Keith Hackett stating the obvious.
“I have said to managers in the past that this is an area of great difficulty for referees and it can come down to the viewing angle of the referee.”
I think it is time to give him the goods on the human eye. The game has gotten a lot quicker and the art of deception even more perfect. The eye’s memory remains limited and parallax can induce trickery. We can bring more witnesses like Platini’s extra two referees but they are still not going to cover every viewing angle.
Peter Walton might self flagellate himself when he sees what Ngog did but the world knew it much before. The diver knew, the defender who tried tackling him knew, the spectators in the stands knew, and the millions of TV viewers knew. It is the one person who influences the game so much who remained oblivious. In the land of the one eyed, the blind is king. That seems counterintuitive but that is exactly what we are doing.
To stop diving we need video replay technology. London is a city under maximum surveillance and it is a bit creepy to find cameras everywhere but it also keeps the city safe. Alex McLeish could have asked for a replay with the match on the line. Peter Walton would have complied. The matter would have been settled with more gloom for Liverpool. Ngog’s reputation in tatters. And Hackett would not be bringing up viewing angles. Even small clubs have a fail safe option.