Andy Townsend rages at Everton controversy v Fulham live on talkSPORT
Andy Townsend has labelled the decision to rule out the Everton goal in the defeat to Fulham on Saturday 12 August as a “joke”.
Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast Show on 14 August, the pundit was outraged by referee Stuart Attwell’s decision to chalk off Michael Keane’s strike for a foul by James Tarkowski on goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the build-up.
Townsend said he believes keepers have been “overprotected” and “got away with stuff” for years after seeing the Blues’ goal harshly ruled out.
“It’s always been a bone of contention of mine how a goalkeeper can come out to punch the ball, clout everybody on the way, catch them with half a fist, get a bit of the ball and get away with it,” he said.
“And then you go near a goalkeeper, sometimes challenge him and you nudge the arms and they get the benefit of the doubt and get the free-kick.
“That one at the weekend is a joke decision. Bernd Leno has caught that one above Tarkowski’s head and then, on the way down, he’s lost it and he’s dropped it.”
Has a point
Townsend certainly has a point in his judgement on the decision to rule out Keane’s goal as keepers have been overprotected for far too long and just about always seem to get the benefit of the doubt.
Although Everton missed a number of excellent chances during the game, that was at a pivotal moment because the scores were level and they were firmly on top.
The decision potentially cost the Toffees three points and it’s clear to see that Tarkowski can do very little in the situation, as it’s Leno that causes the contact with the defender that leads to him dropping the ball.
It’s completely unacceptable for referees to be making such basic errors just because they are blinded by the fact it involves a keeper and Townsend is right to vent his frustrations about the decision.
It’s incredibly unlikely it’s going to happen, but the authorities seriously need to move to try and ensure keepers aren’t so protected because this decision could have a massive influence on where the Blues finish up at the end of the season.
In other Everton news, Amadou Onana sends a message of support to a teammate after he received online abuse.