The penalty: psychology and numbers

Do we love them or truly despise them? Goalkeepers are said to be fond whilst players seen to loath the experience, however the psychological aspect of the whole process is truly fascinating. They are a critical time of judgment for all parties actively involved in either taking a penalty or attempting to save one. The full notion of kicking the football from no more than twelve yards happens within a quarter of a second, travelling at speeds of up to 125mph. This often sees a goalkeeper having to decide on which way they are going to dive before the ball is even struck. There is a science to the penalty kick, which in hindsight seems like a effortless task for the man kicking the ball into the net from no more than twelve yards, however, the simplicity of it all is the most difficult thing to overcome when under severe pressure and trying to maintain composure. The importance of goalkeepers studying their opponents and their decision making whilst running up to strike the ball has become imperative in order to stop the ball from getting passed them. Reading a player’s body language on approach tends to be a good sign but most saves from the penalty spot are based on experience.

 

Although there have been pleas to remove the penalty shootout altogether there hasn’t been a doable replacement to settle a game. If two teams are still level after 120 minutes of football then it would seem very unlikely that one of them take the initiative beyond that. The statistics are truly fascinating when studying the mathematics behind the shootout. There is a 60 to 40 better chance of winning the contest for the team who goes first. This could be because they are the side putting their opponents under more pressure to hit the back of the net if they score before them. On the reverse side, if the first team misses their antagonist feels the increasing concern of having to take advantage which can often cause the nerves to jangle.

 

Furthermore, there is a higher probability of a team winning if they have netted an equaliser to make the score level in normal playing time. This is due to the characteristics that accompany the momentum of the team which has just taken an opportunity. The equalising team installs renewed belief that they can win the game despite the penalty shootout symbolising the lottery. For instance, a really good example would be to review the emotions of the Bayern Munich players once Chelsea eqaulised in the dying embers of the game in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final. The Germans were on their home turf and looking comfortable before Didier Drogba struck to cancel out Thomas Muller’s 83rd minute goal with no less than 120 seconds left of the ninety remaining. Despite playing a further half-an-hour due to extra time taking place the Bayern players looked defeated as soon as play resumed following Drogba’s goal. Chelsea went on to lift the European Cup after their Ivorian striker sunk a double sided bullet into the Germans with a crisp penalty with the shootout finishing 4-3 to Roberto Di Matteo’s side. It is said that 65% of the final penalty takers score without the tie having to reach sudden death, with Didier Drogba proving to be on the right side of that marker.

 

Rather interestingly Chelsea missed their first penalty through Juan Mata that evening, which counteracts the truth behind the success of the first penalty taker of each team being the most successful from the spot as they are more likely to score than any of their teammates. Philipp Lahm was the first Bayern Munich player to step up and volunteer, converting without hesitation. Although it is said those first up have the hardest task, the opportunity to score is more likely due to the pressure undeniably building as the course of the shootout progresses. If the first penalty taker misses then there is more of a opportunity for revival as a team’s position can be relinquished by the proceeding twelve yard kicks. If a player misses on penalty number four of five, the pressure is on the fifth volunteer to score whereas the first shooter has four men to follow him to change the score line.

 

The most popular area of the goal for a player to shoot at and score successfully is the bottom left hand corner, with a success rate of almost 19%. The old saying ‘hit is low and hard’ is most certainly the favourable choice with almost half of players shooting low to encourage the goalkeeper to get down low into the corners to stop the shot, which in truth causes them to work harder. The left side of the goal sees just over 40% of penalties scored, with 35% aiming for the right with success and only 24% opting for the centre of the goal with a positive outcome. Despite the bottom left proving the most successful option it is actually the lower right which most players choose to put their shot, a figure 40% to be precise. Retrospectively, a figure of around half of all penalty takers opt for the bottom of the goal, 29% choose the roof of the net and less than a quarter plant the ball in the mid-drift. The least flattering option is to shoot directly at the centre of the goal, half way between the goal line and the crossbar. This suggests there is a lack of confidence from the shooter, assuming that the goalkeeper is going to move completely from the centre of his goal, the one position where they are told to stand before the penalty is taken. A goalkeeper’s save rate automatically increases when stood in the middle from a 13% chance of saving a penalty to 33%. Most penalties are saved in the bottom right hand corner of the goal whilst not many are clawed away when the ball angles to one of the top corners which tend to be out of most goalkeepers’ reach. Around 70% of all penalty saves are made with the goalkeeper diving low but the conversion rate still proves ‘low and hard’ to be stronger avenue to take. Whilst the bottom left of most penalties is the triumphant option there is a high probability it is also the choice which sees players dragging the ball wide, which is surprising as the most off target shots would presume to be blazed over the bar. Aside the kick-takers statistics, a goalkeeper will dive to either his right or his left 94% of the time. They tend to guess correctly around 40% of the time on the direction of a shot but only save between 25-30% of those. Goalkeepers are said to be more forgiving of shots beating them on an angle rather than seeing the ball role past in the centre of their goal posts.

 

Overall the average success rate of a penalty being converted lies at just under 87%, which suggest at least three of the ten takers will miss from the spot. Players including Chelsea’s Eden Hazard have continued to impress from the penalty spot with a 100% dominant record, whilst the runner-up in the Ballon d’Or 2014, Lionel Messi has missed only 6.9% of all the penalties he has taken from the white dot.

 

 

 

The Premier League: Who will rule for the foreseeable future?

The seventies and eighties belonged to the culture town of Liverpool, The Beetles were the band who rose from the clubs and bars to landscape recognition and this transpired onto the football pitch. Then came the nineties and a change of emphasis in the north. Manchester United stole the glory with the Class of 92 whilst the an era in music saw bands such as Oasis bring the culture in more centrally.

 

With a front three including Rooney, RVP and Falcao Manchester United can score but they also concede

Since Manchester United’s dominance the tail of the Red Devils has swung in and out of success. The era of Sir Alex Ferguson came to and end and football became more business orientated with the likes of Roman Abramovich taking a fancy to the English game. Chelsea claimed a few years of glory along but since then there hasn’t been a truly dominant force as seen from the Liverpool and Manchester United celebratory years. The game has changed miraculously due to money. The world’ best players are demanding more and success is very much a short term project with the best expected to win something year on year. The problem is that Chelsea were not the only team to be bought into under the influence of a super-rich multi-billionaire.

