Those 50/50 refereeing decisions.

Nick 0208 Ldn

Anfield and now at Stamford Bridge.

Is it merely the refs playing to the home crowd or do you think that since the Wiley episode, on some subconscious level, the decisions are leaning toward the opposition so to speak?

I'm not suggesting some mass conspiracy here, could be...human nature if that is a way of describing it.

But then when a side is battling relegation they feel similarly hard done by and they're told by others you "make your own luck" and the like.

Although when such niggling judgements by the refereee go against you so regularly [or that is the feeling], it is in its way more annoying than that one big call.

Ironic however, ever since Fergie's outburst after the Sunderland match for which i thought he was in the wrong, he has been pretty much justified in being miffed all the time.

Solius

Over the past two seasons I've noticed we hardly ever get offside decisions in our favour. There have been literally countless times in games over recent years where we've never had the benefit of the doubt when it comes to them. Rooney being played through today is just one of many. 2 seasons back when we lost to Chelsea, Ronaldo was played through on goal only for it to be wrongly called offside.

I don't think it's a conspiracy or any shite like that but a lot of it is just down to some really poor officiating.

Nick 0208 Ldn

The Sun this morning is saying that Fergie is looking at another FA investigation and potential ban for the this:

If that is what the players are saying and they're likely saying far worse lol, what place of the FA's is it? Pretty mild and dejected sort of comment really.

GDH

I think it's a bit of the home crowd thing to be honest. Although I'm sure refs have taken on board the Fergie comments, I think more than likely the only thing they would've done is make sure they're closer to the action at times, to prove him wrong. We've not gotten a lot of luck from the refs in recent times, but as a big club it's always going to be a bit different for us. We either get the 50/50 decisions for a few games, get criticized for it, then lose out on them for a game or two, or get the refs trying too hard to be balanced and therefore going completely against the big team. For most clubs they tend to go for you at home and against you away.

To be honest I'm more worried about the general performances of the refs these days, last season wasn't much better either. What's really worrying is that they're coming under fire (justifiably, in my view) for a lot of dodgy decisions and generally bad performances, and the only response seems to be to shout at those who are criticizing rather than get to the heart of the problem. There's been an overwhelming number of poor performances by refs this season, and some clubs are feeling the brunt more than others, unfortunatly I feel we're one of them at the moment. But I'm sure it'll turn when we get the big games at home and then Liverpool and Chelsea will probably have just cause for complaint.

Bread

Whats annoyed me is lost away form home, decisions have not gone our way and barely a word is ushered by the media and the fans of other teams, in the derby, we get THE CORRECT amount of injury time at old trafford, score the winner and there is a national inquest into added time with everyone saying how we always get every decision our way

Christofaux

fixed

I_live_cement

Could somebody translate this for me?

I couldn't understand a word of it.

RedCanuck

There was nothing "50/50" about the decisions at anfield or the bridge.

Scandalous referee - respect? nonsense

kietotheworld

Referees make shit decisions, it happens. At some point there'll be a series of important decisions that go against us, equally there'll be a series that go for us at some point.

fatboy

Well the wrong decisions are supposed to even out in the course of the season. So maybe we'll wait and see if we get any help from the referee at OT in the reverse fixtures. Somehow, I'm not exactly hopeful. In recent years making strong (and wrong decisions) against us at OT seems to have become a referee's test of their manhood, and most of them are more than eager to prove it. These recent comments by Fergie are not exactly going to help either.

pigface

What i don't understand is that there is no forum for clubs to address this with the FA. Simply stated the refs are right in every decision they make according the the FA. Obviously you don't want to open it up so that every decision is scrutinized but surely you have to take a look at certain decision that influence the outcome of matches. Sure, it's not going to change the match as it's done and dusted, but it would go a long way to show clubs that the matter is being addressed and that poor decisions will be reviewed. Mewh, whatever... move on, match over lets just punish the next team we face.

mjs020294

I think United's forwards are timing the runs too well at times. I am getting a bit sick of seeing them spring the offside trap perfectly only to get penalized.

When close calls are in other games the player has strayed offside more often than not. Yet when its United they are level when reviewed on TV.

Sunny Jim

I was going to start a thread about Lamps and Terry. why do these two fuckers get every 50/50 decision in their favour? why a clean but nasty tackle on them is a foul? why they never commit fouls- Lamps chasing Valencia with Valencias shorts in his palm? is not a foul? fuck them.

KOV

of course it should even out at seasons end but when its against our main vital rival its more important..

hopefully we get the rub of the green against chelski at OT

KOV

yea lampard is the refs love child big time how that was not a free for valencia il never know

Simon Adebesi

I completely agree with this. Swings and roundabouts. And if there is an inclination to rule against us, SAF is only making it worse by constantly slating refs. That is not going to endear them to us.

INF-AMOS

You dont understand Salford ?

Ok, something to do with how when other teams come to OT and get a dodgy decision there is a national inquest and yet when we get fucked over on our travels it’s all fine n dandy.

Hope this helps.

