United march on after Javier sees red

Mar 24 2008 by Our Correspondent, Western Mail

RAFAEL BENITEZ defended Javier Mascherano after his run-in with referee Steve Bennett left Liverpool with 10 men and proved decisive in their 3-0 loss to Manchester United.

The Liverpool boss had seen the Argentinian midfielder given a second yellow card in a turbulent first half at Old Trafford.

And the Spaniard admitted he was trying to tell Mascherano to “finish” his row with the official when he was red carded with the score at 1-0.

“The player knows he has made a mistake, but in this kind of game to be sent off just for ‘asking’, I find it a difficult decision to understand,” said Benitez.

“I don’t know whether it was anything to do with the Ashley Cole incident, you will have to ask the referee.

“Javier was sent off for dissent, but to be sent off for asking the official something is a surprise.

“He told me he was just asking, but I was saying ’finish’ because you cannot change things.

“I was trying to say to him ’finish, finish’ – but we are still very disappointed with the decision.

“If you want to win you must have passion in a big game, and sometimes you make mistakes, but he was only asking the referee about a bad tackle.

“He was booked earlier for a tackle and did not understand why.”

United took a grip on top spot after a Wes Brown header made it 1-0 at the break, and Ronaldo and Nani netted inside the last 11 minutes as the Reds tired.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said, “I know they had 10 men, but we played some very good football throughout, particularly in the first period with our attention, to pass and move.

“We could have been three up in the first half, with a couple of one-on-ones, and then we were deservedly in front.

“Then came the sending-off. The boy had already been booked and dissent is dissent, I feel he should not have got involved.

“He had run from centre midfield to get involved, and with things that happened in the week with the Ashley Cole incident, there’s now a focus on dissent.

“But it was a brave header from Brown for the first one, and in the end we controlled the match.”