5 Premier League points from the weekend

Problem Solver

Our run of form of late has been quite remarkable. Miraculous, even, if you were to compare to the start of the season. Quite the turnaround akin to Brendan Rodgers and the squad boarding up the iceberg crippled Titanic, getting to New York (unlike Frank) and continuing to draw many people like ‘French Girls’.

So our, at this moment in time, happy disposition has allowed me to cast my eyes elsewhere for my 5 a day required grumbles, and I didn’t have to look far! One of my pet hates is presenting a clear and present danger, as far as I can see: referees. Let me lay down some problems followed by some sweet, sweet solutions that may or may not be sensible. Or, in fact, workable!

The Man in Black

The man in black was once a revered figure that either brought you chocolates or was the chap you didn’t know the name of, who made sure what you watched was football and not some sort of Eton Wall game.

In fact, and I am loathe to do this, the chap or chapess in charge in other sports is shown utter respect (except in the WWE). There are, of course, reasons for this beyond pure respect, but nevertheless the difference to football is chalk and cheese.

Being the ref is not an easy job. It is a job that is all too easy to hate and very difficult to love. A thankless task requiring a special sort of person to undertake. The image in my head is of 10 kids fawning over the latest Nikidasuma boots in Sports Soccer, while 1 is looking in a different window saying ‘balls to that lads, look at this latest whistle, mint flavour!’.

So, whilst we can all recognise how difficult a job it is, the powers that be seem set on a path to make a tough job even tougher, sort of like a Roman emperor first telling a Gladiator that he has to fight a rabid Tiger and then informing said Russell Crowe look-a-like that he must do so with a toothpick (are you not entertained!).

Infallible

First off is this nonsensical ‘infallible’ approach the FA adopts in relation to referees. If the ref sees it then the FA are powerless to act. Powerless. Do me a favour, what absolute guff. The decision a ref makes in an instant like the word of the Lord.

The latest rubbish decision is summed up perfectly by Ashley Barnes. A horrendous challenge where – somehow – Matic escaped with all bones intact. Understandably Matic erupted like a volcano (who wouldn’t?) but failed to Rock Bottom Barnes as that sort of thing is reserved for Conference Football (seriously, Worcester City v Stockport – check it out!).

Rightly, Matic was sent off, but he is the only one punished – really? Perhaps Atkinson didn’t have a good view, perhaps in a fleeting second he blinked. Or maybe he was distracted. He may even like the sound of bone shattering, who knows? But by not taking retrospective action and putting it all on Atkinson the FA make him look useless and themselves incompetent.

Conspiracy

Now this is something that grinds my gears. You speak to any fan of any club and they will tell you which refs are rubbish and hate their club. That is part and parcel of football. They are all wrong, because I highly doubt refs hate any club, let alone make conscious mistakes to damage that team. Dyche echoed a Stuart Pearce sound bite from years ago by basically saying: “what goes around comes around” and decisions usually level out over a season.

Take Liverpool, for example, how we didn’t concede a penalty against Southampton I will never know. Just as I will never know how both Aston Villa and Everton ended the games at Anfield with 11 men on the pitch.

Yet, for a manager to come out and say such a thing is an entirely different matter. By voicing this so called conspiracy against Chelsea, Mourinho hasn’t said that refs are rubbish, or make honest mistakes, he is saying that referees and the FA are deliberately plotting against his club and sabotaging them.

Of course, because this is the ‘Special One’ the media lap it up, so desperate is the need to fill the Fergie void. Chelsea were on the wrong end of a poor reffing performance against Burnley, they should have had penalties and Barnes should have gone. So they suffered, just as Liverpool have suffered against Chelsea in recent games with Costa stamping and throttling, Eto’o’s rash challenging, Cahill handballing.

Did Jose claim conspiracy? No, he said it was a man’s game. With that in mind, perhaps Matic was merely congratulating Barnes in a manly way over a manly challenge?

Mourinho is deliberately and cleverly questioning the integrity of officials in order to gain an advantage for his team. All whilst the FA stand idly by, twiddling their thumbs, with the media tripping over themselves to get him to do it on their show. It’s pathetic. This is where officials need protection, but sadly lack it.

Replays

It’s 2015, for chuff’s sake and we have deemed it necessary (and paid millions for) goal line technology for the four times a season there is a disputed “did it cross the line” incident, yet are unwilling to use what is already in place? This just makes no sense!

I understand that unlike rugby and cricket, football is a much more free-flowing and faster game, but there are natural stoppages. Watching on a TV we see instant replays.. instantly. How is it so far-fetched or difficult to have a TV available to, say, the 4^th official?

The game (Chelsea v Burnley) had naturally stopped and Atkinson correctly sent him (Matic) off, but how long would it have taken to review the Barnes challenge, 15 seconds? 15 seconds to make the correct call. This type of action could be reserved for goals, penalties and fouls to assess severity and would improve the game ten-fold.

No more ridiculous offside goals, diving for penalties, getting away with a ‘Barnes’. And all this could take place in a natural pause in the game that would take about 15 seconds. Referees would get more correct decisions and have some of the pressure lifted from their shoulders. How is there even an argument against replays in the match?

It could be as simple as having an official in the stands that could be referred to. The Matic incident shows, like all of the issues I have highlighted here, could be easily and simply sorted by the FA, but in yet another wonderful display of incompetence they hide behind the men they hang out to dry.