Ashley Cole gets Mascherano sent off.

[hisroyalgingerness]

don't want to go back to that "other" sport but watching wigan v st helens. penalty given to saints. wigan player disagrees, bang sin bin or whatever the rules are ( i don't understand league). no titting about

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So lets's get this reet

Mascherano gets (righhtly) booked for an (at best) ill-timed tackle

He then tells the ref to fcuk off three times

He gets told to shut up by said ref and still throws another fcuk off for good measure

He then runs 30 yards to question/dissent the ref, but shouldn't be sent off???????????

Aye, thats a good way to clean the game up

I'd be chucking another charge at him for his antics post red card

What he said, to thunderous applause. Sky later did a split-screen and Benitez appeared to be desperately trying to shut Mascherano up. Didn't work, but strong refereeing will. I don't think Bennett was on a witch-hunt at all; Mascherano went looking for trouble and boy did he get it.

[warthog]

So lets's get this reet

Mascherano gets (righhtly) booked for an (at best) ill-timed tackle

He then tells the ref to fcuk off three times

He gets told to shut up by said ref and still throws another fcuk off for good measure

He then runs 30 yards to question/dissent the ref, but shouldn't be sent off???????????

Aye, thats a good way to clean the game up

I'd be chucking another charge at him for his antics post red card

What he said, to thunderous applause. Sky later did a split-screen and Benitez appeared to be desperately trying to shut Mascherano up. Didn't work, but strong refereeing will. I don't think Bennett was on a witch-hunt at all; Mascherano went looking for trouble and boy did he get it.

Yet Fatty is backing his player

Bobo, where are you?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Managers back players, perhaps despite overwhelming temptation to blame them. His opposite number today has covered many an unworthy player's back.

[Soldier_Of_The_White_Army]

So lets's get this reet

Mascherano gets (righhtly) booked for an (at best) ill-timed tackle

He then tells the ref to fcuk off three times

He gets told to shut up by said ref and still throws another fcuk off for good measure

He then runs 30 yards to question/dissent the ref, but shouldn't be sent off???????????

Aye, thats a good way to clean the game up

I'd be chucking another charge at him for his antics post red card

What he said, to thunderous applause. Sky later did a split-screen and Benitez appeared to be desperately trying to shut Mascherano up. Didn't work, but strong refereeing will. I don't think Bennett was on a witch-hunt at all; Mascherano went looking for trouble and boy did he get it.

Yet Fatty is backing his player

Bobo, where are you?

Christ I miss Brian Clough!!!

He'd have kicked his arse down the tunnel whether he thought he was in the right or not.

Sorely missed in today's game.

[Raven]

So lets's get this reet

Mascherano gets (righhtly) booked for an (at best) ill-timed tackle

He then tells the ref to fcuk off three times

He gets told to shut up by said ref and still throws another fcuk off for good measure

He then runs 30 yards to question/dissent the ref, but shouldn't be sent off???????????

Aye, thats a good way to clean the agme up

I'd be chucking another charge at him for his antics post red card

Well said, was a red card waiting to happen esp after the first yellow, bloke was a fool

[fatshaft]

Lastly, the tackle on Hutton by Colewas disgraceful and was a straight red offence imo, and whilst Mascherano did deserve to get a yellow card,
I really don't see the comparison with giving a bit of lip to an ADULT who probably uses industrial language when in the company of other males, to trying to break someones leg cos you're a petulant tart.

I agree with that. There was a bit on Goals on Sunday, where GRaham Poll had said apparently that he rarely booked players for swearing because the crowd don;t hear it, but excessive body language shows the crowd there's dissent and action has to be taken. So Riley got it wrong.

THat said, yesterday Andy "Bottler" Gray refused to name a player in the Man U match (I didn't watch it) who was effing and jeffing loudly ta the ref, and who should have been booked by the Maschereno standards.

No doubt it was shrek, who I would say falls outside of Poll's verbal guideline. WHen he swears at the ref, you might as well have given the lad a load-haler, it's clear for all to see.

[communistworkethic]

Lastly, the tackle on Hutton by Colewas disgraceful and was a straight red offence imo, and whilst Mascherano did deserve to get a yellow card,
I really don't see the comparison with giving a bit of lip to an ADULT who probably uses industrial language when in the company of other males, to trying to break someones leg cos you're a petulant tart.

I agree with that. There was a bit on Goals on Sunday, where GRaham Poll had said apparently that he rarely booked players for swearing because the crowd don;t hear it, but excessive body language shows the crowd there's dissent and action has to be taken. So Riley got it wrong.

THat said, yesterday Andy "Bottler" Gray refused to name a player in the Man U match (I didn't watch it) who was effing and jeffing loudly ta the ref, and who should have been booked by the Maschereno standards.

