http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...s-trained-think-right-wrong--Graham-Poll.html Players are trained to think they are right when they are wrong By Graham Poll Referees and players clash at key moments in matches because they are both encouraged to believe they are right. I sent Robbie Keane off when he was playing for Tottenham when he handled the ball on the line to prevent Bolton from scoring at White Hart Lane. He swore blind that he hadnât handled and truly thought he hadnât. That was 5 years ago but nothing has changed. We're right: Craig Gardner protested his innocence despite replays showing a clear foul on Edin Dzeko during Sunderland's draw with Manchester City More from Graham Poll... Graham Poll: The official line on Newcastle's win over out-of-form Liverpool 01/04/12 Graham Poll: Vieira is wide of the mark about referees favouring United 28/03/12 Graham Poll: Officials spot on despite unfair pressure from Arsenal, Cisse, Holt and more 25/03/12 Graham Poll: Essien was 'larging it', so Dean was right to award penalty 21/03/12 Graham Poll: Webb and his officials should be commended on their handling of Muamba incident 18/03/12 Graham Poll: Hart's antics were unsporting and I would have pulled him up for it 12/03/12 Graham Poll: Why Hart wasn't pulled up for his screaming mind games during Sinclair's penalty 12/03/12 Graham Poll: Don't blame Atkinson for Reebok blunder, we need technology 11/03/12 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Look at the reaction of the Sunderland players - and Craig Gardner in particular - when Phil Dowd correctly awarded Manchester City a penalty for his foul on Edin Dzeko. Gardner was incredulous at the decision and yet the replays show a clear foul, whatever Sunderland manager Martin OâNeill might have said immediately after the game. The other apparently contentious decision came at Molineux when Roger Johnson tripped Boltonâs Mark Davies. The contact was minimal but a trip is a trip. Again the reaction was extreme and Johnson was convinced he had not made contact. Jon Moss, the referee, was equally convinced that he was right and so stood firm â not that he would have changed his in the face of player pressure. There are occasions when players must know they are wrong but protest anyway the same as referees who feel sure they have erred but are unable to change their minds. Liverpoolâs Andy Carroll must have known that his former team mate from Newcastle, Tim Krul had not touched him in the 9th minute of Sundayâs game and yet still protested his innocence when Martin Atkinson correctly cautioned him for a blatant dive. Had he been successful in his deception, Krul could well have been dismissed and Liverpool taken the lead unfairly. The issue is that referees have to have unerring self-belief to take the field in front of tens of thousands of fans in a stadium and countless millions watching on television. Not toughed: Andy Carroll dives against Newcastle Players similarly are encouraged to believe in themselves as football, like all sports, really, is about confidence. When I attended a training session at Carrington with Manchester United, their sports psychologist at the time, Bill Beswick, told me they urged players to believe they are right all of the time. That is why they appeal for everything, even a throw-in, when it is clear they kicked it out. Given that, what chance has a referee got? He knows he will make mistakes but even when he is right he is surrounded by players absolutely convinced that he's wrong and telling him heâs wrong, in very convincing fashion. Bad week for... Andy Carroll who said that he would not celebrate if he scored a goal for Liverpool against his former team Newcastle out of respect for the fans who used to worship him. That same respect did not stop him from cheating and trying to earn a penalty⦠priceless. I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRICELESS ALSO.
