I don't know if anyone else got the same impression, but yesterday's match seemed like a good old fashioned blood and thunder contest with no quarter given, crunching tackles flying in from all angles and no diving or drama queen histrionics. Yet the most positive thing for me was the refereeing. The ref just allowed the tackles and the game flowed with very few malicious fouls. The contrast between yesterday's officials and the farcically over-cautious refereeing we get in the BPL shows just how much the game has suffered due to over-sensitive pandering to cheating players.
spot on - only caveat is that BPL refs are part of the brand to 'promote' the top teams around the world - which means the top teams have to win which may mean giving them crucial decisions BUT then give the opposition a minor decision later to prove they're being fair
We've had some excellent refs in the Premier League, we've had some ****ty ones too. Same as every other league we've been in.
