|
|
Manchester United Debate: Fergie's War Of Words With Referees Backfires
Officials' wrath could cost United in the long run.
Oct 26, 2009 8:18:14 AM
Sir Alex Ferguson may have bitten off more than he can chew after the referee's union fought back defiantly yesterday.
The Scotsman's blood was brought to boiling point by a number of calls from referee Andre Mariner that didn't go Manchester United's way at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Used to getting things his own way, the influence that the man in the middle had on the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool stuck in Ferguson's craw.
Suspect challenges from Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger in the penalty box went unpunished, while a blatant tug on Michael Owen's shirt by Carragher resulted in a yellow card, when it might have been red.
Lucas, meanwhile, wasn't shown any kind of card throughout a 90 minutes littered with game-disrupting interventions by the Brazilian midfielder, while a number of United players went in to the book for minor indiscretions.
All this meant Ferguson could not hold his tongue in the post-match press conference.
"There were so many controversial things that happened we have to feel aggrieved at some of them. The Vidic booking was the worst decision," United's manager said.
"It is a foul, fine. But the player has played on, he won the second ball and knocked it for a throw-in and got booked. It put Nemanja under pressure.
"The crowd also got Vidic booked, but this atmosphere is hard to handle for a referee.
"Whether he [Mariner] had enough experience or not, I don't know, but he will certainly learn from it. We lost out to one or two major decisions.
"The most controversial decision was Carragher bringing down Michael Owen. He was clear through.
The FA's 'Respect' campaign preaches the message that officials are human and deserve respect, even when they make mistakes. Maybe Ferguson should pay heed to this.
His verbal attack on Alan Wiley after the 2-2 draw with Sunderland has left him facing a five-match touchline ban, and importantly, made him public enemy number one in the eye of the game's rule-makers.
These same figures who have borne the brunt of the Scot's notorious anger are no longer happy to take his vitriol lying down.
The positive influence match officials have had on United's glory-filled Premier League years has been a bone of contention with rival fans. Decisions that might be classed as charitable have gone the way of the Red Devils on a number of occasions.
Perhaps Ferguson's questioning of the match-fitness of Wiley has made referees think twice before wasting their breath to sound the whistle in his favour again.
Matt Monaghan, Goal.com UK
Talk all things soccer with the rest of our readers in the Goal.com Forums!
The Scotsman's blood was brought to boiling point by a number of calls from referee Andre Mariner that didn't go Manchester United's way at Anfield on Sunday afternoon. Used to getting things his own way, the influence that the man in the middle had on the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool stuck in Ferguson's craw.
Suspect challenges from Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger in the penalty box went unpunished, while a blatant tug on Michael Owen's shirt by Carragher resulted in a yellow card, when it might have been red.
Lucas, meanwhile, wasn't shown any kind of card throughout a 90 minutes littered with game-disrupting interventions by the Brazilian midfielder, while a number of United players went in to the book for minor indiscretions.
All this meant Ferguson could not hold his tongue in the post-match press conference.
"There were so many controversial things that happened we have to feel aggrieved at some of them. The Vidic booking was the worst decision," United's manager said.
"It is a foul, fine. But the player has played on, he won the second ball and knocked it for a throw-in and got booked. It put Nemanja under pressure.
"The crowd also got Vidic booked, but this atmosphere is hard to handle for a referee.
"Whether he [Mariner] had enough experience or not, I don't know, but he will certainly learn from it. We lost out to one or two major decisions.
"The most controversial decision was Carragher bringing down Michael Owen. He was clear through.
"The laws of the game were altered to prevent professional fouls of that nature and if Carragher goes off, he is their best player and their captain… The referee was only four or five yards from it – he cannot use a covering defender as an excuse. Michael was clean through. With Michael's pace he is going to get away from him."
Owen-goal | Tug on Owen could have been a red
The FA's 'Respect' campaign preaches the message that officials are human and deserve respect, even when they make mistakes. Maybe Ferguson should pay heed to this.
His verbal attack on Alan Wiley after the 2-2 draw with Sunderland has left him facing a five-match touchline ban, and importantly, made him public enemy number one in the eye of the game's rule-makers.
These same figures who have borne the brunt of the Scot's notorious anger are no longer happy to take his vitriol lying down.
The positive influence match officials have had on United's glory-filled Premier League years has been a bone of contention with rival fans. Decisions that might be classed as charitable have gone the way of the Red Devils on a number of occasions.
Perhaps Ferguson's questioning of the match-fitness of Wiley has made referees think twice before wasting their breath to sound the whistle in his favour again.
Matt Monaghan, Goal.com UK
Talk all things soccer with the rest of our readers in the Goal.com Forums!
Inside Goal.Com
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.
-
McCARTHY: Harrisburg springs its wildest Open Cup upset to date
The City Islanders fought back from three goals down with nine minutes to play and won the game on penalty kicks in a stunning game on a wild night for the U.S. Open Cup.