Has anyone ever watched those Premier League Years compilation programmes on Sky Sports?
You know the ones. They last for about three hours a time and apart from a reminder of how great a finisher Ian Wright was and how terrible your memory is, they tell you nothing you didn’t already know about the game.
But there was one time just recently, in 1997/98, when my eyes were fixated on the TV screen as if the events were being beamed into my living room live.
It was Barnsley. It was Oakwell. And it involved a grown man trying desperately hard to convey his sheer anger and disbelief at the injustice his team had just been subjected to. (It may have been Liverpool, who scored a 9th minute equalizer just moments before the ref blew for full time, amongst other things)
Through teary eyes he gesticulated at the camera, getting more frustrated with himself as he tried so hard to articulate his disgust, willing the lens to listen. Someone to listen. Roll of thunder, hear his cry.
His watery gaze imploring. His voice fading, fading, fading into silence.
Time for narrator Claire Tomlinson to interject and show us a league table at that point of the season. Barnsley bottom. Liverpool top 3. Job done. Roll to V/T.
That poor bugger’s anguish just about made the final cut. Nobody really noticed. Certainly nobody cared, while Andy Gray told the chap to enjoy the Premier League ride with the big boys.
Fourteen years on, and every time I see a blatant act of refereeing incompetence this season I see that fan’s tortured face.
One of the oldest clichés in the book says that luck – and decisions – even themselves out over the course of the season.
Try telling that to the Barnsley fan, or any Wolves fan who has witnessed the utter travesties this season which have directly impacted on our current points haul.
In some ways the cliché is correct. Luck does even itself out. Some teams in the Premier League get, say, 90 per cent of it, while the less fashionable ones get a 10 per-cent split.
Even 5Live’s Alan Green grudgingly conceded that referees do sub-consciously award decisions to the bigger teams because they are precisely that, irrespective of whether they are at a place like White Hart Lane or Molineux.
Let’s look at just six pieces of evidence so far this season, off the top of my head.
- Jarvis trip by Perch at home to Newcastle while we’re winning 1-0. No penalty given.
- Gallas assault on Jarvis at White Hart Lane while we were winning 1-0. No penalty given.
- Stephen Warnock crunching, cynical tackle against Villa not earning second yellow. Warnock sets up winner.
- Fabregas leg breaking effort on Ward. No red, Cesc sets up the second for Arsenal.
- Hutton red card offence. Yellow given.
- Stearman headed goal after Gomez attempts decapitation. Free kick for Gomez.
Even the most conservative estimate would equate those disgusting decisions to a loss of four points. Four points that would put us above the Albion, Blackburn, Blues and others.
Let’s look at our dodgy decisions? Hmm. I’ll come back to you on that.
Many might have forgotten last season too, when Richard Dunne rugby tackled Doyle at home to Villa in the box, or Fellaini maimed Doyle at Goodison 10 seconds before the home side scored, or Portsmouth’s defender Wilson catching the ball in his own box with a big goofy smile on his face.
So incensed was Gary Megson during Albion’s first Premiership season that he sent the league a tape to review. Probably got thrown in the bin, like our appeal against Chris Iwelumo’s red card when he dared to get kicked in the chest.
At best, referees are easily swayed. At worst, they are cheats.
Meanwhile, fans like me, you, and that hard suffering Barnsley soul scream with pain, knowing that in the Premier League, NOBODY hears your scream.
Good blog, Ben. I don’t agree with quite all of your examples, or the inference that Villa and Newcastle are such bigger clubs than us that they might sway the refs against us. But I agree with the general point you make.
Don’t really know why, but the game which *really* stuck in my craw on this point was at Anfield last season. Not so much for Reina’s 80-metre excursion to make sure punishment was meted out to Ward (although that was bad enough). No, it was the pally-pally act between Gerrard and the referee which got to me. I practically wretched while they were acting like schoolboy chums whilst conducting their smiley little chats after Stevie G had committed each of his seventeen or so yellow-card offences. I’ve never seen an official so snugly nestled in the pocket of a player.
And am I still bitter and twisted about it? Yes. Tossers.
I tell you one thing that would definitely help matters.
Make it illegal for anyone, other than the player involved in the incident to approach the referee in the immediate aftermath of a decision.
Crowding the referee has become an art-form and I am totally convinced that some sides actively train their players to do it.
It’s simple human nature to have your judgment clouded by a group of idiots getting in your face and making their opinion heard.
