By Stephen Mogaka Biko- Guest article
There are many non-Manchester united fans who believe that the English Premier League is akin to a secret society with Manchester United at the apex of the hierarchy. In this world, all referees must favour United at all costs especially at Old Trafford. In a sense all referees are ‘initiated’ into this secret wisdom that they must dish out all manner of dubious calls on behalf of Manchester United. Over the years one has lost count of the number of referees who have favoured Manchester United especially at Old Trafford from Gallagher to Howard Webb to Phil Dowd to Mark Clattenburg. The latest initiate to this trend is none other than referee Michael Oliver. Last season, Michael Oliver was perhaps one of the best referees. He was for the most part, fair and he was consistent. On Saturday at Old Trafford, Michael Oliver decided to sell his ‘soul’ like many great referees before him. I am taking nothing away from United who had a brilliant second half performance. However, one can only sympathize with Wigan who for the third or fourth consecutive time at Old Trafford were on the receiving end of pathetic officiating. Michael Oliver awarded an absolutely nothing penalty to Manchester United after Danny Welbeck had dived early on in the game. Several hours later in a match involving Liverpool, Luis Suarez was denied a penalty for a similar dive and also yellow carded. It was interesting to see the pundits in the studio discuss the contrast in decision-making between the two games.
Roberto Martinez, the soft spoken urbane manager of Wigan remarked after the match; ‘I have come to United three times before today and for whatever reason we don’t seem to be measured in the same manner as the team at home.” “The penalty is as bad a decision as you are going to see in the Premier League. In many ways, you feel as though you are fighting against a mountain’. The Wigan manager also took issue with the decision by the referee not to send off Danny Welbeck for a dangerous tackle late in the same game. The tackle was dangerous and needless (because United were four goals up) but the clueless referee decided to give only a yellow card. Anyway at old Trafford the rule book is seemingly out as far as Manchester United are concerned. In the bizzaro world at Old Trafford in the space of four minutes a referee can choose not to dish out a red card while simultaneously giving the most bizarre of penalties. See below as the appropriately named Lee Mason completely messes up a game on behalf of United. Not only does he not send of Rooney, he sends of the QPR captain for a dive by Ashley Young who happened to be offside! To add insult onto injury, Rooney who should be off scores the penalty! That my friend is impunity 101.
As somebody put it, the ref made three mistakes in one. It should have been a free kick for QPR for young’s offside; it shouldn’t have been a red for the QPR captain, young should have been booked for diving. The incompetent buffoons at the FA did in fact after this game refuse to overturn the referees yellow card for the QPR captain despite all the video evidence! Well there you have it. All ‘small teams’ must know their place. The big boys will punch you and take your lunch money and dare you complain. The authorities will side with the bullies! Call it impunity; Call it mobile money to the ref, its beyond pathetic. See below.
Only in this bizzaro world can Wayne Rooney elbow a player and have a brief chat with the ref like if nothing happened! Do you now see why Martinez is so livid? For your information, Rooney only got one yellow card the whole of last season despite his overall play and his penchant for industrial language!
Video is below
I could not agree more with Martinez. Hate Man City all you like but at least their wonderful home record is the product of grit and good football. Sadly with United, the silly decisions by Michael Oliver and others certainly take a sheen over their performances. It also calls into question what the team will do in Europe where such ‘friendly’ refs will not be there to save their bacon. Roberto Martinez is not the only one to complain about the outright bias by referees at games involving United. What particularly galls me is the fact that United have made an art form of ‘robbing’ the weakest of teams in the EPL. As Martinez has observed, Wigan have been on the receiving end of dubious decisions at Old Trafford in recent years as have the likes of QPR and Fulham. One wonders why a team of Manchester United’s quality needs a dubious referee against Wigan of all teams.
In the final analysis, the EPL remains a very interesting league but its refereeing is beyond pathetic. When the weak or ‘myonges’ are always messed up with by the powerful then the league loses its allure. Yes, Barca is favoured but it largely happens in Europe. Barca do not get favoured week in and out against the riff raff of the Primera Liga. Is it too much to ask that United beat the lesser lights of the EPL in a fair manner? A question their fans are best placed to address.
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