By Chris O'Brien
January 7 2005

ManUtdWeb has proof that Tottenham Hotspur's last minute strike did not cross the line at Old Trafford! Okay, so it's just another fairly amusing image, but one thing is for sure - the television replay argument is back with vengeance.

ManUtdWeb has obtained evidence that the linesman was quite right not to allow Pedro Mendes' long-range effort against the Red Devils on Tuesday evening. This image clearly shows the ball did not cross Roy Carroll's goal-line, with the Ulsterman doing well to palm it away before the 89th minute shot found it's way into the net!

In all seriousness, my heart goes out to Spurs fans. Okay, so I'm delighted we got a point but in all fairness it wasn't deserved. It's tough shit for Tottenham supporters, but what about future incidents of a similar nature? Well, Carroll's blunder may not have done his first-team chances much good but it has sparked debate over whether television replays should be introduced to make such decisions in the English domestic game.

The Football Association has announced they will "discuss and consider" options of introducing video referees into Premiership matches. Initially this would be for goal-line decisions only, but this could stretch to other aspects of the game in the future. Is the beautiful game heading down the same route as Cricket and Rugby League?

I am personally against the idea. Just as players will miss the target, lose the ball, or in Carroll's case make a complete tit of himself, referees are going to make mistakes. The officials have influenced results for well over a century of competitive football and should continue to do so. I just can't picture the Stretford End pausing and staring at a big screen to see whether Ronaldo's shot found the net or not. 'G-O-A-L Time' is something I never hope to experience.

I shall leave you with this amusing snippet...