 

Chelsea vs Manchester City is the new headline tie in the Premier League

Along came Manchester United’s local and newly invigorated rivals Manchester City, cash rich with all scares from their unfortunate past soon eradicated with the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure on the books. Chelsea and Manchester City are unquestionably the top two in the country with Manchester United propping up a small portion of clubs battling for a top four spot. United are in a transitional period under Louis van Gaal but boast a strong front line which sees them the only contenders to catch Chelsea and City in the near future perhaps.

 

In hindsight, there in no clear winner. Manchester has dominated proceedings over the past three seasons with City winning two league titles to United’s one in Alex Ferguson’s final season before retirement. It was thought that the dominance was going to sway towards the sky blue of City due to United’s struggles to reestablish themselves after the Ferguson era. However, Jose Mourinho returned and so did Roman Abramovich’s desire to spend big again. Manchester United cannot be considered true title contenders in the current age until they hold themselves firmly against both Chelsea and Manchester City. Rather than starting slowly they need to begin strong and carry this on through to the end like they use to.

 

Following the controversy regarding his New York City FC contract, can Frank Lampard help Manchester City topple his old club?

Calling the shots between Chelsea and City seems a difficult task. Chelsea have experience of winning, City do of late but also have the wind in their sails. Chelsea are physically strong as a unit, City are a skillful, passing team. Both have their qualities and this season alone it could come down to who has the best defence or who can keep their best players fit. It is that close between the two this season that every stat, even including goals scored and against at the end of the Christmas period. Now only two points separate the two with Chelsea leading the chase after the first week of games in 2015. Head-to-head since March 2011 Chelsea have the better record with five wins to City’s two, with the teams drawing only two in that time. However, City have proven of late that winning games against your title rivals isn’t the be all and end all. Chelsea have struggled against lower opposition over the past three seasons whilst City tend to find form at the perfect time in the final third of a campaign.

 

For now if a dominator was to be chosen over the next decade, on current trophies won in England then Manchester City would have to come out on top. Chelsea have proven they had the resources to build their European profile whilst City concentrated on trying to be the best in England. It has become clear how desperate Manuel Pelligrini’s side have become desperate for more fortunes in European football. To be frank their record in the UEFA Champions League is poor, hence the reason they continue to be drawn against dangerous opposition such as Barcelona. They have gained valuable experience in the tournament and really need to establish themselves beyond the Last 16 or even the quarter finals. This could become a distraction which may invite Jose Mourinho’s men to overtake on the English front having found a comfortable balance between the domestic and European game and have the strength in their squad. The Blues need to find more consistency in the league whilst they also need City to slip up along the priority ladder.

 

The loan system: The modern apprenticeship

 

Big clubs benefit from it and lower league clubs rely on it massively.  It can be the more expensive option over a B side or an elite under-21 league playing at the same level in the top division but it gives young players a terrific opportunity to play competitively on a weekly basis.

 

Romelu Lukaku, once a young Chelsea prospect bought from Anderlecht, loaned to West Brom & Everton before the Toffees saved up £28m for him

Premier League clubs want to send their young players to clubs that will take care of them, nurture their talents and mature these young men and women who they invested in heavily at a junior age. Therefore managers of lower league sides are expected to know the player they wish to ‘borrow’ inside and out, which means doing extra homework outside of everyday training and tactical planning.

 

In Spain, Holland and a few other European countries we see B teams which breed players for the A side whilst playing competitively in the lower leagues of the tier game.  We have seen Barcelona B, Real Madrid B and Villarreal B all feature in Spain’s Segunda league, the Championship version of Spain, but when a youngster has a decent campaign for the B side he is hand-picked by the ‘A-side’ to progress which has ultimately seen the relegation of the B side the following season.

 

Young Chelsea forward Patrick Bamford has never played a competitive game for the Blues since moving from Nottingham Forest in 2012. Since then he has been on loan at MK Dons, Derby & currently Middlesbrough

However in England, clubs from smaller towns around the country are more likely to loan players from other clubs, most likely from a Premier League side.  This has seen some of the country’s biggest and best talents benefit highly from the loan system including the likes of David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and most recently Andros Townsend.  Of late Chelsea have been major contributors to loaning their young talents to lower league sides.  Players such as Nathaniel Chalobah and Patrick Bamford have unfortunately and somewhat predictably played in either a fringe role at Stamford Bridge or faced the chop and sold or loaned to another team.  This is because clubs such as Chelsea have the financial gold mine to buy the best players around the globe which doesn’t allow the young loanees the opportunity to blossom.  Those who actually come back from a loan spell in the lower division and transform into an unstoppable first team player at the top is a very small ratio.

 

Football league sides benefit massively from the loan system as they are not only getting the gratification of seeing a player develop through their style and coaching, but these kids can genuinely add talent and skill to the ranks, helping a promotion push or an escape from relegation.  These are players who were hired by the big clubs for a reason in the first place in the ‘hope’ the loanees gain some ‘positive experiences’.  Of course not all loans work out but that is just the way the cookie crumbles.  There becomes an underlying connection with the loan player and the club he is loaned to, even long after his spell has finished.  Arsenal’s Wojciech Szcezney has been spotted in the ground at Brentford watching the Bees on a few occasions when not playing for the Gunners.

 

Andros Townsend. Considered a first team option for England. Only played 34 times for Spurs. Loaned out to 9 different clubs in 4 years

The loan system all leads onto the point of whether borrowed players should be able to play against their parent club should they meet.  As it stands the loaned player cannot feature against the club which has sent them out which could be suggested as being a little old fashioned.  I have always been on the fence with this.  Yes I understand that there could be possible grief should the loan player score the winning goal against his parent club or saves a penalty in a shoot-out which denies them progression to the next round of the cup or three points between winning the league or being relegated, but, isn’t it ultimately the decision of the parent club to loan the player out in the first place? It is surely not the fault of the player who is loaned out if the two clubs meet in a fixture and he impresses on the day? Surely this would advise that the parent club made a mistake sending him out on loan?

 

Although the system seems all the more positive there is also a massive problem with it.  The bigger clubs choose to exploit it massively and it has become uncontrollable, especially with the main culprits of this being Chelsea FC who use it far too effortlessly. In the 2014 summer transfer window the Blues sent out an incredible 26 players on loan across eight separate countries.  Not only does it show how Chelsea have no idea what to do with their youngsters or fringe players, it is a way of passing through Financial Fair Play to prove they are not paying too many wage packets.  These players over the long term are rotting away at the club and only getting bit-part escapades around the country to play a small part of first team football.  Where is the consistency in helping players develop when they are jumping from one club to the next, with different managers, coaches and styles of play when all they crave for is a bit of consistency?  There comes a point when a youngster needs to play games at the top level.  There are too many languid patches where we hear of talented 16 and 17 year-olds who vanish of the face of the earth by the time they reach the age of 21.  It seems that they only have one opportunity to prove they have the ability and if they are not ready then they are shipped out on loan and never given a second chance.

