Fulham manager Chris Coleman bemoaned the penalty decision that sent Liverpool on their way to victory on Saturday.
Rafael Benitez’s side had struggled to break down the visiting defence before referee Uriah Rennie adjudged Fulham centre-back Ian Pearce to have handled Dirk Kuyt’s goalbound shot.
Although Steven Gerrard missed the 54th-minute spot-kick, he tapped home the rebound before further goals from Jamie Carragher, Luis Garcia and Mark Gonzalez ensured Fulham have still yet to win at Anfield.
And Coleman said: “I don’t think we’d have got the penalty if it had been at the other end.
“I don’t know how referees see it, but I’m not sure if it had been at the other end if we’d have got it.”
Coleman was unhappy with his team’s subsequent capitulation, with Fulham conceding three goals in the space of 12 second-half minutes.
“There’s no shame going 1-0 down at Anfield,” he said. “We were not poor for 90 minutes, it was poor for about 20 minutes, where we went 1-0 down and felt sorry for ourselves .
“That’s where you’re looking for guys to lead a bit more and not feel sorry for themselves – to show a bit of discipline and belief that you can get back into the game.
“We went 1-0 down and rather than just hoping we’d nick one, we lost a bit of shape and belief and that was the biggest disappointment .
“It’s difficult coming here, it’s such a great club Liverpool, it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world, one of the most likeable clubs in the world because of the history and the way they play football, the atmosphere, the fans – it’s all fantastic. We lost 5-1 last year, 4-0 this time, but you can’t help but look forward coming to places like this.”
Coleman also pointed to the injury to midfielder Papa Bouba Diop, who was substituted five minutes before Liverpool’s opener, as a turning point.
“Philippe Christanval had to come on into midfield, which is not his natural position, so losing Bouba Diop definitely affected us,” he said. “We were all right when he was on, because he knows that position much better than Philippe. It was difficult for Philippe because we went 1-0 down as soon as he came on and after that it was an uphill battle.”
