McLeish fumes at Ngog

Birmingham boss slams late penalty

Last updated: 10th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

McLeish fumes at Ngog

Dive jibe: David Ngog is confronted by Seb Larsson and Lee Carsley

I'm sure he has got a family, well if I went home having done that I'd be embarrassed.

Lee Carsley slams David Ngog's antics to earn a penalty
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Birmingham manager Alex McLeish was left furious after Liverpool grabbed a point at Anfield.

David Ngog had given the home side an early lead, but Christian Benitez and then Cameron Jerome put Birmingham ahead at the break.

Then with 20 minutes left, Ngog went down under a Lee Carsley challenge - but replays confirmed that the Birmingham midfielder did not touch the French forward.

And McLeish was left fuming with Ngog's simulation.

"It is a shame for the game, he has conned the referee," McLeish said.

"Lee has gone in but he has not made contact with the player, Mr Walton is a great referee but he has got that wrong.

"I thought they huffed and puffed but I don't think they were going to score, if we hadn't had that I think we would have won.

"He could have hurdled him, he didn't have to go to ground.

"It is ludicrous, part of the game is evading the challenges - but he has got his team a penalty and they got a point, but unfortunately it cost us possibly two points."

Fuming

Carlsey was also left fuming with Ngog, saying: "I was absolutely nowhere near him. It's a joke.

"I knew I didn't touch him and I said to the referee to book me or send me off, it would have made me feel better.

"I'm sure he (Ngog) has got a family, well if I went home having done that I'd be embarrassed.

"You're supposed to be teaching your kids an example and that is just an embarrassing case of cheating.

"But the lad's taken a chance and got his team a point so I'm sure they'll be

patting him on the back."

McLeish, though, was full of praise for his side's display.

"It was a great performance, we have scored two cracking goals after Liverpool had taken the lead, not many teams take the lead at Anfield after Liverpool go in front," he said.

"They say it evens itself out but it evens itself out more tor the big teams.

"The players were brilliant tonight and the spirit in the dressing is great."

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Comments (114)

Tom O'neill (Liverpool fan) says...

Will everyone,just relax! The lad is 19/20 and starts very few games.We are not talking Ronaldo or Dogba,here.He's making his way thru the box and the xbluenose,hatchetman comes in like a driverless Mack Truck and then takes off with a lunge that could have broken both of the kids legs!Of coarse he's going to jump out of the way.He didn't scream for a penalty.It 'Maybe' wasn't one but the ref called for one.Get over it,for gods sake!!

Posted 06:17 11th November 2009

Tim Ho (Manchester United fan) says...

Clearly, just like the Sunderland game, something else has stolen the spotlight off the game, which is LIVERPOOL FAILED TO BEAT BIRMINGHAM AT HOME. They should have gotten beat, and again Rafa fails to get all 3 points. At this pace Liverpool will get relegated

Posted 06:07 11th November 2009

John Francis (Birmingham City fan) says...

NO, a Birmingham player has never dived to get a penalty like Ngog did!!!! If it was such a clear penalty why was'nt Carsley booked & sented off. He was only booked for 'having his say to Ngog & telling him what a cheat he is'. I was at the match & yes Liverpool had more of the ball BUT it goals what count & they only scored ONE from open play, were Jerome scored the goal of the the season!!!! Things are looking a lot better at Blues & we wil stay up !!!!! SOTV

Posted 06:06 11th November 2009

Kevin Barnet (Liverpool fan) says...

Ok FIFA and UEFA want diving out the game? Well here is a simple idea diving gone in 18 months without fail. After every game an ex ref (No club will know the identity of the ref reviewing there game) will watch the entire match if a players dives whether it cons the ref or not he will be suspended for 1 match, for every subsequent dive the player will receive a further ban each dive will also lead to the team being deducted a point. Their should also be no appeals process ex refs decision is final. I'm sure when a player dives and receives a 10 or 15 match ban and the team has lost 30 or 40 points a season they will start to really clamp down on their own players, take that many points off any of the top 4 from last season and imagine how much money through european qualification and league position they would have lost? Would the owners stand for that? This rule should be applied to all competitions across the globe including internationals. Now have FIFA and UEFA got the balls to apply this rule?? How much do they want rid of diving?? Just for everybodies information I'm a Kop season ticket holder and attended Mondays game and yes N'gog dived!

