I've also noticed this. He hasn't got a clue when it comes to determining whether someone has dived or not either.
It doesn't give players the incentive to stay on their feet does it? Also can't stand the pundits hypocrisy when one day their spouting on about needing the game cleaned up and then when they get an obvious chance to call a cheat a cheat, never do so. Same from UEFA/FIFA etc who spout drivel about such matters then fail to enforce anything that might encourage players to clean up their act. Another also: as has been mentioned recently. On corners there is a wrestling match going on in the penalty area but rarely is anything given. Yet when a striker is bearing down on goal (with the notable exception of the video above), a fly landing on his shoulders seems enough to bring the player down and "earn" (goodness I hate that expression) a penalty. Rant over. Until next time anyway.
It's not that he doesn't have a clue, it's that he doesn't care. He's been indoctrinated into the Ferguson win-at-all-costs mentality, where cheating is just part of the game. He doesn't care what has to be done, as long as his side walks away with the points. It's a foul as long as the ref gives it. It's only a dive if you get caught.
Just watched our highlights on MOTD on the iPlayer and Robbie Fowler was echoing Neville's call for cheating in order to get decisions. Is it a Northwest thing? Might explain why all the refs seem to be from that part of the country and none of them are from London.
More than a shade of the taxi for Maicon goals. It's well deserved as he's been the best player on the pitch.
I enjoyed Bale more when he played as a winger or you remember when he used to surge forward from deep (as a left back) as the crowd chanted "bale, bale bale" he would pick up speed like a horse galloping to win the national! Last year he was crap for half a season then turned into a machine, clearly world class in terms of end product but the wing displays I remember more.
After witnessing the polar opposites of Bale's incredible season for Real and our god awful new squad fall flat, perhaps our chairman might.... just might start to realise that you don't build title winning teams by selling your best asset. Liverpool kept theirs and now look odds on for the title. Who would have thought that last August!