The top sides do this better than anyone and I feel this has a lot to do with why they get the big decisions.
Here are some of the big individual culprits I’ve noticed:
* Fabregas (complete twat. Always gesturing for cards to be shown.)
* Ashley Young (see above.)
* Rio Ferdinand (see Nani goal vs Spurs earlier in the season)
Then, as Kowloon points out, there are those who put a friendly arm around the ref and know they can get away with anything. Gerrard and Terry are particularly adept at this.
It also makes me wretch.
Add Fletcher from Man Utd, Kevin Nolan and Danny Murphy
The most infuriated I have been with a ref is when I watched Wolves vs Wigan just before Xmas. Mike Dean walked out onto the pitch with a swagger, thinking he was the dogs balls and it really got to me. He then failed to give a blatant penalty against Ward. We ended up losing 2-1.
I think the two decisions in the Spurs game can nearly be forgiven. I’ve heard the FA or FIFA are currently debating whether a red card and a penalty for a foul on the last man is too harsh. That said to the letter of the law it should have been red. The disallowed goal was always going to be a tricky one with the protection keepers get these days.
Actually, I think the most infuriated I have been with a ref is when I played centre half for a local team. Every time I had an opportunity on goal (very rare) the ref would find some reason to blow his whistle, and I thought your parents were supposed to encourage you to do well – Cheers Dad!
“I’ve heard the FA or FIFA are currently debating whether a red card and a penalty for a foul on the last man is too harsh.”
Interesting. On the BBC website live text commentary during the Spurs game, it was also suggested by the host that penalty + red was too harsh. Then one comment came in suggesting yellow + pen as being the right punishment, but the yellow automatically turns to red if the penalty is saved or missed!
For the record, I also think that pen + red is often too harsh for a foul on the last man. I take the view that straight-red fouls, yellow-card fouls, or physical contact which does not amount to a foul, should be treated objectively no matter where an incident occurs on the park. E.g. it shouldn’t matter that contact occurs in the box or not … the only questions should be – does the incident amount to foul play or not, and if it does, does it deserve yellow or straight red?
That said, Hutton was cynical on Milijas (borderline red anywhere on the park) the Spurs players’ behaviour towards the ref after the incident was cold, calculated and disgraceful. Somehow even after we’d scored the penalty it felt like Spurs had got away with murder.
I’m not sure he would have been sent off if it happened on the half way line, probably only just a yellow. I believe the rules should stay as they are and to commit a foul on a player in a goal scoring opportunity should be a red where ever they are on the field.
I’m not sure about turning the yellow into a red if the pen is missed/saved, depending on the score line the keeper might let it in just to save his player, or the attacker might miss on purpose to get him sent off. What happens if the penalty is saved but the rebound is scored?!
I reckon if the decision was made that a red and penalty was too harsh, all defenders would wait until the attacker is in the penalty area before fouling them – just to get a yellow.
I heard this was being discussed by a FIFA representative talking on talk sport, they were also discussing whether technology should be used more in the game and if snoods are dangerous…. the only topic resolved so far is snoods being outlawed from next year. Good Priorities.
Add those to all the fuck ups Stephen Ward has made and we’d be in Europe by now!
That’s exactly what i was thinking.
On a completely unrelated note, Dave Edwards has been ruled out for a month. A big loss in my opinion, as I think he’s been superb this season and brings something different to the midfield with his energy and ability to get into the box.
http://www.wolves.co.uk/page/News/0,,10307~2310810,00.html
On the opposite side of the coin, Kightly has played a few reserve games now and scored last night, so maybe he could be used from the bench in a few weeks time?
Apparently there are a few more reserve outings coming up, so I personally don’t see the point in farming him out on loan for a month, when he could be contributing for us.
Big loss mate. I thought the midfield 3 of O’Hara, Henry and Edwards was terrific against Blackpool and all I wanted after that game was for Mick to stick with it.
Now he has to change it again. Edwards’ energy, O’Hara’s guile and Henry’s defensive cover looked ideal to me.
Yes, Milijas has a sumptuous left foot, as seen in Doyle’s first, but I’d probably plump for a hyper active Edwards if fit.
Cameo Kites would be awesome.
I note a far more knowledgeable friend talk about Sheffield United away in the promotion year, when Kites played as an ‘inside right’. He created one, if not two, goals that night, suggesting that his long term position might not be as an out and out winger.
Either way, he’ll offer us options if, (please Lord) he stays fit now.
