Aston Villa were beaten fair and square by Tottenham yesterday, however I keep wondering if Aston Villa were given a penalty for the Helenius pants down challenge, would the result be different? Perhaps not, but looking back into the season I feel as though many referee decisions have gone against us, especially against the ‘bigger clubs’.
Against Arsenal there were many controversial calls for both sides, however when Szczesny fouled Agbonlahor I believe that should’ve been a red card. At least we were given a penalty at the very end. However that game wasn’t as bad as Chelsea, oh no, Ivanovic got away with a brutal foul on Benteke before scoring a Chelsea winner minutes later courtesy of an offside position. That decision alone cost Aston Villa at point at least, if not all 3. And now, most recently, Helenius wasn’t given a penalty for having his shorts pulled down to his ankles.
Paul Lambert has already been fined for critising referee decisions in the past, however if the manager is genuinely correct, no fine should be imposed. Time and time again we’ve seen the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson get away with referee criticism, but the same doesn’t happen towards the ‘smaller’ bosses. I’ve also considered the FA perspective, I agree that referee’s have a very stressful job. However there is a solution to this, a way to get pressure of the referee’s back’s.
This solution maybe a bit unpopular but I’d like the FA and hopefully UEFA and Fifa to introduce a 3-challenge system. Managers can ‘challenge’ three referee calls during a game, if the call is indeed correct, the manager get’s to keep there challenge. Should the call be in-fact incorrect the manager loses that challenge. That decision would then be reviewed by the fourth official on a television screen, or better, let the whole stadium see ‘challenged call’. This would relieve a lot of pressure from referee’s and I also believe it would stop blame on referee decisions around the game. Some people don’t want technology to enter football, I think it would only benefit Aston Villa and the Premier League.
Do you remember when Blackpool were fined for something like fielding a secondary squad against us a few seasons ago, when we only just beat them 3-2. The manager (Holloway) was essentially accused of throwing the game by not playing a full strength team but then shortly after Arsenal (I think) played a second 11 and weren’t fined. Holloway pointed out that he has 25 first team players to choose from, so why shouldn’t he be able to choose them? I don’t much like Holloway but thought he was spot on there, and the FA got it completely wrong. It basically said that the top teams could do what they wanted.
There is an argument that says the interruptions would spoil the flow of a football match. I would rather see that than games being won or lost because of bad decisions. Two years ago I went with the brother in law to watch ManU, he’s a season ticket holder there. Newcastle were given a penalty after Ferdinand made an excellent tackle right in front of the linesman, who waved his flag and gave the penalty, the referee hadn’t seen it. Ba (I think) scored and the match ended 1-1. ManC won the title on goal difference. It’s just an example, I don’t care about the Manchester clubs, but bad refereeing can decide titles as well as relegation.
The Chelsea match involved some dreadful referee decisions. As I pointed out on the other thread, had we won that match we’d be in seventh and would people now be calling for Lambert’s head and predicting more doom and gloom and relegation? Would we have gone into the Liverpool match on the back foot?
I think the flow of the game has been already been slowed down through players falling over too easily.
Player’s dive in order to decisions, with technology I’d 100% sure diving would be brought to an end.
Look we all know when we play a sky 4 or London team big decisions will always go against us. Refs are always worried about upsetting the London media and sky four as incase they are not asked to ref their matches. Howard Webb was a classic example of this hence why he was always in charge of utd s big games IMO of course
I was under the impression that all games have assessor’s for the evaluation of refs, am I wrong? There is no doubt that lastnight that was a penalty in my mind, and the FA should take action against that decision, and yes Aston Villa has been a victim of very dubious refereeing over the years as to why I have no idea.
What does anybody expect Sky the FA and the officials the FA employ are as bent as nine bob notes.We have a minister for sport so why don;t we have an enquiery into the corruption we all know is rife in football.
We got screwed against Chelsea, we deserved at least a point. However we got some dubious decisions in our favour against arsenal.
Overall, the referees havent been the reason for our poor start…i think we’re clutching at straws here. i am worried about this weekend.
Stephen Ireland on the scoresheet!! Can you imagine if he does find his form again?!! Would be kind of ironic given that our midfield couldnt buy a goal or a decent through ball at the moment.
spot on with this one guys and its not just us, time and time again we see teams loosing out to dodgy decicions when facing a ‘big’ club especially at hteir grounds.
was it palace against united the other week when young was diving all over the place as usual and the ref gave united a pen and sent the player off even though he didn’t see the incident clearly as he had to ask his linesman who couldn’t help either yet he still gives those game changing decisions. tell me that would’ve happened had it been the other way round, never in a million years.
refs in general need to toughen up or get some help. how often do you see a ref make a bad decision and you just know he’s going to make up for it some how and sure enough it happens, young goes down and the ref books him for diving, the crowd go mad, the atmoshphere intensifies and then later young gets challenged and goes down and you just know the ref has given it coz he has bottled it. these kind of things have happened loads of times already this season and no doubt will continue and when there’s multi millions resting on one guys split decision its massive.
something needs to be done for sure but what?
The Chelsea game was a joke, Terry handball was so obvious when you compare it to the Clark pen we conceded at Norwich.
Mind you, even if we rightfully had a pen v Spurs, they would have just stepped up a gear and rolled us over anyway.
Big clubs get the decisions, Spurs are one of those now, we sadly are a million miles away from being one.