Pardew questions reaction over Benteke furore

Last updated : 11 March 2016 By Footymad

The Liverpooll striker went down in the area after minimal contact with Palace's Damien Delaney and was awarded the stoppage-time penalty from which he secured Liverpool's 2-1 win.

Pardew accused the striker of diving but is wary that in the modern culture it is seen by some as acceptable to fall in the pursuit of a decision if contact is made

The retired Jamie Carragher is among those whose view of the incident he was unhappy with, and in the build-up to Palace's FA Cup quarter-final at Reading on Friday, the manager said: "The debate that followed the penalty worries me slightly.

"Because a lot of professional players, a lot of players who have played the game were saying things like, 'Of course he played for it because he got a touch'. And we get accused as coaches and managers of coaching that, and I have never seen, any of my coaches coach it or encourage it.

"That worries me that some people have found that acceptable. A foul is a foul and if it is a foul it should be given. I still maintain that was not a foul.

"When you look at the decision you have to say, 'Okay what do the official body think of it?' Well the linesman hasn't got a game this week. Maybe that tells you.

"The situation is that I could easily say to my players 'If anyone gets touched in the box, go down'. I could easily say that but I don't want to.

"If someone hinders your progress and you're going to go down, you go down. I still maintain that it was a really tough decision to be given against us."

Source: PA