Source: Daily_Mail
Graham Poll: Carragher was lucky to avoid a straight red
Jamie Carragher escaped a red card late in the first half at Anfield for a very poor tackle but I could see why Phil Dowd showed only a yellow.[LNB]At first viewing, at full speed, it was difficult to detect the severity of the challenge on Nani and slow motion often makes things look worse. [LNB] Floored: Nani (centre) lies in agony whilst Carragher (right) looks on[LNB]But it should have been a red and the home side could well have been reduced to nine when, moments later, Maxi Rodriguez caught Rafael da Silva with a very high, studs-up challenge.[LNB]This time Dowd should certainly have seen the challenge as an unfair one but he played on and Rafael continued, with momentum and anger, and sent Lucas flying with a poor challenge of his own.[LNB] Calm down: Liverpool pair Meireles (far left) and Suarez (far right) try and restrain Rafael (centre)[LNB]Liverpool players swarmed around demanding red, as United players appeared to have done after the Carragher challenge, and that mass dissent was the only disappointing aspect of a good game.[LNB]If Dowd had seen, and punished, the Rodriguez challenge he could have avoided the recrimination that followed; had he seen Luis Suarez pull Rafael's hair in the melee, Liverpool could have had another player dismissed. [LNB]It was a pity Dowd missed those few incidents because he otherwise refereed well.[LNB] Graham Poll: FA should give Fergie leeway for reacting in heat of momentGraham Poll: Referee Atkinson got the big calls wrong and that cost United Graham Poll's official line: 'Where video evidence exists why not use it?'[LNB] Explore more:People: Jamie Carragher, Graham Poll, Maxi Rodriguez Places: Liverpool
