Abilities of top flight officials called into question once again
Over the weekend, there were no less than three controversial performances from Premier League referees: firstly, Mark Hughes lambasted Mike Dean for dismissing three players at Eastlands and for “failing to show common sense”. Howard Webb had a disappointing game at the Emirates, dishing out completely unnecessary cards and failing to pick up on incidents that should have ended up in the book. And finally, Joe Kinnear took the subtle route of calling Martin Atkinson “Mickey Mouse” for failing to spot an Andy Johnson foul in the build up to Fulham’s match-winning penalty.
Of course, Kinnear and his ilk are happy to point out the professional mistakes of officials, but fail to offer any solutions to the problems (ie should we introduce video replays, better training, more pay etc).
So, is there a problem that needs to be addressed with the standard of refereeing in the top flight? Or are these contestable decisions an acceptable part of the game (and possibly even one that makes it more exciting)? Let us know with a vote and comment below…