Bread

i have just realised i completely fucking up writing that, i shall go back and edit!

holyland red

We were extremely lucky against Villa last season. If Agbonlahor wouldn't have been incorrectly judged to be offside twice when one-on-one with VDS (and Villa 2:1 up) we'd still not know who Macheda was.

Dyslexic Untied

I honestly didn't think the refereeing was that bad yesterday.

Floyd

It was terrible.

Why the ref didn't stop play when Giggs and Ivanovic so obviously clashed heads I'll never know.

VidaRed

Fergie's rant hasn't done us any favours.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

The linesman ship pissed me off the most. It cost us a chance at a goal and a penalty in first half alone.

charleysurf

When a linesman gets an offside decison that badly wrong and misses a clear penalty when Valenica is dragged down by his shirt in the box, and in both cases the linesman had a good view but bottled the decisions, then how is anything but crap?

I don't believe in conspiracy stuff, but it is within the realms of possibility that some officials have taken a cue from their union chief and are sticking it to Fergie.

charleysurf

There's no excuse for it influencing refs to screw us over though. They're only proving Fergie correct.

Doevle

I'm usually not one of those who keeps complaining on the refs as I'm getting used to their rubbishness, but this is driving me fecking mad

RedPhil1957

The big difference is in the way the media deal with decisions that go our way.

Floyd

Me too. And it's almost always Rooney who's wrongly flagged. In 07/08 alone the linesmen robbed him 4-5 goals.

Dyslexic Untied

Alright, but hardly game changing.


The Valencia situation would have been a very soft penalty IMO.

And for the offside situation, if you are referring to their goal, it was so close, and when in doubt I think the refs should give the attacking team the benefit of doubt.

I don't see any of those decisions as especially bad ones.

Floyd

Of course, that's the rule. Except if it's Wayne Rooney.

OK, that might be me being a wee bit paranoid but the number of times he's wrongly flagged offside is just unheard of.

Ronaldo is even faster (more difficult for the linesmen) and also liked to go behind defences, you'd think he'd be flagged just as much. He didn't.

There was that one time though away at Derby, when he scored later in the match, he celebrated waving an imaginary flag like a madman, completely taking the piss out of the linesman, great stuff that was!

Striker10

The problem with refs is they're human. Until we bring in like Robotic cyborgs, we'll have to accept the whole package. Oh and it don't 'all balance out' during a season. That's wishful thinking. Like some cunt adds it all up..bollocks...

The respect for officials campaign really highlights how laughable the whole idea is. How can people respect them? Are we meant to respect the fact they're crap at their job?

Sure it's a hard job, but decisions right under your nose? laughable.

A1Dan

I agree - where are the caf's video-compilation heroes? We need a "Rooney's offsides" vid for youtube...


I actually think it may be because he's not known for his pace. He breaks through the line due to brilliant vision and timing, but the linesman thinks "that fat bastard must have been way off when the ball was played". Whereas with Ronaldo, the linesman would be thrilled to see such an athlete running so fast, and just quietly start knocking one off.

kietotheworld

What do you expect? We are winning Premiership after Premiership, redomination of England after a short blip and look like relinquishing our grip on the title, of course people who don't support United (the mjaority of the media) are going to be happy about it.

INF-AMOS

Its quiet obvious really, referees and linesmen bottle it and run damage limitation exercises.

It’s easier to flag for a debateable off side than take the chance of a potential goal especially against the home team. It’s also easier to allow a debatable goal for the home team than to disallow and have the home team and crowd on your back. This works for us and against us at times.

Referees should have to undertake character strength examinations like SAS recruits to see if they are up to it. Put em in dark pitts with snakes etc.

Maybe not but it seems to me that the very best referees such as Collina are not only the ones that know the rule books but also aren’t afraid to implement them without trepidation.

Tumbling-Dice

Or give them a better chance using video technology.

21st Century ffs, we put a man on the moon 40 years ago but we still can't have a football match without on average at least one dodgy offside call per game.

Spot on.

The majority of posters here would get fired if they were as incompetent in their jobs as referees are. It's beyond a fucking joke at this stage, it really is.

Tumbling-Dice

I'm sorry but if I was putting Clattenburg, Riley, Atkinson, Marriner et al into a dark pit with snakes I'd be very tempted to lose the key .... for good.

Key ? What key ? I never saw a key. Are you trying to disrespect me saying I had a key when it's obvious there is no key ?

Collina is a legend, an absolute master of his profession. The best there's ever been.

They should take his sperm and use it to breed future referees.

INF-AMOS

Floyd

He he, true that. Rooney is fast though, he just doesn't look fast.

Don't Kill Bill

When the two Chelsea players clashed but he allowed the attack until we won the ball back at which point he blew the whistle. That isn't a mistake is it? I don't know why he changed his mind but it looks very biased to me.

Snow

I'm beginning to think that the refs don't like being criticized by SAF and aren't being the most professionals at what they do.
The home crowd thing is a given. We've seen it over the years. But the refs have just gotten worse. But don't take it all out on the refs. The linesmen have their part too. Last two games we've played they've probably cost 2 goals, given that Rooney would've scored.