by dward » Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:59 pm
Interesting post on BBC 606.
comment by andow2
As a neutral the Liverpool vs Man Utd game is one of the reasons I signed up to Sky Sports this season, having viewed via MOTD for decades.
I have watched a lot of games this season and despite being massiveley disapointed by the entertainment levels with the cream of europe I have also been amazed by the total lack of respect players show to match officials.
Some clubs are worse than others but without doubt the worst offenders are Chelsea (JT & Cole being the worst example for kids), Man Utd (Rio Ferdinand - Surely not England captaincy material & Rooney (petulent beyond belief) & Arsenal (most of the team).
The rest of the teams are reasonably ok with the odd amount of petulance creeping in here and there.
However, referees have also amazed me with some unbelievably poor performances. I'm not sure if it's too high pressure for a lot of them or maybe they've just been having an off season but common sense appears to have passed a lot of them by, as it has with a lot of people these days.
So Sundays game, what happened. An over pumped Mascherano, A referee out to make a name for himself, a manager (SAF) playing mind games very successfully pre match, a weak captain (Gerrard) and a massive bias towards Man.U by Mr Bennett.
Before people start accusing me of bias....I am Bristolian...born and bred and support the Gas.
I cannot fathom what the referee was thinking on Sunday...if he was going to enforce the dissent rule, it should have either been implemented immediately the first time Mascherano mouthed off to him or he should have called the (quiet) Liverpool captain to him and advised him to calm down his players. He did neither.
He then compounded his error by booking Torres after being on the receiving end to some pretty clumsy challenges. Weren't strikers supposed to be being protected these days? don't book them!!it seems if your're the away team at Old Trafford you're unlikely to get favourable decisions or protection. Just my interpretation from what i've seen on the old goggle box this season anyway.
Also why did he not enforce the dissent rule evenly to other players....I can recall Ferdinand...cough....and Rooney yelling obscenities in his direction.....and yet no action. I as a paying punter want to watch a fair competition.....it's not happening.
The top teams already have the best players, lets stop giving them a 12th man as well.
If a team gets a result at a ground like Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge it's quite a feat....trust me I've seen several games and what goes for the home team is totally different to how the away team is treated.....if I was the FA, I would be looking into whats going on there.....
That aside, I actually think this whole affair may improve the premier league, if this new unannounced initiative to book any player for talking to the ref is forcefully implemented things will eventually get better, although we may be watching 7vs8 for a while when some teams are involved.
As long as its not just enforced when a particular referee officiates or when its in favour of certain teams or maybe dare I say perhaps directed against certain nationalities!!
I'm very disallusioned by what I've seen this season and Sky will be cancelled when the contract expires.
I plan to buy a season ticket for the local non league team....low admission prices, english players from the home town, honest hard working players respecting the officials, no refs egos on display and no big shot managers running the league....it's the future....why not join me....leave the Premier League and it's over paid stars to rot in front of paltry crowds with their prima donna refs show boating their yellow and red cards like the over bearing head masters they are.
Rant Over.
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Well, i don't agree with what he is saying about leaving the premier league (and I don't think he will) but it's an interesting post.