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Why did Manchester United's Ronaldo handle the ball yesterday and was Howard Webb right to send him off?

One of the most bizarre incidents over the weekend came in the Manchester derby with Ronaldo's sending off for handling the ball. United had a corner and after jumping for the ball, Ronaldo instead of heading it parried it down with both hands. Having already been booked referee Howard Webb produced a second yellow and a red. Ronaldo claimed he had heard a whistle prior to handling the ball but it didn't save him.

Now there may well have been mitigating circumstances. I thought the award of a second yellow was harsh, however Ronaldo for me was lucky not to be red carded earlier on. Howard Webb, who I met last week at Spurs and seems a perfectly decent guy and is without doubt our best referee, Howard Webb booked Ronaldo earlier on and the Portuguese star turned round and sarcastically clapped him. That could've seen him off.

The problem with sending Ronaldo off for the handball is what if we start getting tit for tat episodes with fans blowing whistles, players will get confused and in other circumstances may not stop when the ref has genuinely blown thinking it might be a hoax.

I remember a few years ago at Goodison Park, when at a West Ham corner Paolo Di Canio caught the ball because the Everton keeper, who's name escapes me, was down and Di Canio wanted him to get treatment. Many cynics thought the Italian had caught the ball because he was afraid he might miss and open goal. The certainty is that he wasn't carded for the incident and would probably have done the same again.

Now I am not advocating that players can handle the ball whenever they like and escape cautions, although I was at Villa Park on Saturday, where Bobby Zamora twice deliberately handled the ball and wasn't booked on either occasion.

Perhaps Howard Webb could've used some common sense and at least listened to Ronaldo's explanation first before deciding on what action to take, so perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson was right and Ronaldo was unlucky.

Having got his hands on the ball and having made the headlines yesterday, Ronaldo will be hoping to get his hands on the European Footballer of the Year award and make the right sort of news tomorrow.

by TheMoose | Monday 1 December 2008 9:13am
Features, Football | 12 comments

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by wow gold on 2009-02-04 02:10:05

You al sound like fools who didn't watch the match. Kompany was on the floor just after the incidence and even if not, Ronaldo had a very good position to scor AND in handling the ball he didn't try to cheat by scoring but rather stopped the ball which he clearly would have headed to goal.

With all the hatred you have for the young sports man, i hope you all weep adn die in hell when he lifts the golden ball tomorrow.

by peacesofpeace on 2008-12-01 13:19:25

If a player deliberately handles the ball he should be sent off. nevermind all the bull excuses Fergie and ronaldo gave. the ref was left with no option OFF

by bulldoc on 2008-12-01 10:43:36

So he should have been let off because he imagined a whistle sound that nobody else heard? Di Canio was probably not booked because clearly the keeper was down injured, and Di Canio would have been slated mercilessly had he scored in that situation. But there was nothing going on around Ronaldo, no reason to handle the ball. It was bizarre, but deliberate handball is a yellow card offence if the referee decides there was no reason for it, which, in this case, there wasn't.

by The Real Ronaldo on 2008-12-01 10:22:14

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