4sportsake.com

Too close to the bone...

Being a married man 12 years into a lifetime stretch, I know something of the vagaries of the female mind. Not enough obviously, but sufficient to realise I’ve got more chance of turning back a tsunami with a wind break as I have second guessing whether or not I’m in the dog house.

You know the score. Some days you can go to the pub, come home with that inane grin on your face and the sense of coordination of Peter Crouch and, for some unfathomable reason, she’s actually pleased to see you. Other days, you can cook dinner, ask her how her day was and get your head bitten off faster than a Praying Mantis can whisper permanent divorce.

Referees are like wives.

Some games, there’s more chance to seeing Hayley’s Comet than the esteemed gentleman in black brandishing a card. Other matches and you suspect the ref’s card is rocket propelled from his pocket.

Inconsistency is, of course, part of the game. Like hopeless husbands the length and breadth of the country, referees make mistakes but the last week or so in the Premier League has exposed a dark problem that goes far beyond the men with the whistles.

Did you see the Chelsea game? Did you see Claude Makelele’s horrific challenge on Julien Faubert – a studs-first, shin-high assault on the West Ham player that had ‘leg breaker’ written all over it? Have you forgotten the plight of Eduardo?

Makelele’s ‘tackle’ was appalling. That Faubert’s leg didn’t snap like a Twiglet is a merciful blessing, if not a miracle. Another day, another game and we’d be talking about hanging the Frenchman by his ankles from Tower Bridge and pelting him with rotten camembert.

Believe it or not, I’m not actually trying to whip up a witch hunt against the Chelsea midfielder. I’m not even calling for the head of Mark Halsey, although he should hang his head in shame at his failure to show Makelele a card of any colour. As I said, referees make mistakes.

And there’s the rub. We’ve got to try and respect the men in the middle, we’ve got accept the good and the frankly incompetent that lies within and we’ve got to reconcile ourselves to the fact that, like husbands, they’re far from perfect.

But we’ve also got to support them. And that means we have to help make good their mistakes.

Halsey dropped a clanger not sending Makelele off. Mike Dean made the right decision the previous weekend showing Martin Taylor a red card after what happened to Eduardo. The problem is, Taylor is pilloried to accompany his justified dismissal while Makelele swans off with no red card and, apparently, no case to answer. I don’t want any player hounded relentlessly for what happens out on the pitch but there has to be a sense of justice.

The solution has to be more retrospective intervention by the Premier League and the FA. They have to make the necessary moves so they can look at an incident like Makelele’s lunge on Faubert and – if they so choose – slap him with a five, seven, 10 game ban.

The game will still be riddled with cock-ups, errors and disgruntled individuals but only then will the worst of the worst – the challenges that really can end careers – be accountable. Makelele (never mind Faubert) was lucky the sickening sound of breaking bone didn’t echo around Upton Park on Saturday. The fact there will be no repercussions for him is even more nauseating.

by IainSpragg | Sunday 2 March 2008 1:07pm
All Sports, Features | 22 comments

Comments

http://www.onlypuma.com
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-sf-drift-cat-c-45.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-baylee-future-cat-ii-c-33.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-doshu-combat-shoes-c-58.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-fluxion-ii-c-32.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-future-cat-gt-ferrari-c-34.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-future-cat-lo-engine-c-35.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-future-cat-low-c-54.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-lazy-insect-c-46.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-sf-trionfo-low-c-36.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-speed-cat-c-47.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-speed-cat-big-c-37.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-trionfo-lo-l-ii-c-38.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-puma-trionfo-low-baylee-c-39.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/mens-speed-cat-big-c-53.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/puma-ducati-testastretta-c-56.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/puma-kimi-raikkonen-shoes-whitejade-p-12739.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-basket-brights-c-48.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-baylee-future-cat-c-40.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-drift-cat-c-41.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-engine-cat-low-c-44.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-espera-patent-fs-c-55.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-ferro-tessuto-shoes-c-57.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-future-cat-lo-whitered-p-12686.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-future-cat-low-c-50.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-repli-cat-c-51.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-sf-drift-cat-c-52.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-speed-cat-big-c-42.html
http://www.onlypuma.com/womens-puma-speed-cat-suede-c-43.html

by puma shoes sale on 2010-01-30 03:57:12

A wonderful article…. In my life, I have never seen a man be so selfless in helping others around him to get along and get working. I feel good that there are people like you too. Thanks for this great weblog of yours. Its surely going to get me to go to higher places!

by wow gold on 2009-11-11 23:00:27

Yes Ian we all drop clangers ...