I love him! (as does Stourbridge Wolf!!)
All great stuff Ben. You could pretty much title this one “Stop all the Clocks – Part 2”.
It’s the modern game kicking us firmly in the crown jewels again.
I think Thomas has a great point with making it illegal to approach the referee unless you were a) involved in the incident b) called to the ref.
The “Respect the Ref” campaign or whatever it’s called has fell flat on it’s arse. Surely this simple rule is would be adhered to before we can ask a ref to make a more impartial decision. It gives the decision that he
makes, whether right or wrong, more honest. It would stop the “he only did that because of the pressure”
I had to laugh at Nani the weekend tho. I still don’t know the extent of his injury which lead to him being stretchered off, but he was subjected to a poor tackle, fair enough. But he found it in himself to jump up, show the ref his injury, then collapse in a heap writhing in pain, hoping desperately to change a yellow to a red. It was about as desperate as Gadaffi’s plastic surgery.
As far as “decisions balance themselves out over the season”, Ive always believed in Karma. But Karma City FC don’t play in the Premier League
I’m no Man U fan but if that tackle didn’t deserve a red card, nothing does. It was extremely dangerous, maliicious and clearly intentional. And it’s left him with a very nasty injury. Imagine if Karl Henry had done it, yellow card? I don’t think so.
It’s so ironic. The whole incident was so poorly handled. I’ve seen Nani’s injury now and fuck knows how he managed to get up and protest. It’s like an axe wound!! So why the did he? Because it’s in his nature and it’s a culture; and cultures are so difficult to change.
As a youngster I went to a rugby playing school, and channelled my football energy into supporting my black & gold heroes. I continued playing rugby, until I had to retire as a veteran second row when I still ached the Thursday after the previous weekends game. Still fit though I volunteered to referee my lads football team in Nottingham, qualified as a grade 3 ref two years later, and refereed both my boys while they went through the age groups. I refereed for 15 years including Notts County school of excellence on Sunday mornings. I loved doing it – and I would never call a referee at any level because its an impossible job. Even on the parks on a Saturday morning you can have 22 players, managers and supporters giving you stick for decisions made.
For me referees make genuine honest decisions, they may be wrong, they will never please everyone, but they can`t win. I`m just grateful I was never put under so much pressure as the referees today, where like on Sunday players aggressively surround the referee to attempt to intimidate the referee to prevent a sending off.
For me the footballing authorities should be taken to task for not protecting referees, they see such incidents and their silence and reluctance to act merely condones players actions. They could learn a lot from the game of rugby.
A yellow card offence in rugby means 10 minutes off the pitch for the player guilty of foul play. This has the advantage of a real punishment being given at the time of the offence, and during the same game the offence occured. Its so simple for me, why don`t the football authorities bring this in?
On Sunday Hutton would have had 10 minutes off the pitch. The referee could also have yellow carded the most vociferous Spurs player complaining about the decision. Spurs to play for 10 minutes with only 10 or 9 players, quite a disadvantage I feel.
If this yellow card rule was applied it would within one week change the way players, managers and teams treated referees and their decisions during a game. It would also bring some sanity back to football, it works very well in the rugby premiership, and at international level, where the referee is treated with respect because he has the tools to immediately punish foul play to the significant disadvantage of the offending player/team
If the referees were not under so much pressure, had some protection, and the tools to work with, maybe they could enjoy the job more, and even do a better job than right now.
Everything you say Mark i totally agree with, it’s so simple and could be easily implemented. Bit like goal-line technolgy and lots of other things really.
This is what a sensible, honest, unbiased football admministration would do. Unfortunately, the governing powers of FIFA are none of these things.(When dishoesty is revealed as in the Panorama world cup expose’, they respond by shooting the messenger and abandoning England’s world cup bid).
They’ve been changing the implementation of the rules and acceptable behaviour on the pitch, largely to suit the south American and latin requirements, for decades. Strong tackling has largely been outlawed while girly shirt-pulling, holding, deliberately falling over and feigning injury, and disputing every decision and harassing the ref has been turned a blind eye to, and has hence become the norm.
Lots of things could be changed to make the game much fairer and more honest, including the treatment of the referees, if there was a will to do it. Unfortunately there is no such will and it’s so entranched now and taken as normal, i think we are stuck with it for good.
I’ve heard a fair bit about refs and ways to tackle the issue, and I can’t see a better one than Mark’s. Not sure what’s not to like about a sin bin for 10mins. Would kill the indiscipline problem at the root!
