Very rarely do I blame refs for a bad performance as I believe they have a very difficult job. However from what I heard and now read, this one was totally inept. He will look at the video no doubt and I think he will be embarrassed when he sees just how bad he was. Jon Marks was having trouble containing himself as he doesn't like criticizing refs. and for GFZ to be so angry at him really says it all. It will be interesting to see where he officiates next. Maybe a trip to the conference for a few games will help him to re-focus, or maybe he should submit himself to an eye-test Monday morning.
This set the tone for the whole match, they would blatantly just manhandle, push, shove and wrestle our players and get away with it. Yet more poor officiating. He was scythed down. He was literary thrown down to the ground. The pool player put his arm round Troy's throat and choked him out. Yet still no booking!?!?!?!?!?! His balls were firmly lodged in his wifes purse. I dont like Yeates, but even I dont like seeing him kicked. You are right BB, my fingers and my tongue. I havent seen such an appalling display in my years of watching football. He and is two chums failed to spot even the basics and the obvious things. It took all of my willpower not to let fly with a torrent of abuse when the smug twat walked out after the match. He clearly thought he had had a good game. I wonder what the assessor had to say. Cos he is an ignorant, fat, arrogant cock. That said it all for me, he knew who to thank for his win, not his players, but his buddy the ref. He is usually so calm, so it must have been bad to anger him.
As poor a match as we've seen all season. The side didn't look set up to attack from the start. I don't know whether GZ was concerned about wingers Ince and Phillips, who were good last season, but our wing backs, usually a vital part of our attack rarely getting forward. Too many midfield passes were square or backwards and too often we resorted to long balls looking for Deeney. It's true we could have had two penalties but this was a game we should have been capable of winning without blaming the referee. Blackpool were very cautious and looked lightweight in attack. I shall be doing my best to forget this one quickly including the lunatic behind us who spent the whole match yelling at the assistant referee and showing off his ignorance of most if not all the laws of the game. A fan two rows down stepped up at half time and threatened to lamp him one and a braindead steward threatened to show two of us to the exit for suggesting that the shouter wasn't increasing anyone's enjoyment. I can see the headlines now...rowdy pensioners evicted for grumbling! And all this in the Upper Rous...methinks the end of the world is nigh.
Okay the ref was very poor and we should have had two penalties and there should have been yellow cards and possibly red ones for Blackpool players and indeed the Watford team had a number of changes ..... but we still had 90 minutes to score more goals than Blackpool and the fact is we didn't. We were very poor in the second half - I don't remember a shot at goal and we got what we deserved - nothing. We were easily the better team even when we were poor but if we don't get shots on goal we ain't gonna win and to be honest they scored two towards the end of the match by getting into the position to score- a lesson we need to learn quickly.
Well, 180+ minutes of the most abject officiating ever seen this week. I am so annoyed and frustrated with my 'senior colleagues' it beggars belief. I think all the various incidents have been listed already and, frankly, the performances aren't good enough. It is not just a matter of 'the opinion of the referee' as to what constitutes a foul that there are issues about, it then becomes the application of the law, a fundamental understanding of the law, and an understanding as to why a law is written in the way that it is. However when a 'no foul' on a football pitch would constitute "waza-ari" on a judo mat then something is surely amiss. And no, I do not buy into the 'it all evens itself out over the season' diatribe. It does not and it is an opinion that suggests that 'two wrongs making a right' is acceptable. Well it bloody well isn't, and nor should it be. If I make a bad decision in a match (and I do, I am human) that I, in hindsight or after talking to my assistants or mentor at halftime say, have regret for, it does not mean I can 'even it up' either in that game or the next time I see that team. It is up to me not to make the same mistake again. No, yesterdays perfomance was about as fair as a Zimbabwean general election. That Watford did not have the wit, the pace, the skill or strength to overcome both our opponents and the shortcomings of the officials (as we managed on Tuesday) is for GFZ to address. PS - I know Holloway is a bit of a one but he had a point yesterday... very poor officiating to keep Vaughan on the pitch for Leeds. It is beginning to look endemic, and that is worrying.
