|
|
Sunderland Boss Steve Bruce Dismisses Touchline Row With Liverpool's Rafael Benitez
Rafa more concerned by poor performance...
18-Oct-2009 4:46:42 AM
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has brushed off his furious touchline clash with Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez, following his side's 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats further dented the Reds' fast-fading title hopes, thanks to a controversial Darren Bent goal, his eighth of the season flying past goalkeeper Pepe Reina after taking a wicked deflection off a beach ball that had been thrown on to the pitch by a Liverpool fan.
Things got heated in the second half when Benitez complained about the length of time for which Kenwyne Jones was receiving treatment on the field, drawing a furious response from Bruce, with the two managers embroiled in a heated debate on the touchline. Both Jones and Lee Cattermole were carried off injured in a robust second half.
Bruce did not think much of the incident, but conceded, with the benefit of hindsight, he probably should not have confronted his rival manager.
"It was handbags. It's all over, it's done," Bruce said, according to The Daily Mirror.
"You do things in the heat of the moment which, when you look back at it, you think, 'Maybe I shouldn't have done that', but there you go."
Benitez suggested that the Sunderland boss had inflamed the situation.
The Spaniard said: "I didn't have any argument with him [Bruce]. I was just asking for time because three or four times they were on the ground - in 10 minutes, three or four times, the game was stopped.
"I was talking with the fourth official and he [Bruce] was coming and he wanted to argue with me.
"I was surprised because I was talking with the fourth official about the time."
Bruce insisted that the curious nature of Bent's goal should not overshadow his team's impressive performance. Sunderland outplayed Liverpool for the majority of the match, and striker Bent could easily have picked up a hat-trick on another day.
Bruce said: "I thought we deserved it, I hope that's not just going to be the headline [the goal].
"In the second half, we had three one-on-ones - Darren [Bent] went round the goalkeeper twice, he hit the post and Reina got back and made a great save, Steed [Malbranque] had a wonderful chance and I was just thinking, 'We need to take the second one'.
"But my goalkeeper [Craig Gordon] only had one save to make - it was a good one - and overall, I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory."
Bruce said of the goal: "Listen, I thought it was a deflection off a player. I have to say when I have just seen it there, if anybody knew that rule - that it is supposed to be a drop ball - then you are a saddo.
"They have got it on telly with the guy who threw it on and it's got Liverpool crests all over it. What a shame."
Philip Wen, Goal.com UK
The Black Cats further dented the Reds' fast-fading title hopes, thanks to a controversial Darren Bent goal, his eighth of the season flying past goalkeeper Pepe Reina after taking a wicked deflection off a beach ball that had been thrown on to the pitch by a Liverpool fan.
Things got heated in the second half when Benitez complained about the length of time for which Kenwyne Jones was receiving treatment on the field, drawing a furious response from Bruce, with the two managers embroiled in a heated debate on the touchline. Both Jones and Lee Cattermole were carried off injured in a robust second half.
Bruce did not think much of the incident, but conceded, with the benefit of hindsight, he probably should not have confronted his rival manager.
"It was handbags. It's all over, it's done," Bruce said, according to The Daily Mirror.
"You do things in the heat of the moment which, when you look back at it, you think, 'Maybe I shouldn't have done that', but there you go."
Benitez suggested that the Sunderland boss had inflamed the situation.
The Spaniard said: "I didn't have any argument with him [Bruce]. I was just asking for time because three or four times they were on the ground - in 10 minutes, three or four times, the game was stopped.
"I was talking with the fourth official and he [Bruce] was coming and he wanted to argue with me.
"I was surprised because I was talking with the fourth official about the time."
Bruce insisted that the curious nature of Bent's goal should not overshadow his team's impressive performance. Sunderland outplayed Liverpool for the majority of the match, and striker Bent could easily have picked up a hat-trick on another day.
Bruce said: "I thought we deserved it, I hope that's not just going to be the headline [the goal].
"In the second half, we had three one-on-ones - Darren [Bent] went round the goalkeeper twice, he hit the post and Reina got back and made a great save, Steed [Malbranque] had a wonderful chance and I was just thinking, 'We need to take the second one'.
"But my goalkeeper [Craig Gordon] only had one save to make - it was a good one - and overall, I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory."
Bruce said of the goal: "Listen, I thought it was a deflection off a player. I have to say when I have just seen it there, if anybody knew that rule - that it is supposed to be a drop ball - then you are a saddo.
"They have got it on telly with the guy who threw it on and it's got Liverpool crests all over it. What a shame."
Philip Wen, Goal.com UK
Inside Goal.Com
-
Cartoon: Rio Ferdinand may have the last laugh
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day...
-
Euro 1996 Legends: Matthias Sammer, Germany
The heir to Franz Beckenbaur's throne, Sammer's excellent displays as sweeper for Germany led them to their third European title...
-
Euro 2012 Trivia: Which team has the fewest combined caps among them?
Which is the least experienced team in Euro 2012? Time to test your knowledge, mate
-
Vote for your Goal.com World Player of the Week
Have your say on who you think should win Goal.com's weekly honour
-
Euro 2012 a timely respite for depressed Spain
With 24 per cent unemployment, wage cuts and little hope for improvement in the short term, the continental competition will at least take people's minds off their sad situation