When Will They Learn

As I sit down each weekend to put these blogs together, I often wonder where my material will come from over a weekend. On Friday evening the canvas is always bare and it needs incidents to get the fingers tapping. This season is fast becoming my busiest ever, having to discuss incidents on a more regular basis than an aeroplane landing in Heathrow airport. I just cannot understand how some of the elite referees and assistants are getting it so wrong, week in and week out in this beautiful game we all love. I am wondering how come we have so many talking points this season. Is it a case that the game is getting faster ? Is it a case the referees are poorer ? Is it in fact a case that players do not help situations with all the lack of gamesmanship that goes on nowadays ? 

This week I want to have a look at all the big talking points from the Chelsea v Southampton game and would also like to have a look at the performance of Martin Atkinson in the Merseyside derby. Let us first take a walk down the Old Kent Road and drop in to see how Robbie Madley got on in the game at The Bridge. Getting a Chelsea game these days is like been given a poison chalice. No matter what decision you give it will be scrutinised over and over again by Mr  Mourinho, who this season is blaming his own failures on referees. True to form Robbie had plenty to do in the game. I counted four big calls and in my opinion he got three wrong. A figure that is not acceptable and I feel his bosses may think the same. There is no doubt he should have given a penalty when Ivanovic nearly tore Van Dijk's shirt off his back whilst defending a corner. What the Chelsea player was thinking, I simply do not know and where Robbie got this one wrong was he never looked into the problem area. We are told as referees to look where problems can occur, he clearly did not do this in the situation which developed which led to him missing an easy call. The challenge in the box by Ramires on Mane was a 100% penalty, no question. It was an awful decision by the referee not to give it, as contact was made. I would actually say if the referee thought Mane dived he should have booked him for simulation. Ironically the referee did book Mane a couple of moments later for a dive when indeed he had been clipped by Ivanovic, a player in my opinion who is going down the pan faster than Lewis Hamilton on a qualifying lap. Chelsea themselves had a big shout in the second half when Falcao went down in the box. Went down is exactly what he did, he played for the penalty and was diving long before contact was made with the keeper. The referee made an excellent decision on this call even following through and cautioning Falcao for simulation. When players receive yellow cards it is always advisable to stay on your feet for the rest of the game when challenging for the ball,as if you get it wrong you run the risk of been sent off. In mine and other referees opinions, Falcao should have been shown a second yellow card when he dived in later in the game on a Southampton player,trying to win the ball. The referee got this one wrong and human nature makes you wonder did the Mourinho effect come into play in his mind. Overall Robbie struggled with the big calls and I for one hopes his mentor gets a hold of him and helps him out,as I think he has the making of a top class referee in him.

Now when it comes to top class referees,please step forward Mr Martin Atkinson. His man management of games this season so far have been superb. When I heard he was to do the Merseyside derby I knew we would have no problems. This game over the past couple of seasons has had its fair share of red cards,a fact I am sure the boys in charge had duly noted. Martin overall did very well in his game,he put out little fires going on all around the pitch and didn't let anything develop to a dangerous point,where things could have got out of hand. Calmness was the order of the day and he had it off to a perfect art. He went about his business with no fuss and the players knew who was completely in charge. Well done on an excellent performance.

Although we all thought our weekend,s football had ended after the Arsenal v United game on Sunday,the Liverpool owners had other ideas. Just as I was sitting down to a beautiful meal on Sunday tea time,news was breaking that Brendan Rodgers had been sacked at Anfield. Another one bites the dust and I for one am sorry to see him go. Brendan never moaned or blamed referees on his own failings,like some other managers in the league and hopefully he won't be out of work long. It just goes to show us how desperate owners have become for success,it is less than two years since Brendan nearly won the league with the reds. I am sure he thinks everyday,if only Stevie G had stayed on his feet,how different things could have been.

I will sign off this week with my usual comments for the boys at Pitch Talk. If you are going out to see your team playing,I do hope I am not blogging about it next week. Until then sleep well and do not have refereeing nightmares. See Ya