Zola was 100% right, but there is no way he will get away with calling the referee a twelth man. Touchline ban for certain.
Referee Andrew Madley has officiated in 9 Championship matches this season. His record over 9 matches is: 1 Home win, 2 draws; 6 Away wins. Read into that what you will, but the word 'homer' does not come to mind! His brother is Robert Madley who presided over our 0-1 home defeat to Forest last season. As I say read into it what you will. Pudil: tv coverage was inconclusive but, as they say on BHappy: 'My God... they killed Kenny' and astonishingly the referee gives it to 'Pool. Shocker No.1. Nevermind 'waza-ari', that was 'ippon'! I had a great view of it from my seat. As BHD says, it set the tone. FF cautioned for simulation: again, I had a great view of it from my lofty perch... I thought he 'anticipated' the tackle a bit, went down a bit easy but then that does not mean he wasn't fouled. It would be easier to forgive the referee if 1. FF did not have his reputation and 2. prior and subsequent decisions by the referee all follow the same pattern. Maybe not a penalty, certainly less a caution. Poor understanding of the law by the referee. Deeney: As nailed on stonewall penalty as you will see all season. A gutless decision from the referee and a spineless lack of assistance from the man with the flag... the assistant referee, there to assist the referee in 'not seeing' what he has already 'not seen'. By this time the pair of them have been shown to be incompetent at best, biased at worst. Holiday to Singapore, anyone? It was that bad. Anya foul / Deeney shoved: Precisely what the sanction of a caution for unsporting behaviour is all about. Totally inappropriate application of the law. Derbyshire pushes the referee: Precisely what the sanction of a red card for violent conduct towards a match official is all about. Don't even think about it on my pitch! The thing is that many watching will perceive it to be acceptable behaviour when they play. We have a motto: Do not let your performance be a legacy for the next referee. Well, this fella is a disgrace. Gutless spineless all seeing do nothing performance. Ince kicks out at Yeates: Kicking or attempting to kick an opponent = Serious Foul Play = Sending off. No if's, no but's, not difficult, just do it... er ok, don't then. Maggot. Foul on Doyley in penalty area: Attacker skilfully out manouvres defender, defender swings foot at ball, misses ball by several inches, connects on opponents shin, opponent goes down (no doubting the validity of the fall), inside defenders penalty area... penalty! What is there not to understand? Oh hang on, play on.... Maggot. Ince with arm round ref and gesturing at the crows. I just wonder what the FL will do about that. Nothing, but Ince knows which side his bread was buttered today. Two other observations not mentioned: Deeney has now been virtually kicked off the park for two games in succession, winning possibly half a dozen fouls at most and all, at best, around the halfway line. I am starting to wonder if there is a real bias against him for his non footballing transgressions. The other was that I thought the throw in we won prior to our goal was incorrectly taken with one foot off the ground, about the only thing that went for us and that was out of ignorance. So, there we have it: Madley by name, MADLY by nature.
I take full responsibility for what happened - I said to my brother before the kickoff "this guy has given so many pens this season"......."the last 4 games he has reffed the away team have all won to nil"...... In addition to the above I dont know if anyone else noticed but he gave Derby a ridiculously soft pen (which was then saved ) against palarse last week - maybe someone had told him to be careful not to give any 'soft' pens... Penultimately - and I will purposely make this briefer than my normal posts - I dont want to take the role of theologist (as we already have a rather good one), but 'you cant win em all'. We have had a good run and hopefully with Chalobah and Abdi back soon will be fired up after the refereeing performances of late and get back on track next week. Further - we should ignore the constant baiting/winding up from other teams - it is happening for 2 reasons - fear and jealousy. We need not lower ourselves to their level.... Lastly - Ince Sr and Jr showed their true colours on sat - we at least have a true gent in charge and a good set of fans and will almost certainly have the last laugh!
As always guys very in depth and informative. I can't thank people enouigh who post these comments here. Without them I would only know the information the garbage media feed us. Thanks all and keep this great insight coming !!!
