Date: 24th February 2015 at 10:11pm
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The view from Stamford Chidge on the appalling performance from referee Martin Atkinson that could have seen a career ending injury to Nemanja Matic…

Stamford Bridge witnessed another appalling refereeing performance on Saturday to add grist to Jose Mourinho’s mill that referees are costing Chelsea points.

What was good to hear, for once, was that Jose’s criticism of Martin Atkinson’s dire performance was almost universal from supporters (of all clubs); former players and even former referees. Pointedly Keith Hackett, former referee’s Chief, claimed that Atkinson’s performance was arguably one of the worst in Premier League history.

4565267There can be little argument when you look at the nasty challenge by Barnes on Ivanovic in the first half which went unpunished; the blatant hand ball and shove on Costa for the penalty claims that were not given and the ‘criminal’, potentially leg breaking tackle by Barnes on Matic, whose understandable reaction led to his sending off, whilst the perpetrator walked away scott free. Matic of course was lucky to be walking at all.

One wonders whether the constant berating of the officials by Mourinho has had a negative effect, in that rather than being more fair minded when refereeing Chelsea games, referees are now scared to actually make a decision, knowing that it will be scrutinised one way or another.

The reality of course is that all clubs will suffer from bad refereeing decisions throughout the season – talk to Sunderland and Southampton supporters about Kevin Friend for example. Much as we would love to think so, surely there is no bias or corruption in their actions, and that being the case it must be down to incompetence – pure and simple.

It certainly doesn’t help that the game is undoubtedly much quicker and of course, with multi-camera angles and slow motion replays, every decision can be analysed ad infinitum, instantly. Add to this the scrutiny brought to bear by post match punditry and 24/7 sports media one can only imagine how tough the referee’s job has become. Even I was stunned, watching rather confused at what was happening with the Matic incident from my seat in the Matthew Harding Upper, when a young girl who sits in front of me was able to show me a video of Barnes’ tackle on Matic within seconds of the actual incident. Welcome to football in 2015!!

At the end of the day, referees don’t help themselves either. It is obvious to many supporters that they simply are not fit enough to 4565311keep up with play; being either overweight or too old to keep up with supremely fit athletes who are in some cases half their age.

A criticism which strangely goes under the radar is that they just don’t ‘know the game’ – meaning that as none of them have played at the highest level, they fail to see the nuances of the professional game – diving for example, and the difference between a challenge full of intent and malice and one that is just clumsy. Players of course wantonly take advantage of this with their sneaky behaviour and pressurising – but would they be able to kid a referee who had played at their level and who knows every trick in the players book?

For me the worst event on Saturday was the fact that Atkinson completely missed the challenge on Matic. Yes, you can make the excuse that it wasn’t necessarily clear cut, and that you would only have seen his leg almost snap in a video replay, but the ramifications of these ‘indecisions’ are massive.

In the short term, it cost Chelsea the game. Yes, Matic by the letter of the law had to go, but surely Barnes should have got his marching orders as well? Matic who is arguably Chelsea’s most important player will now miss three crucial games for Chelsea, one of them a Cup Final, all because of an incompetent referee? Remember, it could be argued that Barnes might not have been on the pitch to make that challenge had Atkinson done his job properly in the first half.

Of course there is a very serious point here, and one which Jose Mourinho has been making as frequently as his general disparagement of referees. If referees don’t do their job properly, a Chelsea player is going to suffer a career ending injury sooner or later.

015 HAZARDHis main focus of attention has been on Eden Hazard, the most fouled player in the Premier League. Hazard of course suffered two very nasty challenges against Stoke which could have seriously injured him. The targeting of Hazard is not just confined to the Premier League as we saw in the Champions’ League tie against PSG last week. Here, Hazard was persistently fouled by quite often two or three PSG players at the same time! But nothing was done.

Clearly Hazard is an honest player and doesn’t make too much fuss when he has been clattered, by which I mean he does not feign injury and indignation in order to get players booked or red carded, and it seems that leads to a lack of protection from referees.

This lack of protection from the referees has serious consequences, and not just in terms of a career threatening injury to a player. I have seen many games where the referee has been poor and let some nasty challenges go early. The side on the receiving end of these challenges sees them going unpunished and starts to lose faith in the referee and his ability to protect them. They then take the law in to their own hands, leading to retribution and an inevitable escalation, and possibly more career threatening challenges, or worse a mass brawl.