The only possible downside of the sinbin I can think of is that teams on the receiving end might try some negative/time-wasting tactics to run down the 10-minute period (e.g. take 5 minutes over a throw-in a bit like what Rory Delap does as a matter of course). But I suppose those tactics in turn could be punished by another sinbinning.
However, it still would not avoid the problem of starstruck refs. We would surely still have some (many!) players from the bigger clubs not getting a well-deserved yellow in the first place, purely because of their superstar ‘stature’ (e.g. Gerrard. The tosser). Then I predict we would be justifiably complaining along the lines of: “Why have Wolves had 20 sinbins this season, where ManU/Arse/Chelsea have only had 3”, etc.
I think there’s a big difference in the effectiveness of a sin bin in rugby compared to football. Losing a player in rugby can make a massive difference to the balance of play, especially when the pack is reduced to seven. It’s unusual for the full 15 not to score extra points in this period. Much easier methinks for football teams to reorganise, play deeper and soak up the pressure. Also what happens about suspensions which are probably more punititve in some ways, especially for vital players, as we happily witnessed with Blackpool’s Charlie Adam. Can you punish them twice for the same offence?
“If that was us, you’d send him off!”
take a look at this…
A non-league footballer was left “dumbfounded” after he was given a red card for tackling a mankini-wearing pitch invader.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Streaker-Red-Card-Footballer-Sent-Off-For-Tackling-Pitch-Intruder-At-Non-League-Havant-V-Dorchester/Article/201103215948776?lpos=UK_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15948776_Streaker_Red_Card%3A_Footballer_Sent_Off_For_Tackling_Pitch_Intruder_At_Non-League_Havant_V_Dorchester
Great Blog Ben – I agree with every word (and remember all of those tackles/assaults you mention)!!!
I also remember laughing at Megson’s tape about the Albion and thinking the sh*t were just sore losers – then we won promotion, have had to endure the same discrimination – so I eat a great big slice of humble pie on this one. Megson you were right – this league stinks.
If we are relegated at the end of the season the one thing that I will not miss is the standard of the Refs and their total bias towards the bigger clubs. It’s not just us either, I have watched some of Blackpool’s game this season and have seen them subjected to the same bullsh*t decisions.
As if the financial disadvantages are not enough for clubs trying to maintain survival we now have to beat the Ref in games too. Managers should have the right to sit down with the Ref’s association to review some of these decisions at regular intervals throughout the season – rather than just getting fined for spouting off in post match interviews.
I remember one last season at the Britannia. While I am no Stoke lover, I was pig sick watching them play Man City.
It was 1-1 and one of their defenders (might have been Shawcross) headed the ball in from a set-play, clean as a whistle, at the end of the game.
You could almost hear the cogs in the ref’s head creaking as he frantically panicked about his script being ruined.
Suffice to say he disallowed the goal for pushing, despite no Stoke player laying a glove on a Man City player in the box.
I’m sorry, but it stank!
Also, isn’t it mad that a team like Man City could never buy a decision in the days of old, when Dickov and Goater were ploughing a furrow through League One.
Now they’ve been bought by some Arab with billions to his name, they get every decision?!!
What’s that all about?!
Also interesting to see that tw@t that writes for the E&S saying we should be thankful we got the penalty!
Have we got so used to decisions not going our way that we should praise the Ref when we do finally get a decision. “Not a goal scoring position” my @rse! Pull the other one Ref
And just to add my twopenneth,
The ref is given the team sheets before the match.
Surely he could report the club for breaching the trades description act, by naming Ward as a footballer?
If that had happened, we would have a lot more points now!!!
But, we would also have a far less entertaining blog!!!!!
I agree 100% with the rugby solution, but could we also have a sin bin for refs, if they make bad decisions?
Aren’t we all beginning to sound a bit like Arsene Whiner???
We should get a squad of John McGraths ( ex Southampton player), roll up our sleeves, pull down our socks, and kick the shit out of anyone who dares to come near, then all the namby pambies would have something to really complain about!!!
And while we are at it lets water the pitch a lot more than we are right now, make it a mud bath, where only real men can stand up. None of these gloves and neck warmers and long sleeved undershirts, and girly boots, let’s get down and dirty, and go back to the brown ball as well!!
And give the goalies green woolen shirts, that get waterlogged easily, and flat caps as well, and bring back the terraces!!
