Does It Balance Out?

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During the course of a season, refs tend to award many bad decisions against us and many some in favor of us. The general opinion is that it tends to balance out over a period of time. For example, Carra not being sent out was balanced out by Rafael not being sent out. Sometimes it takes more time, few more games or months. However, I generally feel that we’ve been given the wrong handle more often than we’ve received the fortunate decisions. One lucky decision that comes to my mind was the penalty awarded to Spearing (although Spearing fell well into the box and the defender didn’t do his side any good by ending up well within the box completing his tackle).

Some decisions simply change the course of a match. Some do even worse. They rob the team of the momentum that’s need for that place one higher than they’d achieve on merit.

While Soto didn’t do his Red wearing cast any good in those two penalties, I have a feeling the ref was all too eager to blow the whistle. He didn’t award Carroll the penalty when he was all too obviously fouled in the box. And then why did he show Andy a yellow at the first opportunity?

One wrong in favor and one against doesn’t balance it but it’s a clear case of a lot of wrongs against and very few in favor.

Refs like Webb, Atkinson and Clatenburg haven’t had a great time in refreeing our games and the FA should note that. English League is the world’s most watched football league and Liverpool Football Club is the one with the largest fan base. The FA just has to address it. Use technology, use reviews. You are a filthy rich board along with your subsidiary, the PL; use whatever the f**k else you wish. But, this has to be corrected. We just want to play a fair 11 vs. 11 game of football. May the better team win, not the worse ref.

YNWA!

@kaushal__

11 Comments

  1. the officials were of course taken in by the so called disgusting way slimy woy was treated by liverpool fans media drivel and gave us nothing, (they wont do it at anfield though)

  2. OK – This article says what, probably, a lot of us are feeling, but is there anyone out there who can give us a more facts base argument? A wrong decision by wrong decision comparison that analyses whether we are up or down on the season as a whole?

    Absolutely no bad intended to the auther – I just want more figures.

    1. Right Goffer.. I don’t have the details to do it and would really appreciate if someone can. Someone should track this thru the season and at the end of the season should do it like [points lost due to refs – points gained due to refs] + [actual points at the end of the season] for the entire PL and see where would teams stack after the season had the decisions been all correct. Ultimately, since the PL pays more to the team that ends higher, there should be a monetary value associated to the mistakes. Moreover, if there is an opportunity lost, like teams ending sixth instead of fifth and losing out on Europe those things should be added to the sum. Furthermore, there are sponsorship monies that cannot be directly associated in some cases but in some cases like teams getting relegated (being such a tight bottom half, I hope refs don’t fuck it for a team or two) or for teams that qualify for Europe (like Spurs made a chunk last year).

      However, there are intangibles as well like I said above. There is a certain loss of momentum or form or confidence for some teams because of some such decisions. Then, there are players. I remember Joe Cole was an OK player in the EL qualifiers and had a reasonable first first half until the red card against Arsenal. Since then, he lost his form and fitness. For LFC, his market value comes down and the sky-high weekly wages that the player has becomes a burden. The figures to these cannot be arrived at. But overall, absolutely bang on mate.

      Stah – Good point.

      Neo – I have to agree with you here. At times we tend to blame the players or the manager or the refs or something else unnecessarily. But I have to agree with you here regarding Soto and the same can be said about others too. The team’s not good enough in terms of the depth for sure. The article above was only trying to focus on refs not just for the last game (obviously inspired from the last game) but for others too. Some of the other contributors on this website have touched the topic well.

  3. I have to agree with you mate but I cant turn around and blame the Ref for our loss on the weekend im afraid this time. Kyrgiakos should honestly apply for dancing on ice or something and before people start thinking that im being harsh or racist I am actualy Greek also. He gave away a penalty in the Europa League which knocked us out. There was injuries yesterday and he was forced to play and he managed to give another penalty away. And for the last goal i still think he was to blame because if he hadnt fallen down there wouldnt have been a 1 on 1 with Reina and he wouldnt have been forced to go down to the ground to clear the ball and end up giving a penalty.
    I do like Kyrgiakos, dont get me wrong BUT in the summer we have to make drastic changes to the squad because at the end of the day we cant keep players at LFC just cause we like them but they have to be able offer something to the team.
    That doesnt only go for Kyrgiakos but for players like Poulsen, Ngog etc..
    YNWA

  4. “Liverpool Football Club is the one with the largest fan base” Really? WHO are you trying to kid?

  5. We all want to see improved standards in refereeing but ref’s (and thier assistants) have to make split second decisions and can only call what they see. It also goes without saying that they will make mistakes but that’s because they are human. During a game how many times have we berated a ref’s decision only to find out we were wrong when we see it on TV and you only have to listen to Aldo’s commentary on radio to get my point.

    The real problem is that we are not consistant enough as we lack strength in depth, we seem to have a number of injury prone players and at times, against “lower teams”, we just don’t seem to try.

    FSG will strengthen the squad during the summer and with a number of players with potential coming through the academy (I believe this is Rafa’s true legacy) the future looks bright.

    So forget about poor decision making by officials because WE are the masters of our own destiny.

    1. RNP, I am not about a decision or two but it’s longer lasting effects. And, in such a tight table, a point or two here and there make a world of difference. Masters of our own destiny is all well but then that requires an immunity from such decisions by the way of atleast 7-8 points between you and the next best team (provided you’re on top). Refs are human agreed and I also concur with FIFA’s stand of not bringing such technology into the game that cannot be replicated at the street level. But the street level game doesn’t have millions of fans like the clubs we support do or the nations do nor does it have hundreds of millions riding on it. This is the business end of the league and all I’d expect is for the refs to be fair. Soto’s challenge might have been penalty but Andy being brought down was definitely one.

  6. Personally I really do not think dwelling on the penalty decisions will do any good. It was the how the team was disposed, with some players being out of position and other given roles the could never fulfil (Soto to control Odemwingie????).
    I would not fall into this trap. Atkinson is a lousy referee by all accounts but it was the manager, the coach and the players that lost the game. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BROUGHT OURSELVES INTO THE SITUATION OF CONCEEDING TWO PENALTIES!

  7. I still believe that the reason Atkinson hated Carroll so much was personal. Perhaps Carroll banged his daughter, and never called her back? Or something like that?

  8. There was an Australian magazine that did this for last season and had a revised league table for every team. Liverpool finised fourth, with Man Utd two places below them. Arsenal took the league with Chelsea then Man City trailing.

    1. Thanks for sharing that Gaijin. I thought I wouldn’t be surprised by the results of such an analysis but, to be honest, I am. Look what it does to the club and it’s value. What if we did end up 4th last year? Would Rafa have left (though we have better now), or Mascherano, or Torres (glad he’s gone now)..? And the Millions lost?? Who pays for that? The UCL money.. phew.. I didn’t think I would be so disgusted with the referees ever!

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