Pleased about getting Dean for such a big game, he's the best ref in the league, not that there's much competition. There's something very dislikable about Dowd but it could've been worse, Probert's having a 'mare tonight for starters.
Didn't Fergie get a ban for saying that about Dowd? I seem to remember some referees coming out and saying he was one of the fittest when they all met up for training. Not sure I believe them though, he's usually blowing out of his arse after about 20 minutes.
Dowd has never given us anything. I remember a few seasons back against liverpool where he was just horrendous. Foy is exactly the same. Absolutely useless. Even in the Arsenal v United game, Dowd failed to send off Sagna (second yellow) in what was the most blatant yellow card you'll ever see. - Seriously... he gives us nothing!
To be honest, I like to see that. It was clearly a genuine attempt to get the ball and I think giving a booked player a final warning for that is a fairer way to deal with it, although Arsenal fans were outraged at Gibson not getting a second booking against them in similar circumstances and whilst I do think a lot of refs would've sent them off the right decisions were made in those cases.
It doesn't matter if it was a genuine attempt to win the ball though, YV. If you've made a sliding challenge and not won the ball, having taken the player out, it's likely to warrant a yellow card. In sagna's case, it was another yellow. He was very lucky.
I thought Dowd was awful on Sunday. He booked every Utd player for the slightest infringement whilst the Goons got away with worse offences. How he allowed Sagna to stay on the pitch after that tackle, is beyond me.
Good appointment. So long as it wasn't Clattenburg, Foy or Friend I wouldn't have minded. Apart from Dean failing to send off Gomes at WHL a few years ago and making us retake a penalty twice away to West Ham I can't think of many times he's really pee'd me off
Was that in the game where Defoe was flagged offside after two Liverpool players had touched the ball and Crouch committed a foul by having his shirt pulled with two hands from behind? Classic Anfield refereeing!
That was classic Howard Webb refereeing though, I'm afraid. Also, the pull on Crouch's shirt was from the front, he was stood with his arms in the air trying to get the refs attention as Kyriagos(I think?) tugged at 2meter's baggy shirt to the point that Crouch actually fell on him, causing what Webb thought was a foul.
Yet we still have to put up with his presence at our games. How many points has he cost us down the years?
He is for us, DL. The amount of game changing and ludicrous decisions that he's given against us down the years is staggering. Even in games where he's not just openly biased he still tends to put in awful performances. Our 3-1 win against Blackburn in 2010 was a prime example. He just got everything wrong, for both sides.
"Referee Howard Webb has admitted he was wrong to award a penalty to Manchester United in their Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday."
I remember saying the same thing! Consistently inconsistent! Woeful refereeing that made no sense! YV As for Dowd/Liverpool - maybe that's the wrong game. I'm sure he ref'd one in the last few years against them though, as I distinctly remember having a rant on Facebook about it with my mates. Rant? Me? Never!
He pissed me off on the weekend. Bottled the Gomez decision and told McMananaman to get up when he dived, rather than booking him. I understand that refs will miss things and get decisions wrong, but it annoys me when they're completely inconsistent or just fail to do things that they know they have to.