 

Radamel Falcao joined Manchester United on loan from Monaco this summer with an option to buy at a later date. United pay the Colombian forward £265,000 a week

Another thing I do not understand is how clubs have the ability to sign players of particular class on loan.  Top European players are being loaned to teams as in the form of some sort of trial to allow the club to decide whether they like the player or not before deciding whether to pay the permanent fee at the end of the borrowing stage. What is Radamel Falcao’s loan to Manchester United all about? If a club is using this because they cannot afford the transfer fee straight away then why should they be able to loan the player so they can have him before they have saved up the required funds? Do not get me started on two-year loans as these are just an excuse to delay the inevitable.  Loans should only benefit fringe players or youngsters, not those at the top of their game.

 

Whether it has its good points or bad ones, if used in the right way the loan system is a great way to develop players or reinvigorate their profile.  It allows confidence to build and can bring the best out in those who have lost form some over a short period of time.  However, I do believe there should be a cap on how many players a team can loan out or draft in.  Some clubs, especially the high profile sides take it a little too far which has seen the process become a little undisciplined of late, like a bit of a loose cannon.

Is Andre Villas-Boas any good?

From Apprentice to Manager

No one really knew who AVB was before he came over to England to take the Chelsea job. The previous year he lifted four trophies including the Portuguese title, going unbeaten and the Europa League with Porto in an unforgettable season. He became the youngest manager in history to list a European honour on his CV.  His true identity wasn’t unveiled until he was linked to Stamford Bridge. Of course he was Jose Mourinho’s right hand man during the ‘Special One’s’ first era at the helm at Stamford Bridge, which was very successful. He then became known as ‘Mourinho’s apprentice’ and it was revealed how he learnt everything he knew from his boss. He took the same route as Mourinho, he was never really that great as a player but gained success in his homeland before being snapped up by the big boys in England.

 

From the Bridge to the Lane

Villas-Boas at Chelsea

He didn’t last long at the Bridge and only a year or so longer at Tottenham, his next destination after Roman Abramovich relieved him of his duties. There was a glimmer of hope for him at Spurs, he began to form a run of results together and pushed Arsenal all the way in the race for a top four spot in 2012-13. Having sold Gareth Bale and bringing in a host of hopeful replacements the season after, his true nature began to leak and Daniel Levy lost patience with him, just as Mr. Abramovich did.  Whether AVB actually approved of the signings made is still relatively unknown due to his rather reserved personality, but either way he never figured out his best team. Spurs looked average without Bale and so did the manager. The press went on to criticise AVB for being too reliant on one player, trying to do what Barcelona do with Lionel Messi but with players of shoddier quality than the Spaniards.

 

He moved onto Russia with the reputable Zenit St Petersburg, beginning in great fashion winning six on the trot which was never done in Russia before. His aim was to win the league despite only arriving half way through the season. Zenit sat top for a while but heavy rivals CSKA Moscow lurked, waiting for Zenit to crumble and eventually went onto pip AVB’s new club to the league title by solitary point. Again yet more disappointment for Andre after being in a positive position.

 

AVB is no Mourinho

AVB led Spurs to their record points total, despite finishing 5th

I still think he believes he is going to be the next Jose Mourinho. He definitely has time on his hands but his young naivety shows that he still has a lot to learn.  His biggest problem is that he is stuck in an era where managers are not given time and it is not going to get any easier.  He seems to struggle with raised expectations and I think his own are a little unrealistic.  There is nothing wrong with aiming high when managing a club that has Champions League potential but he needs to instill confidence in the players around for longer than just one season. Like at Spurs, Villas-Boas expectations exceeded the resources he had.  There is potential but he is yet to identify his best assets.  He seems to have too many philosophies and systems that he wants to try out. Mourinho has one system and knows what type of player he wants; this is why he is successful. AVB doesn’t have the conviction to turn around to a chairman and lay his cards on the table. He lacks assertiveness and above all the personality of Mourinho. He needs to find his own identity rather than being in the footsteps of Jose any longer, which is easier said than done. Only then once he finds his true uniqueness will he begin to get the best out of the players he is managing.

 

The problem is that he is still considered one of the best at what he does and being given job offers from Spurs and Zenit proves there is still genuine belief in his ability. With big jobs comes a hefty amount of pressure. I am not saying he will crumble at every opportunity, I just believe he needs to find the right club for him to develop. Maybe leaving Porto was a premature decision?  Some see the stage lights too early and cannot resist getting to the top and being the main man as quickly as possible.

 

The Bale-factor

Welsh Wizard Bale was AVB’s catalyst at Tottenham before his £85m move to Real Madrid

Andre Villas-Boas implied that he had changed from the four months after leaving Chelsea to joining Spurs. That might very well be the case in some aspects of his management but there are parallels in how the mood around Tottenham slowly nose-dived after Gareth Bale’s departure to sunny Madrid.  At Chelsea, Villas-Boas’ greatest problem was that he did not react well to scrutiny or pressure and did not seem to know how to manage adversity. The great skill of the very best managers is knowing how to quickly change the narrative and avoid being stuck in a downward spiral of negativity. At Spurs he made odd tactical decisions, especially in his second season with dodgy substitutions and changing things too late when his side was trailing. His time at Spurs indicated one thing that he quite clearly missed out on. A quality player of Gareth Bale’s ilk demonstrated that there are things he could do that seven good players could not. While AVB’s post-Bale squad had depth he could not find a way to extract a spark that would bring the whole team to life. Maybe signing players without any Premier League experience was the pinnacle to the club’s downfall? The signings needed time which is something Daniel Levy was not willing to allocate in large quantities. In most cases the game is based upon team play, with the exception of a couple of players with a lot more class. He got lucky being able to manage a player with the quality Gareth Bale had but proved he did not have the fundamentals at White Hart Lane to play without his star-man, which in truth was always going to cause him and the club trouble.

 

From Russia with Love???

