How bad was Mark Clattenburg's refereeing performance in the Merseyside derby? Appalling I'd have to say. It was only a few weeks ago that Rob Styles was dropped following the award of a controversial penalty to Chelsea at Anfield, when Steven Finnan was harshly adjudged to have brought down Malouda inside the Liverpool penalty area.
In that game Styles had a real stinker, he appeared to book Michael Essien twice, but then stepped back from giving the second yellow card, there was yet even more controversy surrounding John Terry.
Liverpool would no doubt come out with the old adage that over a season luck evens itself out and there is an element of truth in that when you compare what happened in both the Merseyside derby and the draw with Chelsea.
But what about the referee? Surely Clattenburg cannot get away with such an inept performance? The second Everton penalty appeal for the foul on Joeleon Lescott was so blatant it beggars belief that the referee did not see it, he did clearly see it, but for some reason he didn't give the decision. Carragher's foul wouldn't have been out of place in the wrestling ring.
There was other huge moments on controversy. Take for example Kuyt's kung fu lunge on Phil Neville. Everton eventually finished the game with just nine men, but if Clattenburg had applied the letter of the law Kuyt would have been off and then that would have changed the whole complexion of the game.
I'm not one who advocates interfeering with the rules of the game by introducing stop-start video-replays, because it is an imperfect sport and that is part of its beauty. But when the referee has such a howler as Clattenburg did at the weekend, then like Styles before him, he should be dropped, if only to reflect on what was a real stinker of a performance.
If they had applied the letter of the law for Kuyts challenge? Are you having a laugh? What has the letter of the law got to do with what he did which was one of the worst tackles/attempted tackles I have ever seen? It was an horrendous challenge that anyone with eyes would have sent him off for regardless of the letter of the law which when you say it like that almost makes out it wasn't that bad? If that was Barton/Savage/Davies or any player with a slight reputation they would have been sent off and banned for about 6 games.
ReplyDeletejust a side note, savage has only ever been sent off once in his career & that was recently, last season i think.
ReplyDeleteso it would seem that his bark is worse than his bite.
It didn't take a genius to call this one, but at least I did! :0)
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