Yes, it’s a slow morning in Houston!!
FOMM
“Surely he could report the club for breaching the trades description act, by naming Ward as a footballer?” – hilarious Clive!
ward ward ward ward ward ward ward…
methinks the lady doth protest too much
If the cap fitteth, then weareth it.
Am I the only one on this bloggeth who protesteth too mucheth??
Me thinketh naye!!
I’ve said for a long time that the problem is caused by players knowing if they con the ref on the day they will get away with it (see Rooney’s elbow v Wigan).
The solution in my mind is to get a panel of experts (refs, ex refs, pros, ex pros, managers, FA officials etc) to review every game, and punish ANY incident of cheating, be it simulation, handball, violence or whatever, which eluded the ref on the day. Sanctions should be both financial and involve bans.
Players would soon learn there is no advantage to be gained in the long run from conning the ref on the day, and would act in a more honest way – making the refs job much easier and improving the standard of the game.
Moxey’s thrown his tuppence in too
http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/west-bromwich-albion-fc/2011/03/09/jez-moxeys-tough-line-on-ref-abuse/
I think it boils down to football utilising the technology available to them. In most dugouts now there are monitors which the 4th official, and managers etc, can watch replays of incidents instantly after they happen. If the ref isn’t certain he could wait 5-10 seconds while the 4th official watches the replay and tells him the correct decision.
The sin bin idea is good but I think there are too many offences which cause a yellow card – meaning teams could be down to 7-8 players at some point in the game. I think it works better in Rugby because there’s less incidents where a yellow could be awarded. Maybe bringing in the sin bin specifically for when players harass and abuse the referee would do the trick.
Has anyone read the express & star web blog about our beloved fat controller also calling for a tough line on referees abuse, particularly by the bigger premiership clubs.
If our Chief Executive feels it necessary to bring his own opinion into the melting pot, it just shows how big an issue this really is. Maybe someone somewhere who genuinly cares about our game, and has some clout will take this issue on and run with it. While players and clubs abuse referees and get away with it, and are not brought to account at a later date, then those teams will continue with what they are doing. Intimidating referees is at odds with the so called Respect campaign, so why do the football authorities sit on their hands and do nothing.
Has any one any anwers as to what ordinary genuine football fans, such as those contributing to this blog can do to move this along.
Adlene back in training – ace!
Shit me. I forgot about him.
Mancienne set to return too! I forgot about him!
Can’t believe you remembered how to spell it pal! When you look at our squad it’s a sin we are where we are.
Be good to have all these players back ready fpr the first game back in the Chumpo league
Youve been quiet Dazza old boy! And when you return you pipe up with that?! I’m being slowly cleansed into a happy clapper. We are going to pull out of this mess. It will be like Shergar, surging through the field to pip the lot at the line.
Actually, Shergar might not be the best example, but you get my drift mate.
Ben the happy crapper!!!!
You know wots going to happen, we’ll get all the squad and more back, 100% fit, and who will be first on the team sheet?
Fuckin’ Ward!!
Mark my wards!!!!
FOMM
Shergar? Now that’s not a bad idea. If we can only find the bloke who kidnapped him, give him Ward’s home address and…… If only life was so simple.
Shame he doesn’t qualify for the Columbian national side, given the amount of mistakes he makes someone would have “taken him out” post match at some point!
You gotta love this!!
It appears that twat Balotelli is allergic to grass!!
How funny is that?
So now trip the little tosser up, down he goes, and then …sneezy, sneezy, and off he goes!!!
He should stop smoking the stuff.
FOMM
Is Ward allergic to decent performances? It would explain a lot!
Thomas, when are you going to change the name of this to ‘It’s a Blog. About how much we hate Ward.’
Is anyone else getting bored of it? If I wanted to read about how shit our players are or how we’re going down I’ll go on an Albion blog.
Being realistic is one thing but the constant digs at one of our most loyal players is ridiculous.
I can’t believe Clive still signs off with F**k off Mick McCarthy, some fan.
Agreed.
Instead of changing the name Thomas, just start a forum titled ‘Slag off Ward’ for when they have nothing to say.
Clearly, they’d rather have all the players who couldn’t give a toss about the club in our mediocre 90s side or those we had when we went right down to the bottom.
Well, where do I start?
So much ammunition, so many targets!!