He is beginning to rebuild his reputation in Russia with a record that has attracted interest from the likes of Barcelona

He has very much been a manager of short-termism, spending only eight months at his first club Academica de Coimbra, a year at Porto, nine months in charge at Chelsea and a year-and-a-half as manager of Tottenham Hotspur. For him to learn and establish himself in this kind of business he needs to spend time with a club, preferably longer than the four years and two months he spent at four clubs in two different countries. I understand that managers come and go as quickly as footballers do these days but at such a young age, managerial wise, he could damage his reputation even more so if he fails miserably time and time again. At Zenit St Petersburg he is away from the media scrutiny of some of Europe’s top leagues. Although the Russian league is attempting to grow in stature it does not bear the weight of Europe’s top five leagues. The media are a little more patient in Russia and with former Porto player Hulk on the cards, he may be given more time to prove himself. Zenit have a strong bed of talent with the likes of Ezequiel Garay, Domenico Criscito and Alex Witsel on hand which means AVB still has quality around him. He also has former Arsenal attacker Andriy Arshavin playing for him and should the manager reinvigorate the talent the Gunners once saw in him he will quickly show he has different dimensions to his game, which in turn will help him gain the respect he once had. Zenit are more often than not going to challenge for the Russian title, a few of these under his belt and a couple of good runs in the Champions League will see his fortunes change

 

He is a methodical man, one of few words and with the right guidance he could be the finished product. He is a clever individual but a few wise words in his ear could see him use his ability to discover what he wants from the game.  I am sure he will fancy another crack at the English game during his managerial career and I would like to see him prove his doubters wrong one day.

Financial Fair Play in a nutshell

Should clubs be allowed to spend more than their annual revenue? UEFA introduced regulations of Financial Fair Play after agreeing the idea in principle in 2009.  In doing so, on top of not allowing clubs to spend more than they should to develop their squads, the intelligence behind the scheme attempts to stop clubs getting into financial disarray which has evidently threatened the long term survival of some teams. However, businesses need to grow and to exceed organisations need to spend more money and take risks for financial benefit to be accrued.  FFP breaks EU competition law as it restricts ambitious clubs from challenge those who have been successful for a number of years.

 

City’s owners have spent nearly £1 billion on Manchester City but Uefa’s Financial Fair Play rules are looking to put a stop to this

You can see why other clubs are more than slightly annoyed that league titles are literally having money thrown at them by the likes of Manchester City and Paris Saint Germain to fill up which has been a long overdue, empty cabinet. Michele Platini, the UEFA President, believes that huge spending powers could ruin the game.  City were sanctioned in 2014 with a squad restriction in the Champions League, allocated twenty-one players rather than the registered twenty-five due to breaking financial-fair-play on top of a massive £49 million fine. Instances such as City and PSG created concerns that heavy spending would decrease the chance of any competition within the game. It is hoped that the rules would eventually lead to a ‘level playing field’. The chances of this however will be very unlikely as the revenue of some clubs has always been lower than others. City are a prime example of how the need for a large takeover is one of the only ways to completely change a club’s fortunes.

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been joined with the likes of Edinson Cavani, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Ezequiel Lavezzi and more since PSG’s takeover

The money installed into these two clubs has been and is for the foreseeable future seen as a gift that the owners could inject into the teams whenever they felt like it. The increase in talent grew rapidly for both teams and they are not the only ones who have jumped on the band wagon after Chelsea began the trend, along with Monaco and Anzhi Makhachkala. Anzhi were ruined, just like Leeds United after failing to install professional financial advisors and owners who do not understand the finances of football. Michel Platini announced frightening findings on the increasing trend of clubs losing more money than what they had accrued due to over-spending. Plenty of clubs have failed Financial Fair Play rules alongside Man City and PSG.  Galatasaray, Trazonspor and Bursaspor from Turkey slipped up along with Zenit St Petersburg and Rubin Kazan of Russia.  There are still massive debts reported by almost every club in England and the scheme is trying to stop the downward spiral. The game has proven how business in this game is different to trade than in other industries.  Many businessmen are wanting to quickly sell their assets in a club due to this fear, but in the modern era it is becoming increasingly harder to sell at a profit due to the amount of variables in what is being sold.

 

A look at the Premier League expenditure of the current top 20 teams over the past 5 years, click on image to enlarge

Arsene Wenger in 2014 accused Manchester City of cheating the system and trying to find ways to bend around it, especially after the loan deal to bring Frank Lampard to the Etihad. City have become a global enterprise, with franchises in America and Australia with New York City FC and Melbourne City FC. City are reaping the benefits of this as both teams have seen players including Frank Lampard and David Villa playing for them. With household names representing them abroad, City will only draw in more fan recognition, meaning their support foundation will increase, meaning more people are likely to visit grounds globally, meaning City enhance their budget. Money brings success in football, not one-hundred percent of the time but more than likely it does. Since Man City’s takeover by Khaldoon Al Mubarek and Sheikh Mansour in 2007 they have won two league titles, one FA Cup and featured regularly in the UEFA Champions League. Before this happened, they were a yoyo team flirting between the leagues, looking up at rivals Manchester United and struggling to stay afloat. City have been warned and rightly so, even though they have provided us with some wonderful periods of play since their takeover, we would not be celebrating this if it wasn’t for the players who were bought by the money insurgence from the Middle-East. They were lucky not to be disqualified from European Competitions or a transfer ban. However, I doubt a season’s transfer ban would have had too much affect on the club and any planned activity in future markets due to the quality they have already accrued.

 

There is a major difference between Portsmouth, the first Premier League side in history to go into administration before dropping four divisions, and Manchester City. Pompey were managed badly, City have not been.  It is how business prevails and there should be better support functions to maintain a club’s position should they choose to enhance their profile.

Luis Suarez: Good Kop, bad Kop, in Barcelona we’ll do it all again

There is no hiding from it; Luis Suarez is a brilliant footballer.  He won the PFA Player of the Year for being the best footballer in the Premier League in 2013-14, helping Liverpool jump up the table to finish second and secure Champions League football at Anfield following a short absence from the competition. It has been evident in 2014-15 that they miss him. He is a proven goal scorer, has the ability to trickle past a handful of men, whilst his partnership with SAS team-mate Daniel Sturridge can be remembered as being one of the best in Premier League history.  However, there is a dark side to the Uruguayan, as though he is possessed by the devil.  From a flesh eating zombie to a wired goal score, Suarez is an unpredictable asset. He has this erratic behavior that makes him take the wrong approach with obscene madness.  As a footballer I like Suarez, he is one of the best at what he does and deserves to play for one of the best teams in Europe but he is a blinding idiot and needs help.

