Most people would know that one of my moans about the changing face of the game has been why there are no longer defenders on the posts from corners.

And I continue to count the number of goals that go in from that area because of that reason.

I suggest everyone has a look from now ‘til the end the season and see if the defenders are doing more good in the box, opposed to being on the line.

The other thing I’ve wondered is why there are not more shots from outside the penalty area.

This was highlighted even more last week with some terrific goals, in particular the 66 yard goal from Stoke’s Charlie Adam.

Now I’m not suggesting for one minute that everyone has a shot from halfway or in their own half.

Bringing it forward there were so many terrific goals.

Wayne Rooney’s goal from just in the box was one.

But, of course, the most decisive of those was in the derby between Sunderland and Newcastle.

Believe me, Sunderland and Newcastle is as red hot as any derby in this country and this one had more riding on it than ever, with Sunderland needing a win desperately.

The goal came from a long punt from the goalkeeper.

It was headed on and completed by a wonderful volley by Jermain Defoe from 20 yards that flew into the top of the net.

The referee blew for half time straight after that and, when the teams went off, the cameras focused on the players going down the tunnel.

But they particularly focused on Defoe.

Considering the experienced professional that he is, he had tears in his eyes as the impact and the reaction of the crowd and the meaning of his goal got to him.

The camera followed him as he walked down the tunnel and he started to overtake Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, who he had just beaten.

Krul turned to see it was Defoe and he smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

That gesture was enough to give the two panellists on the television, Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher, enough to talk about.

When the game was over the two were joined by Niall Quinn in the studio, of course a previous player and chairman at Sunderland but, also himself, a successful international forward.

I thought the ten minute discussion which concentrated on the half-time tunnel incident was quite fascinating.

The presenter did well to allow them to talk to each-other.

It came over ever so natural. It was almost as if they didn’t realise anybody was watching or listening.

The passion of Carragher shone through.

The ex-Liverpool player thought that never in a million years he would have done what the keeper had done if an Everton player had scored in a Merseyside derby.

Henry contributed in as far as he thought comments would be made, but not complimentary ones.

But it was Niall Quinn that came up with what I thought was the most telling of all the points made.

He pointed out that it is one thing for outfield players to do that sort of thing, but reminded his two colleagues that goalkeepers are a different breed all together.

His point raised smiles when he said that goalkeepers are generally an odd breed.

Anybody that has been in the game would understand that.

They all highlighted incidents in training when they loved to beat their own goalkeeper, who would often say they were lucky if they ever did beat him.

He would say that he’d slipped or it was offside if he got beaten.

They would always have all sorts of excuses, but they all, by and large, agreed that it was unusual for Krul to have done that at half-time.

But it wouldn’t have been unusual had it been at the end of the game.

Quinn remembered, having scored for Sunderland in a derby match against Newcastle, bumping into the late great Sir Bobby Robson, the then Newcastle manager, in the car park after the game.

When Bobby came over to him, he shook his hand and said ‘great goal son’. He never forgot that.

All in all it was a fascinating conversation.