Last Updated: Friday, 21 March 2008, 14:34 GMT

Benitez backs protection by video

Liverpool FC.co.uk / BBC Sports News

 

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez wants retrospective video evidence to be used to protect the Premier League's most skilful players.

Benitez, whose side play at Manchester United on Sunday, made his call after Sir Alex Ferguson pleaded for protection for Cristiano Ronaldo.

 

He said: "I have always felt that video evidence should be used after a game for disciplinary matters.

"You can find things, you can protect players for the next game."

 

Benitez added the names of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to the list of players he feels should receive protection.

"Everyone will see that players have to be careful, they will say 'I can't do this again because I could be banned on what the video shows'," he said.

"To me it is clear, you do not need to change the game, you just need to analyse what has happened.

"If players get banned for three games the first week it is done, then three games on the second week and more on the third, it will soon stop.

"It will take just a few weeks of this type of action and things will change very quickly."

 

"Likewise the same logic should apply if a player has been incorrectly punished by the referee for assimulation by an opposition player, then that opposition player should be retrospectively punished instead because at the moment the law is not being applied nowhere near frequently enough."

 

The Football Association appeared to rule out retrospective decision-making when asked if Chelsea's Ashley Cole would receive further punishment on top of a yellow card for his foul on Spurs' defender Alan Hutton at White Hart Lane on Wednesday.

 

An FA spokesman said: "We cannot re-referee matches. The player was shown a yellow card at the time and the decision is not then looked at retrospectively."

 

Benitez said: "I don't want to talk about just Ronaldo or Torres. Skilful players must be protected. We need to help referees and we need to look at the video afterwards to see what has happened.

"Players will then know that there are cameras watching them. The video is really important. You can make mistakes during a game, but the video will allow things to be analysed."

 

Benitez said: "It is different talking about using technology to judge goals, which Fifa has rejected. To use technology for incidents in a game is valid.

 

"If a referee gives a yellow card for a tackle, or a yellow card for use of the elbow, and then afterwards you can see the intent, then why can the decision not be changed?

"A referee can say he made a mistake. And the next time, the next player will not do the same."

 

Do you agree with the Liverpool manager's viewpoints or not?

 

 

Hmmm I can see where he's coming from as Liverpool would be absolutely lost without Torres and Gerrard, and the same would apply to some of the other top teams too. But it's too hard to protect all the top players, I mean other players get badly tackled too! I don't see what video evidence after the match would really acheive too...the damage to the players would still be done.

and I can't see how it would protect in the game after, different opponents :lol:

 

I think they should change the rule saying they can't upgrade a yellow to a red after a game <_<

 

and while mulching over The FA I notice they've gone very quiet over Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Quieroz's comments on Martin Atkinson after the FA Cup defeat