 

Bite number 3 on Georgio Chiellini

The World Cup in Brazil in 2014 saw him take a chunk out of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini, leaving teeth marks and ripping the Juventus player’s jersey. You would have thought he would have learnt how to keep his fangs inside the region of his mouth after previous lunches, one during his Ajax days and his other famous chomp at Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic which saw him banned for seven games. Now I commend Suarez for his efforts after those seven games which took place at the beginning of the 2013-14 season. He won the golden boot award and was a joy to watch. His passion was there for Liverpool once again and this was carried through to the win for Uruguay over England in Fortaleza, with images of the striker crying after securing a vital win for his country. However, game number three of the tournament in Brazil was even more important against the Italians but it wasn’t Uruguay’s win that was remembered.

 

The story of Suarez’s vampirisms never appeared on the front pages of the Uruguayan press and as a nation the incident was seen as a nothing situation. Suarez tried to avoid the subject during a post-match interview in his native tongue by suggesting that the media should not turn a crucial victory into a ‘bite’ story. The Uruguayan President backed Suarez, the coach dismissed all allegations and even captain Diego Lugano brushed away all reports, claiming that the British and Italian press blew all proceedings out of the water, in particular the British press who were said to have hyped up the phone-hacking scandal in February 2012 and was trying to do the exact same to Suarez.  There is no hatred for the man over in this country; he has been forgiven on more than one occasion. We love the way he plays the game but by law, the British agree with the majority that the man should have been punished. Conspiracy theories of the British and Italian media having it in for the player are rubbish; the Uruguayans handled the situation poorly with immaturity.  Even Diego Maradona supported a t-shirt, suggesting that the striker had been mistreated like ‘he was’ in 1994 following the Argentine’s drug scandal.

 

The incident was looked at almost immediately, by FIFA’s definition, to make a verdict on how Suarez should have

Bite number 2 on Branislav Ivanovic

been punished. At first I went down the route of suggesting Suarez should have been banned for a lengthy period across all types of football, having this been his third biting offence on top of the Evra racism fiasco and the deliberate handball to deny Ghana in South Africa 2010.  Then I took into consideration how this would affect all third parties, including clubs, fans and the legal side of things.  A four month ban across all forms of football including training, a nine game international ban and a £65,000 fine did not warrant enough punishment.  Not least to say he was briefly ‘let off’ and ‘allowed’ to train with his new Barcelona team mates after challenging the ban before the beginning of the 2014-15 season.  For a player earning £192, 307 a week, having committed yet another ludicrous offence deserved more than what was given, and no I am not laying into him because I’m an Englishman. Banning him for the rest of the Brazil World Cup was fair, for a lengthy international period, fair, for even the next World Cup maybe would have been a good shout, from all types of football, well this was altered but I think the fine should have been more considerable and the ban itself should have been for at least a season. If I was to bite someone or physically attack a work colleague for example then I would be sacked on the spot, the first time never mind the third, but his fortune has to be taken into consideration. It is a hypothetical situation as anyone in any business type would not be sacked on such a wage but would be strongly advised to resign. Betting website 888.com dropped Suarez from being the front man of their advertisements as they did not want to have their reputation chewed up. Why was there even an option for him to appeal the fine to reduce the fee and to go through a court of arbitration for support if he felt the punishment was unfair?  He deserved any hefty penalty coming his way but then the next thing we see is him making his debut for his new club two months into his ban in a friendly against Mexican side Leon.

 

Bite number 1 on Otman Bakkal

This is a man who is worth millions and is regarded a major asset, especially when he was at Liverpool Football Club and is going to be a key figure next to Lionel Messi for Barcelona once he settles in La Liga. Whether he stayed at Liverpool or moved to Barcelona he would have been punished retrospectively but the defense could never put any blame on FIFA for the actions of one of their players, especially as it was allegedly premeditated before the Uruguay-Italy game.  A week after the ‘bite’ Suarez pleaded his innocence, stating that he ‘lost his balance and fell into Chiellini’s shoulder’. Chiellini turned on the verdict despite being the victim by suggesting the ban was ‘too excessive’, this an example of footballers backing each other regardless of any conflict that has occurred.  Liverpool knew what type of character he was when they offered him a new contract in 2013 and concluded that enough was enough, thus the £75 million acceptance fee Barcelona offered.  Whichever club he was going to play for in 2014-15 would have suffered.  It had worked out that he would miss nine league games and three Champions League games, less than a third of a league campaign and a crucial period in Europe. Overall Suarez would have missed forty-seven games without being sent off. Overtime his ban cost Liverpool millions of pounds which is why there were campaigns to sell him before the beginning of the new season. If Suarez hadn’t have been banned in 2013-14 Liverpool could have won the Premier League. There is no excuse; Liverpool chose to keep him, a second time after committing the same offence. The fans wanted him out and his release clause of £75 million lost its value by £20 million. Liverpool threatened with proverbial court attendances as a clause in his contract claimed that he could not be banned domestically. Liverpool’s argument would not have been strong enough due to their pre-intelligence of the player and the ridiculous procedure of allowing him to leave the club for another if he so wished.  Barcelona were not as lucky as the release clause was not reduced but they gained a player who would bring a deadly element to the front line. I do not believe he should have been granted a transfer. What would be the point of another club to go through what both Liverpool and Ajax had?  Barcelona and Real Madrid kept their interest, in particular the Catalans who seemed very keen and their patience eventually paid off.

 

The question surrounds the sincerity of the bites in comparison to other players and their antics. If this happened away from the football pitch then a caution at the very least would have been a suitable measure of punishment.  However, players including Roy Keane and Vinnie Jones ended careers with dangerous tackles which were not punished severely.  Then you get Eric Cantona banned for nine months after his karate kick on a Crystal Palace fan. Where does Suarez and his three bites come into this?  How do they compare? Why does there seem to be a lack of consistency in response to offences by all footballers?  Does a bite bare the same significance as a kick or an elbow? How do we deem what is serious and what is not on a football pitch when all crimes on the grass would be seriously considered off it?

