CHEATING IS THE REAL ISSUE

WheN Abdoulaye Doucoure scored his first Watford goal, against Southampton at Vicarage Road last March, it also came in added time, but that one was scored with his foot, not his hand. The one he punched into the goal to deny Southampton victory this weekend will be remembered for longer and is already been viewed as evidence of the need for widespread use of the video referee system. Certainly the timing of this controversy is perfect for those in the game who would have every single decision checked, rechecked and then checked again. Those must be the same people who have no interest in getting home at night. But there is another way to look at this and that is from the perspective of the player. Doucoure deliberately deceived the officials in this instance. Does that make him a cheat? At the very least, it makes him a footballer prepared to cheat and players like him are a far greater blight on our game than referees and assistants who occasionally get things wrong. In choosing to nudge the ball into the goal with his arm rather than attempt to do so legally, Doucoure cheated and showed a lack of courage. By using his arm, he avoided the risk of a collision with the Southampton goalkeeper. So this not doesn’t reflect well on him, but nor does it on our sense of priorities.