Posted 00:20 11th November 2009

Jimmy Field (West Ham United fan) says...

that dive was disgusting diving is cheating if its proved withoiut a dought like last night that he dived and especially if it changes a game like last night then the player needs to be band for a minimum of 3 games and should be fined at least a months wages cos a week or 2 weeks wages or a 10000 pound fine is nothing to these players what happens if birmingham get relegated at the end of the season by 1 point look at the money they will lose its also possible that the club should be fined too.maybe then drogba wouldnt do it every week then.

Posted 23:50 10th November 2009

Matthew Deaves says...

It was a blatant dive and one the most blatant I have seen. I am not going to defend it. What I will say is that sadly diving is a big part of the game. But the coverage it has had purely typifys the huge part the media have played in making Liverpool's situation look worse than it is. A slump? No, it's worse than that. Failure? No. A dip in form more like. And for any Manchester United fan to complain about this dive must have forgotten their former hero Cristiano Ronaldo.

Posted 22:29 10th November 2009

Layla Marshall says...

(Chelsea fan) Well done to McLeish! If that had happened against Liverpool Rafa been going mental! Yeh he has said about it a bit but not to much B'Ham hats off to them last night! 1-0 down at Anfield etc and least they didnt loose in the end.. 'We deserved something blah blah' well it dont work like that!

Posted 21:16 10th November 2009

Matt Glover (Liverpool fan) says...

Yes it was a dive. However, if he had not gone down it would not have been a penalty the proper action for INTENT to foul), if he hurdled the challenge, lost the ball, but stayed on his feet, Would it have been a justly deserved penalty? No. And to all thoose Arsenal fans relating N'gog to Eduardo, come off it you had the ban overturned and had no action against him so how can you, who have 5 or 6 cheats in your team, claim that N'gog should face bans and fines. Get real and get some perspective.

Posted 20:09 10th November 2009

Jeff Green (Arsenal fan) says...

Kenny Dalglish was among the main protagonists that led to Arsenal's Eduardo unjustly getting a ban (albeit reversed). So I would to like to know what action Kenny % co. see fit for Liverpool cheat Ngog. 3 match Premiership ban perhaps. There has to be consistency.

Posted 19:55 10th November 2009

Kris Stewart says...

Looking at the game, Birmingham had so little possession throughout. Birmingham did not even play the game with intent to win, the 2 goals they scored were both spontaneous and jammy to say the least. Ngog's superb performance outmatched the whole Birmingham team put together and a point is the LEAST Liverpool deserved to take away from this game.

Posted 19:47 10th November 2009

Ryan Arnett (Birmingham City fan) says...

david ngog should be ashamed....he's the type of player that gives other players a bad name, birmingham deserved more form that game

Posted 19:29 10th November 2009

Jaggy Jim (Partick Thistle fan) says...

The diving incident has masked the fact that Liverpool weren't actually very good against Birmingham. They may have dominated the game but for all their attempts how many difficult saves did Hart have to make? I can only remember the 2 in the build up to Ngog's goal. In the 2nd half the only clear cut opportunity they created legally was Gerrard's header off the outside of the post. However, Rafa seems to think the performance was good and for that reason the penalty was justified. Just for once I'd love to see a manager say afterwards that the diving player was in the wrong, he'd be fined and apologised to the opposing manager. Unfortunately winning seems to be all that matters to managers these days. Sportsmanship doesn't come into it anymore.

Posted 19:07 10th November 2009

Josh Rubner (Manchester United fan) says...

Disgusting dive, however, the ref had a poor viewing angle too due to Carsley's body obscuring where they would have connected. If it was a penalty, as the ref suspected, surely he has to book/send off the offending player! I think everyone is growing tired of these lackadaisical interpretations of the rules. This doesn't happen in rugby. Get more video/touchline support in for the ref! NOW F.A.

Posted 18:42 10th November 2009

Rob Tunnicliff (Birmingham City fan) says...

Isnt it amazing that Lee Carsley LUNGED at Ngog according to some of the Liverpool comments, if it had been a Birmingham penalty given for the same offence these people would have been beside themselves with anger that the referee got it so wrong. It is now not within the spirit of the game to ride a heavy tackle like they did in the days when forwards just got up and got on with the game not fannied around rolling the floor. Any player for any team including Birmingham who cheat to gain advantage should be barred for at least 3 games and doubled every time after. Also bring in video evidence, give the 4th official something to do. well done the Liverpool fans of football who agreed it was wrong, good luck for the rest of the season.

Posted 18:40 10th November 2009

Simon Beer (Liverpool fan) says...