 

Suarez could lose almost a third of his annual Barca wages if he bites again

There have been suggestions Suarez had twelve months worth of treatment to help him with his anger. I believe he should have to take compulsory rehab throughout the rest of his playing career.  Although he has sworn to the fans of Barcelona that he ‘will not bite again’, he is a ticking time bomb who cannot be trusted.  His mental state is not going to be cured over a space of twelve months from one incident to the next. He needs prolonged visits to a specialist to help him overtime.  I am not calling Suarez a mad-man and I am not a qualified GP, but his mental state cannot be stable for him to flip out every once in a while.  I think I read it somewhere or heard it on the radio that you are more likely to be bitten by Suarez than a shark.  It is like curing an addict or an alcoholic from a disease that prevents them from saying ‘no’ to something, unfortunately many fail from the consequences or receive ongoing punishments. People who have an addiction visit rehab consistently and it takes a long time to turn their mindset around. He obviously gets wound up, especially on big occasions and yes he does things erratically but some people cannot control their moods swings. He can stop the biting on his own accord but he needs help with the rest. Suarez isn’t an addict, he isn’t a criminal but he has a wicked temperament and is a danger to himself and those around him.  Therefore something needs to be done about it rather than him being in denial when visuals on camera clearly illustrate what he has done. Either way Suarez has the benefit of being a footballer, a body who can get away with things and all offences will be forgotten once he starts scoring again. This was proven in a Liverpool shirt and it will be verified yet again once he starts to perform for the Catalans. Let’s put it this way, even though his ban could have been cut short, Luis Suarez could lose as much as £3 million of his £10million-per-year Barcelona salary if he bites another opponent. Think about that one Luis!

BEWARE DANGEROUS PREDATOR! IF SUAREZ IS ABOUT DO NOT MAKE HIM SHOW HIS TEETH!

Why do ‘top-class’ players fail in the Premier League?

What does the Premier League have over other leagues?

The rigors of English football define our league and this is why we love it. Pace, power and plenty of counter-attacking football concur the highlights on Match of the Day and players are shattered after a ninety minute shift.  The competitiveness of the Barclays Premier League is its defining trait.  The league is ruthless, extremely quick and does not fair with complacency.  Teams play to win regardless of how it is done and the British love an underdog.  Although there is a divide between the top six or seven clubs and the rest of the league, no team is guaranteed victory and the likelihood of either one or two teams winning the league has seemingly taken a twist (and then both Chelsea and Manchester City decide to go against the recent trend this season by proving their class above the rest).  In Spain, Italy, France and Germany and even in most leagues around Europe struggle to even imply they have a league that has the possibility of seven teams being considered for the title, never-mind qualification for the top four.  The quality of talent in other European leagues is unquestionable, especially in Spain and Germany which could easily rival the top Premier League sides when drawn together in European competition.  Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have some wonderful players on show and are the kings of European football at the moment but if we are talking of a league as a whole, the top teams in the Premier League have a much more difficult task on their hands of retaining top spot.

 

Europe and even world football has brought us a catalogue of brilliant footballers but for me a player has to test themselves in England before being considered the best.  This is not being biased towards other nationalities nor is it being disrespectful to those players who prefer to stay in one country, but the one thing I would like to see is how players such as Lionel Messi would cope with the physicality of the English game.  The Premier League pays big bucks for overseas footballers which is a primary reason for their transfer over here.  It is considered the best in global football and many like the idea of a challenge to see if the English game is all it is made out to be. There have been some players from abroad who have had brilliant and successful careers in England.  Didier Drogba has won three titles and lifted the UEFA Champions League with Chelsea. Thierry Henry is considered the best footballer to have played in England whilst Cristiano Ronaldo grew from being a young boy to a winner under Alex Ferguson. However, these players either didn’t have a big profile on their arrival nor were they in the process of building a name for themselves without the help of a Premier League manager. The fascinating thing is that there have been some household names that have not reached the levels in the Premier League that they had across Europe. Those including Shevchenko, Crespo, Robinho and Veron have all failed to make an impact in England despite being branded ‘top class’ players.

The next Brazilian superstar… career ended

So why has this happened to those who have come to England with such a large expectation? I think the anticipation is the first factor that has crippled some. The flops mentioned above were fantastic in Serie A in Italy and Spain’s La Liga but were figured out by the physicality of the English game.  Robinho for example arrived with Brazilian flair, speed and a wonderful goal-scoring record for Real Madrid. Half way into his first season at Manchester City he began to suffer from fatigue and became a shadow of his days in Madrid without any invention to his play. He was purchased for a then English record of £33m as part of the investment City received from Abu Dhabi. Eighteen months into his deal at City he was shipped out on loan to Santos, his boyhood club before being flogged out eight months later to AC Milan for less than half of the fee City paid to bring him to Manchester.

A born goal scorer… career ended

Andriy Shevchenko was for me the biggest failure and not the first Chelsea forward who couldn’t adapt. The iconic AC Milan forward was arguably Europe’s most prolific goal scorer. In 208 performances from 1999 to 2006 at the San Siro the Ukrainian hit a tally of 127, lifting the Serie A title along with the Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League back in 2003. After Hernan Crespo failed to convince Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire wanted an outstanding replacement.  Before his Chelsea days Crespo was a touch of class in Serie A but there was genuine belief Shevchenko was going to be a better fit rather than the Argentinian. Crespo went out on loan to the San Siro and Shevchenko was drafted in, in exchange for a whopping £30.8 million. His goalscoring began quite fluently with him hitting his 300th top flight goal across Europe whilst recording his name as the second all time goalscorer in European competition behind Gerd Muller, this before Filipo Inzaghi set standards even higher a year or so later. In fifty-one games Shevchenko only scored fourteen times for the Blues which was not the turnaround the club was looking for. Under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Shevchenko quickly dropped down the pecking order which saw him loaned back to Milan where he failed to score a single goal in nineteen league matches, whilst only netting twice in five cup games.

 

The then AC Milan manager Carlo Anchelotti had agreed to become the new Chelsea boss which spelled the end of Shevchenko’s four-year contract at Stamford Bridge, after being left out of the Italian’s 23-man Champions League squad. He returned to Ukraine for a second spell at Dynamo Kiev where his record of scoring did improve but it was said that he lost all the elements he had when he first left Kiev to join Milan. To see a brilliant striker such as Shevchenko be crippled by the English game was difficult to understand. His knack of nicking a goal from inside the eighteen yard area without any real difficulty was great to watch, but not in England.

Does this prove the Premier League is the hardest league in the world?

These flops tend to come from big clubs around Europe. They become settled in one or two leagues and find the pressure of playing in England too overwhelming due to the demand by clubs and their fan’s and also living up to their price tag.   It is fair to say those who have failed in the Premier League haven’t really gone on to revitalise their careers after leaving England.  Reputations have faltered, with players being dropped by the clubs they left the Premier League for, whilst they have been unable to recapture any of the form they once had. Only those who have developed through the Premier League have gone onto better things. For me it suggests the Premier League has the fundamentals to strengthen a player’s mentality and ability to cope with the might they have gained from the physicality England offers. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale are key examples of growth through the English game. They grew in build and stature whilst the pace they have developed has proven deadly in Spain. The English have never really made a stamp in Europe with only David Beckham and Gary Lineker being the notable exceptions.   Most foreign exports with a reputation have struggled to maintain their place in the first team unlike Beckham and Lineker whose careers went from strength to strength, with club after club.

