online that the free kick was given 20 yards away from where turner back healed it from. As i say i haven't seen it but from what i've read it seems like poor officiating

The ref was Stuart Attwell. That's all you need to know.

Says it all

was nice to see Stevie G revert to type when things ain't going his way. big 4 lovers Talksport defending him obviously

That's myth.

It was poorly officiated as nobody knew exactly what was happening. The ref had his back turned to the ball as he jogged up field assuming they were going to punt it long, he turned around to see Torres running towards goal with the ball, which was somehow allowed to continue. The villain in that are the other officials as they simply have to help him out in those situations, as he can't see every single play through 90 minutes.

As for the free kick and whether Sunderland intended that. I don't really know. Turner's back-heel seemed far too soft to be intended as a pass back, whilst the 'keeper didn't seem like he was moving forward as though his intentions were to carry the ball out from the back. I think if the ref seen it, he would have pulled it back and said no goal, but, saying that, Sunderland got a no-goal against us last year, so, in the unwritten laws, things are now 'evened out'. That doesn't make it any more 'right', as these schoolboy errors like these need to be removed from the game, but Sunderland can't feel too hard done by after last year's goal that they got.

I agree, it really wasnt obvious that Turner was rolling the ball back to allow the keeper to take the kick, although it would be bizarre for him to make a back pass in those circumstances. But I think it was reasonable for the officials to deem that Turner was taking the free kick, provided it was taken from the right place. The television pictures I've seen dont really seem to clarify that issue.

Was always going to be tough to break through the 3 defensive midfielders without super Frank.

A great day for United yesterday and they are going to miserably fail to capitalise on it today

They will get a penalty in the 98th minute.

Still a point more than Chelsea and Arsenal.


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