Iconic Liverpool coach went 'mad' at star player after he showed his true colors

Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher has recalled how Robbie Fowler received a stern telling off from ex-Reds coach Ronnie Moran for once telling a referee to reverse a decision to award Liverpool a penalty.

Carragher was speaking in the latest episode of The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, when the topic of cheating in soccer came up. Somewhat surprisingly, Carragher admitted to being a cheat on the pitch due to his burning desire to win — and claimed that is something that all soccer players can relate to.

"We’re all cheats on the football pitch," Carragher said. "We ask for decisions that we know are wrong and constantly try to influence the referee.

"I’m not against players going down, but I don’t like outright diving.

"If a keeper comes flying out at someone’s feet or a defender makes a stupid tackle, I’d be saying to my striker, ‘What are you doing? Use your brain – it’s his fault. Don’t get out of the way, let him hit you.’

"When a keeper rushes out and the striker thinks, ‘If I get there first, I’ll just run into him,’ we all know that’ll be a penalty. Everyone knows the striker played for it – and that’s fine.

"But what I can’t stand is when no tackle goes in and someone just falls over.

"This is top-level football, top-level sport. I’d always encourage my attacking players not to bother with this idea of being ‘Mr Honesty.’

"Ronnie Moran, the famous Liverpool coach, once went mad at Robbie Fowler after a game against Arsenal – because Fowler told the referee not to award a penalty to Liverpool.

"Liverpool won the match anyway, but Moran told him, ‘Don’t ever do that again!’

"If the referee gives you a penalty, you don’t tell him it’s not a penalty."

The incident Carragher was referring to took place during a game between Arsenal and Liverpool at Highbury in 1997, when Fowler went down under a challenge from David Seaman, but remarkably instructed referee Gerald Ashby not to award a penalty.

Despite Fowler's honesty — replays showed there was no contact between Seaman and the striker — Ashby would not change his mind, and the original penalty decision stood.

Fowler ended up missing the penalty, but Jason McAteer tucked home the rebound as Liverpool went on to secure a 2-1 win.

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