Premier League: Third-rate referees simply not good enough for modern football
Laying Down the Lawford – Yahoo Sport’s Mark Lawford debuts his new series
Enough is enough. Someone has to do something about the standard of officiating in the Premier League.
Inconsistencies about two-footed or dangerous challenges have been the cause celebre this season with players either red-carded for winning the ball (Jamie Vardy) or mildly rebuked/cautioned for just failing to inflict career-ending injuries with shin high two-footed off the ground, totally-out-of-control ‘challenges’ (Marcos Rojo).
Then along came Kyle Walker…
The Tottenham right back has been outstanding this season as his side have topped the tightness at the back charts. Let’s not forget too that he and Spurs left back Danny Rose have also earned plaudits for ‘marauding’ forward at great pace down the flanks and boosting the team’s fire power.
But if you live by the maraud you die by the maraud. Supposedly.
With Tottenham 2-1 down to Manchester City in a crucial clash for not just those teams but the others in the top six, Walker was out-marauded by City winger Raheem Sterling.
Clean through with 14 minutes to go against Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris who had been handing out gifts to the home side like a senile Santa Claus, Sterling had the chance to kill the game.
He had two yards on Walker and was 10 yards out.
As he shaped to shoot, Walker jutted out his left arm and shoved Sterling in the back – the sort of thing schoolboys do to each other in urinals.
But the only p*ss taken was by referee Andre Marriner as the off- balance Sterling tamely spooned the ball into Santa’s arms and the TV commentator pointed out ‘There was a little push’.
Very much like Mount Everest is a ‘little hill’.
Further urine was extracted within 30 seconds when an offside-looking Harry Kane (marginal) set up Son Heung-Min to make it 2-2.
Now I am not slating Walker. As he pointed out afterwards ‘I wasn’t going to get it – otherwise you just have to try and put him off as much as possible.’
He did his job. To protect his goal and help his team.
I have no problem with that. Walker could see Spurs falling a potential 10 points behind Chelsea so his was a reflex action.
The problem lies squarely with Marriner for his failure to award what was a blatant penalty. And it should have been a red card too.
What if Spurs pip City by a point for a top four place?
He did not do his job. There are laws to protect players from foul play and referees are armed with these to ensure fair play and safety.
Marriner showed dereliction of duty. He and all other referees are exempt from compulsory press conferences and cannot be quizzed like managers and players.
To be fair he got no help from his assistant, a flag-bearing poltroon who was level with play and should have signalled ‘this time Sterling actually WAS fouled in the area’.
Being a Marriner, the ref would obviously be able to read semaphore. Instead they should both be sunk withtout trace.
It was a decision – or non-decision – that could profoundly affect the outcome of the Premier League.
With Jan Vertonghen out injured and Toby Aldereiweld now struggling the loss of another key defender would have badly affected Spurs.
That mean defence would then have three patches and allow the other teams to take advantage.
And what if Spurs pip City by a point for a top four place….?
It is also hugely ironic that Sterling – who plummets in the area at the feel of a breeze and then wails like a child whose toy has been confiscated – stayed on his feet and was too stunned to protest.
He looked like Bishop Brennan after being kicked up the a**e by Father Ted. He could not take in the enormity of what had happened.
Walker’s shove was intentional but it went unpunished.
There was no ambiguity. It was blatant.
It adds to the cynical view that you have to go down to get a penalty, hence the diving and simulating that litters pitches on a regular basis.
Kane’s ‘offside’ apart (that was the other assistant and it was marginal) there were other flashpoints. But these had all elements of ambiguity – the decision could ave gone either way both of which could have been correct.
Rose and Sterling clashed in the area. Some refs might have given a spot kick. Marriner didn’t. He was right not to.
And in the lead up to City’s second goal, the clash between Sergio Aguero and Victor Wanyama might have resulted in a Spurs free kick.
Did Leroy Sane handle the ball just before he made it 1-0? Of course he did. Was it intentional? Of course it wasn’t.
Walker’s shove was but it went unpunished. But there was no ambiguity there. It was blatant.
A video official (yes that old chestnut again) could have told Marriner about the ‘nudge’ but to be fair if 54,000 other people saw it why didn’t the one that mattered?
And what was his assistant doing? Football is a team game and officiating is the same. If the Spurs defence was caught leaden-footed by the City counter-attack, it is fair to assume Marriner might have been too. But his assistant saw it and did nothing. If he didn’t see it, sack him.
Some people might say Marriner and his mob should be demoted but if they cannot see things as obvious as that, they do not deserve to be in charge of a kickabout in the garden let alone a football match, regardless of its level.
True it all added to the theatre of what was a great match.
But the sight of Pep Guardiola despairingly shoving imaginary opponents then spluttering through an immediate BBC microphone in the face job reinforces the fact that football really is far more important than life and death.
It’s just a shame that incompetent celebrity refs are spoiling football. They either need video help or replacing. Fast.
@Lawford62
Mark Lawford does not support a team in the Premier League…
