"Ohhhh nine men for Chelsea! They are going to get battered now!!"

Thats a mindset anyone can have and most people did have.

The officials are suppose to be un-bias and impartial to the politics, media and non influenced by anything. But lets face it, 9 men v 11, with it being a high profile game and Man United, arguably the biggest club in the world?

So the linesmen recieves stick, he is a bit flustered, he is thinking when the ball struck the post (This is Man Uniteds moment, they are in here for the kill) ball gets pushed out and then the goals scored and the Lino is like "Ohhh! Knew it!"

And this is the problem.

It might not be the case for these incidents but somebody tell me that officials are not swayed by the inevitable or what they think will happen. They must guess a result or know who the dirty players are etc.

Not to mention the fans. Read earlier its proven that more decisions and fouls are given for Barcelona, Man United, Liverpool... teams with mass of support. When you have 60,000 fans going mental baying for blood in the fashion these teams do, the referees are again influenced.

Stamford Bridge must have one of the worst atmoshpheres for games. We don't have that 12th man calling for a pen like United do etc.

So many variables in football which are psychological that because they can't be proven and can be denied are not even mentioned in football.

But fact is, they exist.

The referee was convinced that Torres dove. The linesman at the World Cup was convinced that Lampard's ball had not gone over the line. Just because they're convinced, it doesn't mean they're definitely right. He clearly thought he was and booked Torres because of that.

But you've basically said that through all the big decisions that were made in the game, Clattenburg got ONE wrong. That's not a bad performance. You can't fault Clattenburg for the offside goal, that's the linesman's fault. Similarly, the linesman got every major decision right, except for the goal.

Again, every referee in the top 3 tiers (at least in Germany) is evaluated in every single game they referee. They are given the Premier League games based on those performances in the long-term because they are determined to be the best in the country. There is an amazing amount of training and practice that goes into it.
Referees are demoted and promoted, just like teams are. Does Torres get benched every time he misses a sitter? Did Cech get removed from the Czech national team after that howler at the World Cup?

Also, keep in mind that a lower division game isn't necessarily a demotion. There are local derbies that require a much better referee than some Bolton vs Wigan Prem game.

Footy drives me mad.

Not sure if you read the case study I posted a few days ago.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/9258810/Manchester-United-have-cause-for-complaint-as-unique-survey-highlights-Premier-League-errors.html

Different case studies will tell you different things, which just highlights the fact that it's random. Referees don't favor certain teams. That's only what fans and managers who feel screwed over say.

Luis Suarez just been sent off for me in Football Manager 2013...

The idiot dived in the 8th minute got a booking then 20 minutes later dived again.

It's becoming more realistic? The shock i had on one of the games when I noticed Heskey had become a Youth Coach at Chelsea

Lmaoo it gets worse... the game immediately after he served his ban for getting sent off for diving... he does a deliberate handball.

It knows!!

They missed the resulting penalty though so I assume Suarez was jumping up and down near the tunnel...

I'm not arguing how many decisions a referee gets wrong, its the big decisions that seem rash.

If a lino gives a the wrong team a throwing, its not a great misfortune, even if it results in a goal (unless all the players stop and protest it etc). Same with a corner, an offside anything. A sending off doesnt mean a great deal if you still get a result.

But its decisions that are made on the automatic psychological instincts. Its hard to prove a certain case because I don't have a degree is psychiatry, however my sister does so that basically makes me Dr Mulloy.

Its also hard to explain but if a Ref for example booked Roy Keane, instantly he would know theres a fair chance he is going to make another foul, same with scholes, Barton, Diouf, Ivanovic. These things cannot be edited or altered.

I believe that these particulate scenarios will always turn into favour of big supported/liked clubs. There is more hype, expectation, support, and publicity around them.

Chelsea are very much disliked and I would say bias or not bias that throughout my lifetime we have lost 2-0 to Arsenal in a cup final to two offside goals. We then lost another final to them for two freekicks that were not fouls. Another year to the same club Thierry Henry scores a FK that he takes quickly. I dont even want to speculate on the CL games.

It is not an evens itself out case. Its not as simple as that.

How can a goal being disallowed when your 4-0 up or already won the title be the same as losing to an offside goal and getting a player sent off incorrectly to 1 of your fiercest rivals in a crucial 6 pointer.

Sure we might get a lucky goal V Southampton when we are 3-0 up with 5 minutes to play, but they arent significant.

You can provide me loads of proof and evened out scenarios but even the Germany England crossbars goals dont equate to equal because we won the title and Germany didn't.

