Webb in charge of Stamford Bridge showdown Tue 24th Apr 2012 19:18 by Clive Whittingham This Sundayâs highly charged encounter between QPR and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge will be overseen by World Cup final referee Howard Webb. Referee >>> Howard Webb (South Yorkshire), World Cup final referee in 2010 who has earned 9/10 ratings from LFW for his last two QPR appointments against Liverpool and Man Utd at Loftus Road. Assistants >>> Darren Bond (Lancashire) and Scott Ledger (Yorkshire) Fourth Official >>> Lee Mason (Bolton) awarded a ridiculous penalty to Manchester United against QPR and sent Shaun Derry off at Old Trafford recently, was due to be fourth official at QPR v Spurs last week but was subsequently pulled and I wouldnât be surprised if the same happened here. Fat headed chump. History QPR 3 Liverpool 2, Wednesday March 21, 2012, Premiership Thankfully - for all of Suarezâs movement, tricks and casual racism â heâs actually not much of a finisher and currently only has six league goals to his name, two less than our own Heidar Helgusonwho hasnât played for three months. Here he was denied splendidly by Kenny who then did enough to save bravely at his feet and prevent the rebound being converted as well. Suarez kicked it out of the goalkeeperâs hands and was rewarded with a corner - one of only two decisions referee Howard Webb got wrong all evening. QPR: Kenny 7, Young 6, Onuoha 6, Ferdinand 6, Traore 7 (Taiwo 46, 7), Barton 3 (Mackie 62, 7), Derry 5, Diakite 7, Taarabt 6, Zamora 7, Cisse 7 (Buzsaky 88, -) Subs Not Used: Cerny, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Wright-Phillips Goals: Derry 77 (assisted Taarabt), Cisse 86 (assisted Taiwo), Mackie 90 (assisted Young) Liverpool: Reina 5, Kelly 6 (Coates 34, 6), Carragher 5, Skrtel 6, Jose Enrique 4, Kuyt 7, Spearing 7, Adam 6 (Henderson 46, 6), Downing 7, Gerrard 7, Suarez 7 (Carroll 82, 5) Subs Not Used: Doni, Aurelio, Shelvey, Flanagan Goals: Coates 54 (unassisted), Kuyt 72 (assisted Downing) Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire) 9 As for the Man United home game before Christmas Webb was almost completely faultless, allowing the game to flow and keeping his cards in his pocket. A man right on top of his game, outstanding. QPR 0 Man Utd 2, Sunday December 18, 2011 After 17 minutes Matthew Connolly took these issues into his own hands. Wayne Rooney collected the ball on the edge of the area and for the first time in the game a QPR player decided not to let the United man settle, turn and pick his next move. This time Connolly flew out of the line and executed a robust lunging tackle that left the England striker in a crumpled heap on the floor. Referee Howard Webb waved play on and suddenly the crowd and match came alive. United were furious, Alex Ferguson gesticulated wildly on the touchline as Rangers accelerated past him down the right flank with Jamie Mackie in possession. The former Plymouth man sent in a low cross that Bothroyd smacked a yard over the bar when he should have done better. But God that felt good. Rooney was red of face and mood, Ferdinand was yellow carded for over vehement protests to Webb about the tackle, Ferguson moaned long and hard to the fourth official. Weâd stumbled across a way to get something from the game. Sadly, once play restarted, the meek, mild and timid QPR team reappeared. It was nice while it lasted. But it was the events at the start of the second half that summed up QPRâs problems in this game, rather than the ârabbit-in-headlightsâ beginning to the match. Trailing 1-0 with 45 minutes to go Rangers had created enough chances after falling behind to suggest all was not lost â a fast, high tempo, committed start to the second period could have brought big rewards for the London side. Instead a full set of Man Utd players emerged together from the tunnel, with the match officials, looking bright and focussed and ready to finish the job. Rio Ferdinand completed a circuit of nearly every United player reminding them of their roles and responsibilities. QPR meanwhile sloped out sometime later in dribs and drabs. Four players at first, then another three, then nobody else for a while, then another and another until eventually, after a scandalous amount of time, there were ten on the field. The eleventh, Danny Gabbidon, was nowhere to be seen and with United ready and time up referee Howard Webb recommenced play. Within 30 seconds Wayne Rooney had marauded into the area and worked a position in the space left vacant by Gabbidon, who was by