The Mailbox explains why a tweak to Trent Alexander-Arnold's position will have Liverpool ruling the Premier League again. Also: referees have too much authority, apparently.
Date published: Tuesday 11th April 2023 9:21 -
We don’t like these working class folks getting ideas above their station. They’ve worked hard, used their talent to their advantage and bring us joy every week. But they need to know their place, right? Isn’t it enough that they get to spend all their wages on fast cars, houses for their mums and offensive tattoos? And then, if all that isn’t enough, they then go and get big media careers whilst simultaneously criticising the government from Twitter.
Referees are treated as gods. Their decisions, until recently, were never questioned. And even now, with VAR, they often get the final say on whether their decision should be overturned or not. If the referee mentions something in their match report or deals with something at the time, there is no retrospective re-judging of the situation. They are the rulers of every football match and cannot be challenged.
However, the linesman should be given a suspension beyond anything any footballer has received as they were in a position of authority and that is an aggravating factor. As much sympathy as we can have for match officials in terms of the abuse they suffer up and down the exulted football pyramid, we can not have a situation where they all become their own versions of Judge Dredd. I’ve seen lots of people saying well “it’s his livelihood” and it is a shame that it is in jeopardy.
If they have any sense and duty of care for officials then the FA, premier League, PGMOL, any and all governing bodies involved will back the linesman. A simple instruction for players, don’t grab them, don’t barge them, don’t get aggressive with them. Exercise the bare minimum of self control. After the sanctions against Mitrovic, which I also agree with, backing down now would undermine refs completely.
Unfortunately but understandably, this incident once again serves to invite the old comparison between the egg-chasers and association football. And before anyone deploys the defence that a the standard of officiating is poor, you’re correct, but conflating the argument. That’s a separate issue entirely. And to those who cry that a match official must be held to a higher standard, again we agree, but to no higher a standard than the players they are working with should treat them.…Disappointed to see that Hatzidakis has been “taken off duty” for fairly reacting to Robertson’s ridiculous harassment.
Football is full of things that people say and everyone just nods without asking “why?”. Why clear and obvious? Why don’t they re-referee games? Who are these decisions benefiting because it’s not the clubs and it’s not the sport. It’s the officials. People say “undermine the ref’s authority” like 1. the ref has any authority and 2. how does it? Being generous it’s trading fairness, judgement and competence for authority.
That leaves 4 outfield players who aren’t performing significantly poorly in their tackling and/or defensive duties on the day and 10 who are. So, it was THIS incident which was the real straw that broke the camel’s back over at the hallowed F365 towers? Seriously? I guess better this straw than none. For years, not months, my Everton have been at the absolute arse end of a multitude of refereeing errors, poor decisions, VAR overturns, penalties that weren’t and should have been, penalties that were and shouldn’t have been, and non-VAR interventions.
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