I am disgusted at some of the comments made here by so called Liverpool fans, saying that David N'gog is a disgrace, get a grip!! The lad scored a belter of a goal and then did what had to be done to get us something out of the match! I don't remember too many complaints from other LFC fans after the phantom goal in the CL semi final against Chelsea a few years back or when Stevie G went down after the slightest of touches to win us a pen in the CL final in Istanbul!! The way I see it, the lad had a good game coming in for the worlds best striker and helped gain the red men a valuable point, good on him!! YNWA.

Posted 18:39 10th November 2009

Simon Chieng says...

I cant believe there are still many Liverpool supporters who still want to defend N'gog by saying that he jumped(DIVED) to avoid the tackle...Seriously you guys should take few minutes of your life and watch the slow motion replay AGAIN, there's a few in youtube..IF and only IF he was avoiding the tackle, he could have jumped/hopped over Carsley's legs, there's no need for the dramatic fall which he DID..These things are just not defendable..He was a cheat, perhaps drogba v2 in the making..

Posted 18:38 10th November 2009

Chris Beale (Reading fan) says...

People saying he was just jumping the challenge I say look again. He's already stepped over the challenge before he throws himself to the floor he knew exactly what he was doing and unfortunately it worked. He should be punished for conning the referee but because of that stupid rule that states that once a ref has dealt with a situation there's nothing te FA can do he will escape punishment and wont learn anything and will continue to cheapen our beloved game. I just hope he feels ashamed of himself even if its only a little bit. We cant only condemn N'gog though because he's not the only player who does it but unless the FA start to enforce punishments for conning the ref/simulation it wont stop.

Posted 18:38 10th November 2009

Simon Jones (Manchester United fan) says...

Here we go again! Are all Liverpool fans going to say its out of order and have a million fan march? Oh hang on thats if something goes against them! Very fickle LFC fans and have a very selective memory as well. I seem to remember Stevie Gee doing this more than a few times as well, and Jamie C, should he have not got sent off against Man U? That way he would not have been on the pitch against Fulham to get an out of order decision no doubt eh?! Mourhinio named Torres as one of the top four divers in the PL, the other 3 are all top divers let me just say as well. So LFC have 3 in their team now so please lets not be naive and say this is a one of case against honest to god Liverpool! They have done it before and will do it again, so all in all, if your a liverpool fan and actually think he didn't dive or it dosent matter that he did, because you deserved to win it, i say this to you now, karma will bite you and if your so far off the lead now and say Drogba, Rooney or Van persie dive to get a pen against you and score and get a point or three, you will have to just sit down and take it, calm down its only another season of empty promise!

Posted 18:28 10th November 2009

Peter Grant (Liverpool fan) says...

It was a blatant dive by Ngog and he should be punished by both club and the FA, but the challange was reckless, as in way to early and Ngog had to jump over him but he didnt have to dive to show the challange. For everyone to say jumping tackles etc is all part of the game, then why not just stand your ground or intentionally block a player in the box? because that is a foul and rightly so, so why is sliding on the floor in front of a player to stop him getting to the ball any different? The rules of the game need a serious overhaul, so many rules that are changed regularly (ref not knowing about the beach ball is a major one, offside rules etc) but also, why are players allowed to obstruct each other to make sure the ball goes out of play to earn their team a throw in when they are not in control of the ball ok, but if you do it in the middle of the park its a foul? same with decisions for shirt pulling and jumping? how many free kicks are giving when the ball is booted long upfield and a defender/attacker go for the ball it seems 50% of the time its a freekick, but at a corner or freekick into the box and challenges/shirt pulling a lot worse are ignored because otherwise its a penalty or it stops a goal being scored. For all the Birmingham fans though, why was nothing made of the incident for handball when one of your players (Dann I believe) came racing out of the box, slid and hit the ball with his hands to clear, one commentator on ESPN said handball (as did the liverpool players) the other comentator said it cant be handball he was just charging it down and not once did ESPN go back for a replay. checked out the video on the net by going to a foreign website and it was a clear hand ball about 1 foot above his head. I feel sure SKY would of gone back to a replay of the incident at some point.

Posted 18:18 10th November 2009

Paul Denman says...

Many top players over the years have gone down without being touched in the penalty area. So what about players who go down outside the penalty area? Every week "yes! every week" you will see players diving to get a free kick and we see TV evidence or even pretending their injured(time wasting). So as far as i'm concerned, He did what most would do to gain an advantage, but he did it in the penalty area. This is nothing new to football guys.

Posted 18:17 10th November 2009

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