Are draws for tournaments fixed?

Is there a real cause for concern?

Derbies being played in the early rounds of a tournament, underdogs playing each other in the latter stages to get a boarding pass to the next round and teams playing each other again and again year after year, you would think this supports the above question?

The first time Drogba returned…

Drogba and Mourinho have always had a strong relationship. His reception on his return was inspiring.

Also in support of this debate is the coincidence of a tie being drawn after much speculation in the media.  Let me expand upon this.  Didier Drogba scored the winning penalty for Chelsea in their first UEFA Champions League victory as finalist in 2012 and is forever going to be hailed as a legend.  He later left that summer for pastures new but soon returned to Europe after a very short stint in the bizarre environment of Shanghai Shenhua in China.  As a Galatasaray striker in the 2014 European Cup he went on record to state how he would have loved to visit Stamford Bridge to face his former teammates in the first round of the knockout stages, in the Last 16.  This was published throughout the UK tabloids on how he would receive a wonderful reception.  Why and behold his ‘dream’ came true, Chelsea drew Galatasaray, what a ‘twist of fate’.

Clubs from the same country meeting

In European club football, teams from the same country tend to be drawn against after the group stages, a round which banishes them from doing so, simply to narrow down the chances of one country dominating the whole tournament.  We often see this occur in the quarter or semi-finals of a competition.  Although the chances of them being drawn together are more likely with the number of teams in a tournament reducing as time goes on, it seems inevitable that Chelsea will be drawn against say Manchester United or Barcelona go ahead to ahead with Atletico Madrid.

Has the excitement been ‘drawn’ out

Where did the excitement and the unpredictability of the draw vanish?  When the FA cup draws took place it was a momentous occasion each and every time but this no longer seems to be the case. Maybe it has always been this way and the expectedness of two teams meeting in a tournament year after year will never change?  I can tell you where the thrill of the draw went… in the back pocket of those drawing out the numbers perhaps, or their advisers who organize these ‘pot luck draws’.  ‘Here you are son, here’s a tasty £100 bonus if you can guarantee that ball number one, Arsenal draw out ball number eighteen in the pot, Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the FA Cup’.  What a load of cotton rollocks!

Everyone wants a competition that sees the best teams compete against each other but shouldn’t this be seen towards the end of the tournament after they defeat their minnows?  I understand that at some point two of the big teams will go head-to-head and yes this could happen in the early stages of a tournament but there seems to be no randomness in a draw.  Big fixtures in each round of domestic cup football are purposely put in place to keep the interest of the FA Cup alive following its alleged demise.  This is how TV claimed its rights once again.

The seeding system

A big pointer on how draws can be derived as fixed is the seeded system put in place to ensure the better clubs get through the early stages of a competition easily.  Therefore this gives the underdogs less chance of playing each other ‘by chance’ as they must play the more successful teams first.  How is this categorically fair or have those rewarded with a top seed earned the right to an easier route? What happened to random draws where you would see the ultimate group of death in the first round of the World Cup?  The whole layout for an international tournament and European club competitions is set out so the predicted finalists actually get to the final and ‘don’t disappoint’.

Making judgment on referees

Who would be a referee?

As the old cliché repeats itself year after year, referees do have the hardest job in football. Not every decision they make is going to be right and not every choice they make on the field is going to be popular with everyone. All we can do as judges of the game is ask for a bold approach, one that is honest and fair to both sides, baring no favouritism for any one side and asking the players to enjoy themselves on the pitch. They are often forgotten during a match until they have to make a decision, at which point they become the most important individual for that brief moment. The course of a game can be changed within an instant with split-second decision making.  Calling it right is well applauded but getting it wrong can prove detrimental to a referee’s reputation and the stakes have never been higher in the modern game. It is a job that has to be done until the game comes to reliant on technology as it grows. We must not forget however, that these people are also fans but like to take up a challenge rather than judging from watching it on the TV screen.

 

The standard of officials in this country is by far the best in world football. They are known to meet together at St James’ in Burton and are said to always evaluate their position on the field. These are referees who are physically fitter than they use to be.  There is not one ref you will see officiating a game from the halfway line, they are up and down the pitch almost as fast as some of the players out there these days.  It is however becoming harder to judge situations on the pitch, with the inclusion diving and abusiveness, which must be highly testing for the man in the middle. Referees around Europe, as seen regularly in the Champions League can be very unpredictable, brandishing cards from their pockets like there’s no tomorrow and seeing crucial decisions either being critically missed or lavishly blowing their whistles which sees the flow of matches disrupted. Players know they can get away with making stupid fouls to stop the opposition in their attack but foreign refs are particularly irresponsible when it comes to red cards. There have been some absurd dismissals seen in European competition.

Varying standards across Europe?

Manchester United winger Nani was deemed by many to be harshly sent off in March 2013 during Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season as manager in a Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid.  United weren’t playing too badly considering the task at hand. Real were the better side on paper but United were matching the Spanish giants in all departments.  The Portuguese winger’s foot was higher than what it should have been but was no superior than Alvaro Arbeloa’s waist. It did not warrant a sending off to say the least. The decision by Turkish official Cuneyt Cakir ultimately changed the game. Real went on to dominate possession and came from behind to beat United 2-1. Alex Ferguson went on record to brandish his anger, whilst Rio Ferdinand faced potential sanctions for sarcastically applauding the ref for being too ruthless. In all seriousness the response after the game was a bit over the top. The Turkish ref received death threats over Twitter whilst he was branded a cheat for being a ‘follower’ of Cristiano Ronaldo on the social site.  Although this is a tad silly to be accused of, I can see how he could be judged nearly as serious Ole Hermann Borgan was, a Swedish referee photographed wearing a Barcelona shirt before a crucial Champions League match against Arsenal.  The Gunners lost that night but were beaten by the better side.

 

Cakir is far from popular with English teams.

