Diogo Jota reacts online to Paul Tierney's joke penalty decision 🤯
Diogo Jota reacts online to Paul Tierney's joke penalty decision 🤯
The 25-year-old was adjudged to have deliberately slowed down to draw a foul
Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side will have no doubt felt aggrieved with regard to how proceedings played out in London in their visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Diogo Jota, in particular, certainly has cause for frustration after an utterly blatant shove on his back to send him tumbling to the turf was ignored by referee Paul Tierney and a selectively intervening VAR.
What was the official’s justification, we hear you ask?
Thanks to Neil Jones at Goal, we’ve got the answer straight from an infuriated Jurgen Klopp’s mouth:
Okay, some players do invite contact in the box and attacking players in general are far from innocent when it comes to such unscrupulous behaviour.
However, the balancing point in such an argument is, as Jermain Defoe rightly pointed out on Sky Sports post-game, that not every duck quacks the same.
Specifically, the former Tottenham frontman noted that a slowing of pace was necessary for the Portuguese international to compose himself for a shot.
To the 25-year-old’s credit, the finger was not pointed at VAR or Tierney’s indiscretion, though his displeasure at the incident was more than clear judging by his reaction on social media.
Whilst Liverpool weren’t quite as dominant in the tie as they’ve usually proven to be in recent weeks, the possibility of attaining three points in light of having fielded a makeshift midfield, not to mention all the officiating calls that didn’t go our way, the result will understandably sting.
We can only hope that future officials don’t all tar attackers with the same brush and that the inner workings of a footballer’s mind are delved into and considered rather than entirely presumed.
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Firstly, at what point does Jota stop? I have watched the game and the replays and at no point does Jota stop. Secondly, there is nothing in the rules that says that a player cannot stop while he is running. Jota is fully entitled to run, stop, go around in circles, do hop, skip and jump if he wants to. Anyone who has played competitive football knows that if you want to shoot accurately, there is a point that you steady yourself. Neither of those spud defenders get the ball. Penalty ALLDAY, EVERY DAY!
The thing is, if Diogo is in possession of the ball, he CAN stop if he wants to. He can perform cartwheels if he so desires, (not recommended)! It's up to the defender, not to touch him, never mind shove him to the ground. Total error by the ref who should be sent back to training school. It's not fair on lower division teams if he gets demoted.