The Ref Stop

West Ham v Manchester City

B

bloovee

RefChat Addict
It's not often, after winning 4-0, one goal a penalty, that fans berate the referee but I thought Kevin Friend was poor. One tackle on Sterling was worse than reckless, clearly endangered the safety of an opponent, and not even given as a foul. Two potential early yellow cards for fouls from behind on City players not given, and then he cautions Gabriel Jesus for showing an imaginary card for one of them. Since when has that been a yellow? Even in the supposed clamp down on dissent (from which certain players seem immune, don't they Wayne?) it's always struck me as unfair (discriminatory even) that a foreign player can wave an imaginary card and people think it's bad but other players can moan at the referee (Isn't that a card, ref?) and it's OK. Oh, and congratulations to Sterling for making sure he went down for the penalty, a lesson learned.

I understand Guardiola has already seen Mike Dean to seek clarification about "how the rules are applied in England", and last night will not have added any clarity.
 
Last edited:
The Ref Stop
bloovee said:
showing an imaginary card for one of them. Since when has that been a yellow?
Click to expand...
While it's not listed in the current laws as a mandatory caution, back in 2006 UEFA did issue advice that players should be cautioned for it. I suppose it could be seen variously as USB/showing a lack of respect for the game or as a form of dissent. And although his advice obviously isn't definitive, Keith Hackett also called for this to be a caution in his column "You are the Ref" as recently as June 2015. So it's not as if the concept is exactly unheard of.

https://you-are-the-ref.com/clamping-down-on-dissent/

Even if it isn't always a caution these days, he certainly isn't by any means the first player to get yellow for this.
 
I am glad you have brought up the point about discriminating against foreign players. People are often dismissive of this claim, but in certain football cultures there is nothing sinister about being expressive. Is an imaginary waved card, probably just an instinctive response, an intimidating form of dissent? Moreover, are a fraction of the cautions for simulation genuine attempts to deceive the referee? I would argue not.
Maybe more people will listen to Guardiola when he raises some of the inconsistencies in the application of law in English football.
Perhaps the tendency to penalise very specific (often trifling) or serious offences and ignore a growing problem with cynical/reckless fouls has something to do with Mike Riley, but whoever is responsible I believe some change is necessary.
I think slowly this impression is being transmitted to young people who play the game, as they point out obscure transgressions but are flummoxed by simple jump/charge offences.
But for the money, I imagine players of technical excellence would not tolerate the Premier League's amnesty for a lot of illegal aggression.
 
McTavish said:
Has there ever been a City game where you have been happy with the refereeing?
Click to expand...
Bobby Madley had a good one last time we had him, otherwise I can't recall one (in the EPL). Unlike in the Champions League (and curiously even more in the Europa League) where one might moan about penalties not given etc, but - generally - the standard (from foul recognition to sense over cautions for minor offences) seems far better - or, to be frank, consistent. At the moment it seems open season on Sterling, and it's obvious that some teams are instructed to target the back of Silva's legs after he's played the ball (some managers virtually admit it). Last week he was tripped from behind bringing the ball out of defence (a "promising" move)- FK but not caution - then cautioned for a similar offence soon after.

Anyway, it's Mike Dean today - we'll see if he's still applying the "hands off at corners" rule he applied v Stoke earlier in the season.
 
Not worth another thread, but please feel free to tell me to take off the blue-tinted specs. "Sterling doesn't get penalty" is now in "Dog bites man" territory (3 in last 4 EPL games). Might even have been a red for the keeper (Remember the fuss over Bravo's lunge at Rooney in the last Manchester derby? Bravo got the ball and missed Rooney yet there was more fuss made of that than this incident.)

https://www.thesun.co.uk/video/foot...ean-for-diving-should-it-have-been-a-penalty/
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top