now on the touchline asking to come on, that he really should have done better from. Luckily Cerny was equal to the task. Gabbidon was apparently having a leg wound stitched which is a perfectly good enough reason for his late arrival but QPR should have come out together, as a team, when he was ready to join them and not before as a disorganised rabble ill-prepared for the restart. It also might have been a idea to designate somebody to fill in for him temporarily while he was off. After the farcical beginning to the second half the teams exchanged probing attacks. First Wright-Phillips won a soft free kick from Jones wide on the left but the delivery from Barton came to nothing. Then at the other end Danny Welbeck appeared to be fouled as he accelerated around Danny Gabbidon and into the area but Webb waved the appeals away and awarded a goal kick â just as well given that Gabbidon was booked in the first half. That was a rare controversial moment for Webb in what was the best display of refereeing weâve seen this season. In the five minutes around the hour mark Man Utd doubled their lead, and then gave QPR a lesson in cynically protecting your own goal. First Joey Barton passed the ball straight to Michael Carrick who was then allowed to run unchecked to the edge of the area and dispatch a low shot past Radek Cerny and into the net. Then, when Phil Jones repeated Bartonâs trick and handed possession toHeidar Helguson, he immediately chased back and deliberately fouled the Icelandic striker. A yellow card he was glad to take, something QPR should be doing a lot more of. First Shane Long and now Michael Carrick have scored goals at the School End after QPR passed up opportunities for tactical fouls earlier in the moves. QPR: Cerny 8, Young 6, Gabbidon 7, Connolly 7, Traore 6, Mackie 6, Barton 5, Faurlin 5, Wright-Phillips 5 (Taarabt 65, 6), Bothroyd 6 (Hill 75, 6), Helguson 6 (Campbell 65, 6) Subs Not Used: Kenny, Orr, Derry , Smith Booked: Gabbidon (foul) Man Utd: De Gea 6, Smalling 7, Evans 7, Ferdinand 7, Evra 6, Valencia 7, Jones 8, Carrick 8, Nani 7(Young 88, -), Rooney 8 (Giggs 78, 6), Welbeck 7 (Hernandez 63, 6) Subs Not Used: Lindegaard, Berbatov, Park, Fryers Booked: Ferdinand (dissent), Jones (foul) Goals: Rooney 1 (assisted Valencia ), Carrick 56 (unassisted) Referee: Howard Webb ( S Yorkshire ) 9 The best refereeing performance of the season so far. Webb was really on his game here, never more than ten yards from any decision to make and expertly using the advantage rule to keep the game flowing. I can think of a couple of soft free kicks and the Welbeck incident that had question marks over them but really, across 90 minutes, he was almost faultless. That said, QPRâs lack of physical presence in the game certainly made it an easy afternoon. Stats Webb has booked 146 players this season (3.318 a game) and sent five off in 44 games. Four of his red cards came in his first eight appointments of the season, and he has only sent off one man in 36 appointments since. Webb booked nobody at the QPR v Liverpool game last month as part of a lenient run of 18 yellow cards in ten games but heâs suddenly got prolific again recently with 14 yellow cards in his last two games including nine in the Champions League semi final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. Prior to that his biggest haul in a single game this season was six yellows and a red handed out in the Sunderland v Newcastle derby back in August. Last season he showed 141 yellows and six reds in 45 games â 3.13 bookings a game. Both his biggest hauls, six yellows and a red at Shakhtar v Roma and seven yellows for Hapoel Tel Aviv and Lyon, came in Champions League games hinting that he may referee European games slightly differently to English league fixtures.
No doubt Mason will do a Probert and try and get one of ours sent off. I saw players do the same thing 5-6 times in the last 2 games I watched and not one booking. A bit like how we can be the only team to have a man sent off for taking a FK too quickly!
"Howard Webb (South Yorkshire), World Cup final referee in 2010 who has earned 9/10 ratings from LFW for his last two QPR appointments against Liverpool and Man Utd at Loftus Road." Yes, because we were at home, he's the biggest "Homer" referee in football. I'm very worried now, expect all decisions to go Chelsea's way.
I dont know, I cant remember any controversies in those matches, however that will change with the chelsea cheats. Any pen or red card for us is likely to be down to them cheating and not deserved.