First of all, just because we have a three game unbeaten streak going
a) doesnt mean it will continue,
b) doesnt change the fact we are still deep in relegation shit,
c) doesnt mean McIdiot’s tactics have got any better, …see Albion away, why did we not win that?
d) doesnt make Ward a good or even mediocre player.
Ward may be loyal, but we are all loyal, doesnt make us footballers.
I started the McCarthy out campaign on this blog months ago, and I stick by my guns, he has not improved us and has gone as far as he can go.
We need a new manager.
If you read all the comments on here one theme threads its way through, by nearly everyone, those who attend the games, those who watch from afar and those who see the highlights.
All players have good and not so good matches, that is normal.
No one is brilliant all the time.
But, and I refer to all the comments on here, Ward is bad all the time.
It’s not just me, it is the general consensus of opinon, by the majority on here.
There is a very good, old Russian saying, which is…” If two people tell you that you are drunk, go home”
Steven Ward, you are pissed out of your tree.
And for your information, young Louie, if there had been a blog back in the nineties, or even the eighties and the seventies, I assure you there were enough mediocre players to have a go at.
As I have stated many times, I am sure Steven Ward is a nice enough fellow, and no one can criticize him for being picked to play, of course he will be on the pitch. He is just not good enough.
No one has ever, on this blog, to my knowledge, criticized him personally, just his footballing. or lack of, abilities.
And just for you, Nick,
FOMM
The funniest thing about all this Ward stuff, is I find myself defending a player who I don’t particularly rate.
However, no way is he crap (or the second worst player to wear a Wolves shirt). He is a great player to have in your squad, as he can fill in in a number of positions. And that’s what he is, a squad player. Have you noticed how he has barely been in the starting eleven? He only started v Spurs, because we had no other midfielders to play.
We will move on from him in time, but until then it astounds me that one player can be criticised so much despite helping (and he has done just that) to bring the club forward.
Sorry, but it’s ridiculous.
Agree 100% louie
OK, you are right, I will lay off Ward.
I’ll let his fabulous striker scoring record ( 4 league goals in 4 seasons) and brilliant positional awareness speak for itself.
Me bad.
…and so you choose to ignore everything I say.
Forget it, everyone carry on slagging off Ward/
I agree Ward’s not the greatest player and Mick has his faults, I just get bored with every discussion decending into a Ward hate campaign. This blog was about bad refereeing decisions and you still mention Ward. You’ve got your opinions and I’ve got mine, I just don’t feel the need to ram it down everyone’s throat all the time.
As for Mick going as far as he can go, I completely disagree. We’re a much better football team than we were this time last year and I believe we’ll be a better team this time next year. We’re not perfect but we’re improving, which is all I ask. And don’t give me any happy clapper bull shit. I just have faith in the players and manager.
“It’s not just me, it is the general consensus of opinon, by the majority on here.”
Ah the pravda theory. you shout down dissenters and then, when they move to another forum in disdain, say ‘Look, everyone agrees with me’
The point is not all discussions need to reference Ward and McCarthy. The strength of your opinion on this matter is apparent enough, are you capable of discussing the Wolves without stating your opinion on them?
Bring on another subject or person to discuss and off we’ll go!
I aint proud, I’ll slag off anyone if I feel they deserve it, even me.
FOMM
Has anybody mentioned West Ham’s last minute winner against us by Piquionne that was disallowed for no reason?
And how about Stearman when he was offside for one of the goals against Sunderland?
Just in the interests of balance.
If we go down we have nobody to blame but ourselves.
No one to blame but Mick McCarthy IMO.
£18m spent in the summer, none of the players first team regulars – enough said.
Dunno, Adam. I reckon the refs (and the way the big clubs ‘handle’ them) are at least partly to blame, here, and that Ben has a point…
Look at Ben’s assertion in his blog: “Luck does even itself out. Some teams in the Premier League get, say, 90 per cent of it, while the less fashionable ones get a 10 per-cent split”. Well, we can argue with the percentages, but it’s the fashionable/unfashionable angle where I think Ben hits the target.
Now, you’ve quoted two counter-examples (neither of which I can remember clearly, but I’ll assume you’re correct that we had the rub of the green) as against six of Ben’s AND (crucially) they occurred against smaller clubs.
Now, find 5 or 6 examples where we had generous decisions against the top six sides, and I’ll be with you.
Richard Dunne has fallen out with the Villa again – if we stay up we should try to sign him in the summer.
He’s Irish too so he fits one of MM’s usual demographics – all he needs to do now is find a decent left back who’ll sign for us.