No doubt it was shrek, who I would say falls outside of Poll's verbal guideline. WHen he swears at the ref, you might as well have given the lad a load-haler, it's clear for all to see.

while i haven't seen the poll interview, i would suspect he means swearing in the wider context, as there should be no swearing at all on the pitch, rather than the kind of dissent constituted by "f uck off your cheating c*nt, I wasn't anywhere near him, you can feck off if you think that's a card, I fecked you mrs last night you c*nt."

And if you think AG 's a bottler, you should have listened to Alan Green's commentary of the game, the most blinkered biased fat c*nt. He was screaming how Ferdinand was a disgarce and a cheat trying to get another player sent off, which is disgusting for someone with pretentions of being England captain. Hmmmm Stevie G, Alan?

Edit: have just seen Andy Gray's bit, yes what a prize c*nt. Totally missing the point just in order to be a nice person.

[FD]

Normally I very much agree with most of Andy Gray's stuff but yesterday he was just so wrong it was untrue.

He wasn't sent off for asking why Torres was carded (and to be honest it's a stupid question to ask as it's happened and it won't get recinded, refs decision is final as it's ALWAYS been) he was sent off for persistent whinging at the ref, undermining him, taking the piss out of him and swearing at him. He ran half the width of the pitch to get in on the action.

Still think it was the correct decision to make. Yes, he COULD have taken him to one side and said "Look, if I hear from you again this match then you're off" but some ref's don't do that, as it is the decision itself was correct.

[communistworkethic]

they get told by the refs in the changing rooms that they shouldn't argue, that should be enough.

Refs don't change their minds on the basis of players whining, but refs have been far too soft for years and that's why we're mow in a position where Ashley Cole behaves like he does and AG defends Mascherano. If a few more refs had booked every player who surrounded him to whine about a decision there'd be a lot less dissent.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Let's hope it starts here then. On a separate but parallel point, I noticed Campo theatrically waving an imaginary card just before Koumas walked at Wiggin. Isn't that a yellow offence itself now?

[communistworkethic]

you mistook a yellow card for a white flag

[FD]

Let's hope it starts here then. On a separate but parallel point, I noticed Campo theatrically waving an imaginary card just before Koumas walked at Wiggin. Isn't that a yellow offence itself now?

It fecking should be, thats one of the most disgusting things about the game today.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Let's hope it starts here then. On a separate but parallel point, I noticed Campo theatrically waving an imaginary card just before Koumas walked at Wiggin. Isn't that a yellow offence itself now?

It fecking should be, thats one of the most disgusting things about the game today.

It is - comes under Unsporting Behaviour. A good catch-all, that one.

[FaninOz]

I have no sympathy for any player who confronts the ref and gets himself sent off. Should be like Rugby, dissent gets at least 10mins sin bin time, a free kick moved 10 yards forward and/or a red card. Players would soon realise that swearing at/arguing with the ref penalises their team and their bonuses.

In this case the one match suspension should also be extended to at least 4 games for bringing the game into disrepute by refusing to go off. His manager should also be sanctioned for supporting the player in his press comments.

Also, players like Rooney and Nolan who regularly tell the ref to "go away with jumpy steps" should be sent off instantly. A few games with 9 men or so a side will result in a more open game and more goals as well as teaching these arrogant multimillionaire players that the "poor" refs have the upper hand.

For once I agree with CAPS comments above.

[bobby5]

My problem with yesterdays events were not really whether he should have been sent off. In retrospect contrary to my initial reaction, the decision was correct. It annoys me that refs have decided to do this 'all of a sudden.' The Ashley Cole incident certainly did spark this, but for Refs to start making decisions like this at this stage of the season, when they have let it go for most of it is wrong imo.

Incidently, one tackle on Ryan Giggs had him complaing to the linesman and the ref but no action was taken. Refs in inconsistency shock!

[Verbal]

Have to agree with the 'Ref was right, Mascherano an idiot' camp. It wasn't exactly a thirty yard sprint across the pitch to get to the ref (or as far as I could see anywho), but the fact that his team mates were holding him back when he was going across, and he decided to break free and carry on, shows that even his own felt he was being his own worst enemy. Clown.

[Worthy4England]

On a "you've got to start somewhere" basis, I'm with the Ref on this one.

As for be careful what you wish for....couple of games finishing up 9 Vs 8 players, and maybe the message will start to get through.

Agree with the general consensus that it needs to be across the board though and evenly applied.

[H. Pedersen]

Strange, we have a zillion threads decrying the poor standard of refereeing in the EPL, and also a thread saying the referees deserve more respect from the players. I'd say the referees should get their own shit together before they start whining about the words directed their way. People in glass houses and all that.

[TANGODANCER]

Strange, we have a zillion threads decrying the poor standard of refereeing in the EPL, and also a thread saying the referees deserve more respect from the players. I'd say the referees should get their own shit together before they start whining about the words directed their way. People in glass houses and all that.

Everything starts somewhere; maybe they just did.