I mean don't get me wrong, if there was technology in football Chelsea would benefit.

But how would decisions be made.

What I mean is that the Ref already gives a foul in the box when he realises he has given the corner instead of a goal kick.

The Ref most of the time will give a free kick against someone challenging a keeper.

Did you know Howard Webb awarded something like 82 penalties in the last 5 years or something, and 60 of them were for Man United. I mean that stat alone is a bit unbelievable.

Gerrard said that he asked the linesman why he ruled out our goal and he said "I think it was offside".

Brilliant.

lol!!
About the answer I would've expected...

Ohhhh if Reading had done the job properly Chelsea would be easy winners to win the cup!!

Jammy bogeys.

Not sure how Man Utd fans can be bitter about this result either, but seen a few bitter statuses about cheating Chelsea...

If anything, it was us yet again robbed of a blatent penalty and how Giggs & Wooton stayed on the pitch.. oh my goodness.

What a great performance though by the Blues, Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Sturridge, Moses & Ramieres al in free flowing attacking form.

Dare I say, we look to have more speed and direction without Torres. Does he have a negative toll on us?

We have to stop giving away these silly goals. Two mistakes where we lose the ball in silly areas and get punished 2 v 2.

Chelsea by far the better team last night and it was an extremely thrilling game to watch!

Typical Arsenal getting Bradford... Called that a mile off

I really do wish all the top class referees went on strike and ones from lower leagues would have to jump in.
You would be begging for Clattenburg and the rest after about a game or two!!

Same

I really do wish the Liverpool squad went on strike... wouldn't have to watch the rubbish they are churning out without any passion.

I wouldn't mind going to the game and watching us put in a good fight, but there is no passion. Last night was dreadful, Sunday vs Everton, 2-0 up and they think they have won the league and start making stupid simple mistakes.

They need to realise with the fans we are not JUST about winning, if we see passion in the play we will be happy about that, upset if we don't get a result but happy they look like they want to actually be there.

This season, Reina, Enrique(When fit), Johnson (most games), Sahin, Borini are all showing no passion in the games. Then we play Europa league and we have Downing and Henderson who are playing their hearts out and doing it well but being punished for a poor season last season when Rodgers weren't there.

We have Assaidi who should be playing instead of Suso, Shelvey should be playing instead of Sahin. When Reina is back fit properly he shouldn't walk back in because Jones has been playing great, and made a few vital stops.

Allen, Sterling and Suarez seem to be the only ones giving it 100% EVERY week, and to be honest it's horrible seeing them try to carry the team.

Agree with the general gist of your post mate but I think you're being particularly harsh on Glen Johnson. Think he has been one of our better players this season.

Shelvey was suspended for 3 games so we couldn't play him for a while (tho think we could last weekend)

Still not a fan of Downing. Think he's awful. Hendo has been solid when he's played though.

Definitely need to give Assaidi more playing time though, and for me Suso is not a winger. He is in the Alonso mold. He's out of the game out on the flanks.

When Lucas is back I think we will be a lot better for it. Will give Allen license to get further forward, will release Shelvey to play in behind the front man and will send Gerrard to one of the front 3 I think.

As long as we stay up this season I'm happy. Rodgers has got a lot of players in the squad who do not fit the style he wants to play. Think our captain is in that category too.

Yeah was just wound up, Johnson hasn't been too bad but still the team as a whole have lacked passion. I reckon Suso has what it takes as a winger but at the minute he has too much pressure heaped on him and he would benefit by going out on loan to a championship team.

About Lucas, he was our second or third best player last season and only played until October, says it all really. We rely on him so much and it shows when he is not in the team how much of a key player he is. I think when he is back fit, Gerrard needs to be dropped to the bench, and told he can't just walk into the team. Have Lucas holding Allen in the middle and Shelvey can do what he wants as that's when he plays best.

Reckon Downing would benefit from playing a prem game or two, took him a while to get into our style of play last season and it didn't suit him now he is playing well when he does play, exactly the same for Henderson. Sahin only seems to play well when he is playing alongside Hendo or Shelvey, and Gerrard just constantly looks lost apart from the odd good ball per game.

Not gonna go on about the obvious needing a striker blah blah, but I believe Miroslav Klose has only 6 months left on his contract... surely if we lash a offer his way it wouldn't be too much of a risk for a season or two if he accepted. I know he is getting on now but still got a good season in him I reckon, think we should also look at Huntelaar who is nearing the end of his contract.