by tiffany jewelry on 2009-11-11 05:12:17

zzzzzzzz

by zxczx on 2009-07-07 00:49:26

zzzzzzzzz

by zxczx on 2009-07-07 00:48:57

zzzzzzzzz

by zxczx on 2009-07-07 00:48:38

zzzzzzzzz

by zxczx on 2009-07-07 00:48:22

zzzzzzzzz

by zxczx on 2009-07-07 00:48:01

zzzzzzzzz

by zxczx on 2009-07-07 00:47:04

so check out！！！！

by wholesale links of london jewellery on 2009-05-19 01:17:51

A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush

by wow power leveling on 2009-02-04 20:41:42

Every man is the architect of his own fortune

by wow gold on 2009-02-04 20:41:27

, http://aruicgy.cn aruicgy, acttv, http://beuty.qewtihu.cn beuty, %OO, http://dog-41.oxawuhe.cn dog, 1344, http://ring-22.gikbugy.cn ring, pcfi, http://music-64.buvirbo.cn music, 460, http://sham.aruicgy.cn sham, 805, http://bagbyce.cn bagbyce, >:OO, http://night-46.ohauwgi.cn night, bxppw, http://star-15.azoviem.cn star, eptf, http://belief-3.qewtihu.cn belief, dgbbp, http://game-44.apuqosi.cn game, 947, http://games-94.zesmuqi.cn games, >:PP, http://bacterias.zoxseyn.cn bacterias, emiqh,

by Felicia on 2009-01-28 03:21:03

, http://hoyt-1.osuyrfe.cn hoyt, ciyt, http://stump.fanjyh.cn stump, jyqd, http://jrock.kunaho.cn jrock, 5973, http://stand-4.azoviem.cn stand, 786741, http://tramps.idaysce.cn tramps, 213, http://superman-3.ebuegqa.cn superman, pigvls, http://sundstrand.ebuegqa.cn sundstrand, hstmfu, http://sharpener.aruicgy.cn sharpener, aew, http://tourette.adupihe.cn tourette, :-], http://lose-3.quwtyk.cn lose, >:-OO,

by Owen on 2009-01-28 03:20:47

welcome to the cheap [url=http://www.gogoer.com]buy WoW Gold[/url],wow power leveling service site, [url=http://www.srogold.com]Cheap WoW Gold[/url], cheap wow gold, [url=http://www.igsstar.com]Cheap WoW Gold[/url]world of warcraft power leveling,[url=http://www.gamelee.com]World Of Warcraft gold[/url]fast and secure service,[url=http://www.wowgold-de.com]WoW Gold[/url]welcome to the cheap wow power leveling service site, [url=http://www.tbcgold.fr]WoW Gold[/url] cheap wow gold, world of [url=http://www.powerlevelingweb.com]wow power level[/url],fast and secure serviceWOW Power Leveling is our primary service, you can get all information about your [url=http://www.igsstar.com]wow power level[/url] status anytime.We also offer cheap wow gold,[url=http://www.powerlevelingweb.com]power leveling wow[/url] our primary service, you can get all information about your wow power leveling status anytime.We also offer cheap wow gold,

by wow gold on 2008-12-30 21:36:09

With these sort of challenges how can you ban someone for 6 matches?

Taylor for instance, how can he of meant to intentionally injury someone. If the follwing next two days he was trying desperately to apologise to Eduardo at Saltly Hospital. As for Makele, his tackle was dreadful but it should of only been banend for 3 games.

How can Roy Keane get 3 games and a fine for his tackle on Haaland. Which ended the City players career?

I believe that with, the country the way it is, we are becoming a rather nanny state. You cant do this or that. Well 20 years ago you could challenge keepers. Now if you sneeze next to them it's a foul! So quit complaining as it is this type of supporters which are ruining English football.

by Lewis on 2008-03-03 11:12:26

Tackles like that should get 6 match bans. That's what Taylor and Makelele deserved. Then...we might start seeing players hold back from these awful lunge tackles.

by lagerlout on 2008-03-03 05:55:19

Why try and make excuses for Lampard's red card. As he rolled off the defender he tried to leave a couple of stud markets. Glad he was picked up and sent off. As for Makelele, well there is no doubt that the tackle could have resulted in something nasty. This should have been a red.

by Bennie on 2008-03-03 04:46:29

Iain, the refs are like wives, dont try and second guess them. Both defy logic.

by Spencer on 2008-03-02 18:27:31

GW - you're right about Walton! I was misled by my wife...

by Iain on 2008-03-02 15:22:06

Something has to be done. The Makelele tackle could have had another disasterous outcome. Showing studs and coming from over the ball is DANGEROUS and a straight red should have been shown. If the ref and his cohorts cannot get it right then they should rely on post match video to deal with these issues.

by PaulL on 2008-03-02 14:12:22

Yes Ian we all drop clangers ... just as well you're "not calling for the head" of Mark Halsey as he wasn't the referee, it was Peter Walton.
On the main point, I agree with you about retropsective intervention but currently FIFA forbid it.

by GW on 2008-03-02 14:01:10

Comment Entry Form

Navigation...

Previous : There I was the other night in bed, about 1am, when the earth moved.
Next : Goal celebrations

Too close to the bone...

Comments

Comment Entry Form

Navigation...

Search