In some respects this is what happened on Saturday. Chelsea players saw many agricultural challenges from Burnley players going4565296 unpunished. No doubt Matic was incensed by the tackle by Barnes but his reaction may have had something to do with the lack of faith he had in Atkinson to police the situation.

Furthermore, there is nothing that incites a football crowd more than poor refereeing. Many times I have witnessed usually mild mannered supporters who, had they not been sitting in the upper tier of stand, desperate to get on the field of play and clump a referee. Imagine the potential reaction had they witnessed a favourite player being put out of the game permanently by a deliberate and malicious tackle?

Clearly something needs to be done, before a player such as Hazard gets his leg broken, but what?

Most solutions (more widespread use of video technology; a referee in each half; rugby style TMO) are only going to help retrospectively and may not prevent a leg breaking challenge happening in the first place.

Ultimately it depends on better refereeing. Referees’ fit enough to keep up with the game; aware of the nuances of the game and those strong enough to manage the game and the players from the first minute to the last. That means referees who command respect through their decision making and actions on the pitch and who actually “know what they are doing!”

I wonder how Pierluigi Collina might have handled affairs on Saturday. A lot better than Martin Atkinson, that’s for sure!

Follow Stamford Chidge on Twitter @StamfordChidge

 

11 responses to “Corrupt Or Just Incompetent?”

  1. Varun Joshi says:

    I agree with the comment about referees getting too old to run with the players and not seeing the fouls being made. But, what about the handball on Ivanovic’s shot. The referee’s position during that incident couldn’t have been better. (Maybe they are literally too old that their organs have stopped functioning properly as well, just joking :p).

    The more such incidents happen, the more players will feel free to do anything thinking they will get away with it.

  2. Kevinski says:

    The most accurate and truthful article I’ve read in ages. Pity the FA big wigs can’t or more like won’t.. see it… Corrupt or incompetent is exactly the question that needs answering, with answer needs addressing.

  3. Allan says:

    A top ref who was chosen to officiate EUFA matches could not be that incompetent to miss not one, not two, not three, but FOUR infringements. A definite corrupt act. Martin Atkinson must have graduated from the same ref school as Tom Henning Overbro.

  4. ugos says:

    Last three years ago it was (Howard web) last two yes ago it was (Clethenbeng)this year is ( Ackinsing)Infact is organised crime against Chelsefc.The FA dont like that club we know.

  5. Jonathan says:

    Jose needs to start encouraging Hazard and others to fake injury and consume time when taken down because clearly it’s the only way to get a call or to make a point that play is too rough. Refs dont honor honest players. Also, players should not play for the foul but should try to play through it. It’s clear refs wont give fouls that are too easily found even if they are indeed fouls.

  6. topsy says:

    I think the English FA needs a copy of this article because they may deliberately choose not to see it. just on point and I pity the coach been victimized always.

  7. Gt says:

    Chelsea fc is one of the most victimized club in the world, and i think that English fA need to change their stupid behavior before ppl lose their faith in English football

  8. Jay cee says:

    Kudos to the write up. For What i believe,the FA just deliberately ignore this organise incompetence against chelsea,oviedo did this in the match chelsea vs bacelona and they were mostly supporting bacelona,but they now know they are hurting the fans and the player love for the game.

  9. sanjo says:

    The truth is that those referees was sent by the English FA in other to frustrate and deny chelseafc of there point, that is the reason the will never do anything and allow the faithful one like matic and chelseafc suffer and let the criminals like Barnes and Martin Atkinson go unpunished, what an incompetent and racist FA, because matic is not an England boy rite, did Costa did up to that before been punished after Liverpool game, no wonder England will never move closer to world cup semi-final not to talk of final, to bad FA making lovers of EPL loosing intrest

  10. John pepper says:

    The pundits always have plenty to say about players and managers, maybe if they were more vocal in their criticism of the FA things might actually start to change.

  11. Stuart Ross says:

    Why is Mike Riley in charge he was an awful ref probley the worst in his day always gave man u penalty’s if i remember rightly