Turkish ref Cakir had a history with English clubs prior to that spring evening at Old Trafford. He sent off Mario Balotelli in a Europa League encounter between Manchester City and Dynamo Kiev in 2011 and took a red out of his pocket at Steven Gerrard during a World Cup qualifier between England and Ukraine in September 2012. He doesn’t seem to be on good terms with Chelsea defenders either with a red shown to Gary Cahill in the World Cup Club final defeat to Corinthians in January 2013, whilst he also dismissed John Terry in the early stages of the Blues Champions League semi-final second-leg tie with Barcelona in May 2012. During 2012 and 2013 Cakir had shown an incredible eleven red cards, most notably three of them being revealed in a goalless encounter between Turkish rivals Fenerbahce and Galatasaray in May 2012.

But then there are some pretty good refs too…

In reflection, there have been some truly great referees including Howard Webb and Italian Pierluigi Collina. Collina, who retired as a FIFA listed referee was considered the best of his generation, if not the best referee to ever have stood in the middle of the park. He is the only referee to be named FIFA’s ‘Best Referee of the Year’ award on six separate occasions, consecutively. He was known for his objectivity, his brilliant presence in front of twenty-two men and his glaring eyes which would have haunted many grown men. This was no ordinary referee, he was eerie and didn’t stand for nonsense. If he was in charge of the match then you knew it was going to be a game with little mistake, if any. He used his hair-loss condition called alopecia to great effect, merely adding an intimidating side to his character which pulled of the perfect man-in-black along with his wonderful glare.  Collina was intellectual in his decision making, taking into account all sides of a story during a confrontation between two players or a team, then he would bravely determine a decision from the points he had summed up as a whole. Although this would be expected of all referees, Collina did it with control and reliability. There was no doubting his decision-making and he used his extra eyes on the sidelines to great effect.

 

Arguably the best referee in the history of the game: Pierluigi Collina.

His most famous moment on the pitch came in the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Bayern were the better side and deserved to win but United had Alex Ferguson, David Beckham, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer to thank, plus the two extra minutes Collina deemed necessary. In those two added minutes United had turned a 1-0 deficit into an historic 2-1 victory thanks to goals from super subs Solkjaer and Sheringham following crisp deliveries by Beckham from the corner flags. Collina felt a mix of emotions, he had just seen one of the greatest turnarounds in club football history but also one of the biggest heartbreaking moments football has ever seen.  Despite his chilling, spooky persona, he demonstrated moments of pure courtesy. With twenty seconds to spare and United celebrating certain victory, he picked up a handful of Bayern Munich players to will them on to the final whistle, tapping them on the shoulder to give them the urge to respect the game. He realised the passion the two sets of players had, especially the Bayern lads who were brought down to their knees after seeing silverware slip from their fingertips.

 

Now a member of the UEFA Referees Committee, Collina is very much behind the idea of promoting as many ways to help a referee by giving him as many eyes as possible. He doesn’t want to extract human involvement though. Although a supporter of technology, he believes a great deal of the work needs to be continuously put in behind the scenes of a referee’s preparation as it bares as much importance as their time on the pitch.  He was a fascinating character, not just for his presence but for his attitude and dedication to giving his best in every game. He never stopped learning, taught himself how to deal with the psychological aspects of the game from a foundation of strong education. This knowledge gave him a unique ability to make astute decisions in heated environments and he never flustered. The Italian has always been a believer in starting young in order to learn from your mistakes, the younger the better. Like those players who are deemed world class, these types of professionals do not come around that often. He set a standard that all referees should abide by.

 

With 500 games experience in England, Webb set a new standard for the current crop of officials.

Howard Webb recently announced his retirement less than two weeks before the 2014-15 Premier League season at just 43-years-of-age. Some may have said he was rather young to hang up his whistle and his little black book, but after an industrious twenty-five years refereeing he decided to show the red card to the field to be appointed as the technical director of the official referees’ association.  He had officiated over five-hundred Premier League and Football League games, over one-hundred Champions League fixtures along with domestic and European cup finals whilst appearing in both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He was awarded an MBE for his services in football and his skills were seen as being crucial to create a brand new role for him at the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

 

The proud Yorkshire man was considered the best in the English game as he had the ability to control players and their attitudes with resemblance to a police officer you simply wouldn’t mess with. Webb also had a humble side, admitting he always felt he had the best seat in the house when officiating, being privileged to be in the centre of some of the biggest games. He was said to love training and the benefits of doing his job better to be in the right place at the right time to make a decision from all angles, in particular those he was closest to. The thought of a challenge encouraged Webb to drive himself to be the best at what he did and was rewarded with some fantastic travelling opportunities. At just 43 he has been to 44 different countries, travelling most of Europe in the process.

Do referees do a good job?

Referees want to contribute to the enjoyment of players and fans. This is drummed into rookie referees at the lower levels and the further they go the more eyes are watching them to be a positive influence on a game. Football is a spectacle and referees do not intend to be negative or get decisions wrong. It must be a great feeling being able to answer critics when an official has had a strong game and made the right decisions. The making of these choices is why the job is so challenging and particularly difficult. Many outcomes are made through the blink of an eye and this is why they are criticised heavily if they make a wrong call. There are plenty of occasions where incidences are left wide open without a true explanation as to why a referee made the determination they did. In post match interviews we see managers, players and pundits ranting and raving, debating for hours on end when all they want to know is why the man in the middle decided on what he did.  There have been plenty of requests for referees to face the camera after a game to explain their judgments and I think a club and its fans deserves to hear what the ref has to say on the matter. However they are seemingly banned from giving a short interview by the referee’s association which seems a little unethical. A short question-answer session in front of the camera could change people’s perspective on an incident or could put minds at rest by compromising with what the referee saw and what he or she thought was suitable for the situation at the time of events. To some extent though I can understand why officials do not want to speak to a large audience after the game, as regardless of what explanation they give there are still bound to be plenty who disagree. You never see any ex players becoming referees which is interesting, but there is a genuine belief that becoming an official could ruin the reputations they have built up throughout their playing careers because of the unpredictability of the job.  Regardless of how often a referee is attempting to revise their work and turning the amount of wrong decisions into right ones, they are always going to be under pressure and scrutiny for as long as they are in the game.

 

I think it is intriguing with the bravery these men and women have to install in themselves to have belief in their opinions and judgments on situations, knowing that their position is being judged constantly.  Therefore I think referees deserve far more respect as not many people would take the job on.  Technology is in the long run looking to help referees and linesman’s to make a choice but whether that decision is right or not will only be judged by any human being after that.  I commend the work referees do, especially in the United Kingdom. I may scream and shout at them, forcing blame on their shoulders but if I can see on a replay what truly happened in an incident and the ref gets it right first time, I will hold my hands up and applaud them.  At the end of the day these people are trained professionals at what they do.