Martin Atkinson derby ref

Apparently.

Could have been worse. Could have been Friend or Marriner.

 

He's a good ref as they go. Don't remember any apparent bias.

 

Probblies agree with that. Better than the rest of the shower.

 

I think Michael Oliver is another good un, quite young but appears to be doing well already.

I was thinking about Pierluigi Collina earlier, great ref and a scary bastard to boot. Remember him?

 

Yes. Took no ****. The way it should be. Commanded respect.

Don`t know Oliver. As long as they don`t think he`s wonderful and fast track him. Look what happened to Rennie.

edit: and Clattenburg.

 

I don't pay much attention to refs, wasn't long ago you wouldn't have a clue who they were. Now they're all minor celebrities and it shows in the way they behave on the pitch, unfortunately.

I know Oliver a little bit because I think he's had a few big games to handle and has performed very well. I think there's another young ref who we've had once or twice who's done well, he might even have given us a penalty unless that's pushing the boundaries of imagination too far.

 

That, I think, is the difference. Suddenly they`re celebrities. Probably for all the wrong reasons.

 

Maybe the rule about players not being able to get in the ref's face has contributed. Bit of a power trip for them, what they say goes and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.

Which is right of course but it might be fostering a few power complexes along the way. Referees used to seemingly be scared of (for example) the likes of Giggs, Scholes and Keane bellowing in their face from inches away and the thought of what Ferguson might say in his interview.

Now they aren't bothered about that stuff they seem to be developing attitudes.

 

Some truth in that I reckon.

 

'The hills have eyes' ref Collina !.

 

Not too bad - only rick I remember from him was Jozy's "goal" against Arsenal where, even though he actually scored, he didn;t deem it a goalscoring opportunity. Needs to be strong cards wise with players like Mitrovic, Cattermole and diver Taylor on the pitch

 

he is not one that is on my small list of cheats, so no complaints [as yet]...

 

He's having an awful season. Seems Marriner's rep is more difficult to shift than Catts, I'd rather have him than Atkinson at the moment.

 

He sent Tiote off in the Derby a few years ago.

 

Undeservedly?

 

Of course.

Can't find it on YouTube though.

 

I usually find that each of Tiote's reds are well and truly deserved and if anything he gets away with a bit, but maybe that one wasn't.

 

Is that the one where he tried to break Fletchers leg?

 

Undeserved if I remember rightly. Can't find it anywhere though. Perhaps some clever sod could post it?

 

It was as soft a sending of as you'll ever see.

http://www.soccer-blogger.com/2012/...le-october-2012-dismissal-fletcher-challenge/