We're all to blame for World Cup handball farce, says Wolves boss

Nov 21 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

MICK McCarthy is in no doubt that Thierry Henry’s blatant handball against Ireland in Paris has ushered forth an irresistible need for technology to be used in football matches.

The former Irish captain, who was capped 57 times, appeared at a World Cup as both player and manager and presided over a play-off triumph against Iran, remains angered by the manner of the French winner.

“I remember saying when I was in the Irish job that FIFA stood for Forget Irish Football Altogether. It concerned me a bit more then than it does now of course,” McCarthy said.

“Whoever coined the phrase ‘luck of the Irish’ wants looking at, by the way.”

The Irish FA were predictably unsuccessful yesterday in persuading FIFA to get the play-off replayed.

And McCarthy recalled a long list of incidents this season where Wolves have been the victims of injustice with poor refereeing decisions.

“I’d like our game against Portsmouth to be replayed because that was handball,” he said.

“I’d like the game at Sunderland to be replayed because a few decisions there went against us and Villa, there was one there.

“I guess Stoke would want our game replayed because our goal was offside. There’s been a clamour for goal-line technology and replays.

“A replay on Wednesday would have taken five seconds and it would have been ‘oh, it was handball’.

“Henry would have got booked, the game would have carried on and there could have been a real winner.”

McCarthy refused to blame Henry or referee Martin Hansson.

“The biggest loser for me is football because the saddest thing is that we would all have accepted the victory,” he said.

“Not one of us would have put our hands up and said ‘that was handball, we don’t want that victory’.

“I don’t think there’s one fan in the stadium who would do it either way either and that’s probably a terrible indictment on us all.

“If Robbie Keane had done it and we’d got to the World Cup? When you’ve handled it you can be honest after the game and say you’ve handled it. If you look at the referee’s position (on Wednesday) it’s difficult for him to see it.

“I think he could have walked across and asked the linesman but I know officials will say ‘you give me offsides and throw-ins and I’ll make all the big decisions’.

“I’ve looked at all the replays and I’m not condemning anybody. In fact, I’m condemning everyone in this room and everyone in football, because we’d all have taken the victory.

“There will be those who will pontificate and will blame Thierry Henry and everyone else and yet they’d have all accepted it if it had been their country and their club.

“They might have a whinge about it saying it wasn’t right but they’ll still go and watch them and support them.”