Patricio collision prompts review of offside policy Rooney shuffles pack to spark Derby comeback
The Premier League is monitoring the consequences of the new offside instructions after Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio was knocked out on Monday when play could have been stopped.
Patricio was laid out in a collision with Conor Coady as play was allowed to continue even though Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah was in an offside position.
Assistant referees have been told to keep their flags down where an immediate goalscoring chance may occur. If a goal is scored, decisions can then be checked by the Var. The collision with Coady happened within seconds of the offside and so might have been unavoidable in all circumstances, but the Premier League has been mindful that allowing play to continue could lead to such unintended consequences.
Nuno Espirito Santo, the Wolves manager, warned after the 1-0 defeat that “situations will happen – this won’t be the only time”, and the Premier League will now assess relevant incidents before deciding whether to raise any concerns more formally with the International Football Association Board.
Patricio was driven home after the game by a physiotherapist and was said to be “chatty and relaxed” as he left the ground.
The 33-year-old was still selected yesterday in the Portugal squad for their World Cup qualifiers after scans showed no signs of a serious head injury.
Sky Bet Championship
By Jon Culley
2-2 Brentford
Toney 8 pen Canos 23
Struggling Derby came up with a Jekyll and Hyde performance to put a dent in Brentford’s automatic promotion prospects.
Wayne Rooney’s side transformed themselves to recover a two-goal deficit to force a draw that might prove costly for Thomas Frank’s team, who slip to five points outside the top two.
Brentford were two goals up by the 23rd minute after Ivan Toney converted an eighth-minute penalty won by Bryan Mbeumo and Sergi Canos cut in from the left to fire past
Kelle Roos at his near post. But after a triple substitution, a change of tactics and doubtless some choice words from Rooney, goals by substitutes Lee Gregory and Louie Sibley gained them a deserved point.
“It was definitely a game of two halves,” Frank said. “First half was maybe one of the best we have played this season and we maybe could have been more than two goals up. Second half we let in a goal in the first minute and it looks like a masterstroke by Wayne but after coming through the storm we needed to have done better.”
Rooney’s half-time changes paid an immediate dividend as Gregory turned in a low cross from Nathan Byrne two minutes after the restart and, though Derby are without a win in six, 19-year-old Sibley’s delightful curling finish from the edge of the box gained them a result Rooney feels should give them confidence to stay out of trouble.
“The second half was very good after a first half that was everything we didn’t want,” Rooney said.
“We played with no fear in the second half, aggressive and on the front foot, and that’s how we need to be. To come back against a team of Brentford’s calibre will be a big result for the players.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic,
Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton admitted he had been taken by surprise after Munster back-row CJ Stander’s shock announcement yesterday that he would retire from all rugby at the end of the season.
The news comes days before Ireland’s final match of the 2021 Six Nations against England.
“Shocked – didn’t see it coming,” Sexton said. “He’s just taking the decision on family reasons and we respect him for that, but he’s a big loss to Munster and Irish rugby.”
Stander, who turns 31 next month, released a statement explaining how he came to the decision during Ireland’s Covid-19 lockdown.
He remains in the mix for selection for the British and Irish Lions this summer, having toured New Zealand with them four years ago, winning a cap in the drawn third Test against the All Blacks.
Stander won his 50th cap for Ireland in the win over Scotland last weekend and, in his statement, he said: “All professional sports people are told, ‘You will know when the time is right to hang up your boots.’ It’s a sentiment one cannot fully comprehend until that day arrives. For me, that time has come.
“[In lockdown] I came to the realisation that my commitment to rugby has started to take an unfair toll on my family who, both in Limerick and South Africa, have made considerable sacrifices for more than 25 years to allow me to live my dream.”
Stander paid tribute to late Munster head coach Anthony Foley, while thanking current Munster head coach Johann van Graan, plus former and current Ireland head coaches Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell.