David Moyes wants off-side rule changed

Feb 4 2008 by Chris Beesley, Liverpool Daily Post

EVERTON manager David Moyes has questioned whether the current offside rules in the game are workable but believes that Andrew Johnson’s disallowed ‘goal’ on Saturday was not one of the grey areas – just a ‘wrong decision’.

Confusion reigned at Ewood Park when Johnson had an 85th-minute ‘winner’ chalked off by a linesman’s flag after appearing to be offside earlier in the move but onside when he received the ball to score.

Moyes said: “I’m not one for technology, I’m happy with referees and linesmen. They will make mistakes, I just hope they’re not all in Everton games.

“Is the new offside rule unworkable? Not just because of the ‘goal’ today, but the general offside law has got to be changed. When I don’t know the rules and the players don’t know the rules and the journalists don’t know the rules, what will and what won’t be given, then we’re really unsure.

“The governing body should do something about it to make it to make it more clear. There’s too many areas where goals might be given or might not be given, and because of that it makes it very difficult.

“I’ve spoken to the LMA and had the LMA in looking at tapes I’ve made. But let’s not get that mixed up with today’s goal, because today’s goal wasn’t one of the issues which is involved.

“There has to be two players behind the ball and the linesman has thought there has not been, that shouldn’t have been confusing, that was just the wrong decision.”

With Everton’s grip on fourth loosened because of a second successive draw, Moyes just hopes the dropped points will not haunt his side in the push for a Champions League place.

He said: “I have seen the replay. I take the linesman at his word when he said there was only one player but when James Vaughan makes the tackle he falls and then scoops the pass to Andy Johnson. There is at least two behind the ball – I think there was three maybe four in line so it would mean it is a goal.

“I don’t want to sound like a whinger – I don’t want to talk about referees but I just hope those two points don’t come to cost us. For us it is really important that we keep pushing for those places.”

Moyes revealed that a group of match officials came to the club some weeks ago to discuss the offside issue but the meeting just left his players more confused than ever as regards to the current implication of the law.

He said: “The players generally don’t know (the rule). We had the assistants and referees in and all our players in (a meeting arranged by Everton), and there was nearly a riot because we couldn’t believe what we were hearing and seeing. That was four or five months ago.”

Moyes said he was disappointed not to win but was delighted with his side’s defensive display as they kept a fourth clean sheet in five Premier League matches. He said: “The boys at the back have been immense but today we needed that goal to get us through and got us all three points.

“We are delighted with the clean sheet and there is still Joseph Yobo to come back.”