Mad Mike strikes again.

[sinkov]

I used to think Mike Dean was one of the better refs, but it's time he was pensioned off. He sent off Villa's Douglas Luiz and Wolves Moutinho for two yellow cards each. Of the four yellows only one was a 100% yellow, one was debatable, many refs would have let it go, the other two, one for each of them, weren't even fouls, let alone yellows.

The two players can't appeal, which is a shame, their dismissals would have been rescinded, but Dean has now acquired joke referee status, he shouldn't be in the professional game.

[oldcolner]

I used to think Mike Dean was one of the better refs, but it's time he was pensioned off. He sent off Villa's Douglas Luiz and Wolves Moutinho for two yellow cards each. Of the four yellows only one was a 100% yellow, one was debatable, many refs would have let it go, the other two, one for each of them, weren't even fouls, let alone yellows.

The two players can't appeal, which is a shame, their dismissals would have been rescinded, but Dean has now acquired joke referee status, he shouldn't be in the professional game.

He reached 3000 yellows in his career during that game, some achievement that!

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I actually look with dread to see if this half-wit is going to be one of our match officials days before any game we are due to play in.

When a referee becomes more important than the game itself it really is time to go!

[Supersub6]

I don't know if any of you watched the full game because it was players falling around all over the pitch trying to con the officials which we all know is now the 'norm', particularly in the PL, although it is now filtering down to grassroots football as I witnessed in Ashington yesterday morning when I went to watch a friend refereeing.

Mike Dean played them at their own game and now everyone is up in arms because of the cautions and dismissals and the fact that there were 38 fouls given.
Most of the fouls were niggly offences, many committed by crafty Wolves players, however, I thought that the Villa players manufactured quite a few of them but they, themselves, committed more serious offences and were cautioned.

Naturally, the managers and fans will disagree with this and criticise the officials, however, Mike Dean refereed in the way that FIFA want officials to do and showed just where the modern game is headed.

Players will always try to get away with whatever they can, however, a firm referee can put them in their place and it is then up to them to learn, however, neither set of players heeded the cautions that were given and continued with their activities. As usual, it is the officials who get the blame and yet not one official did anything other than their job. It's a strnge game.

[Altobelli]

He's a Jekyll and Hyde is our Mike, I remember the Wembley Sheffield Utd play off game and saw him in charge, I did not hold up much hope for us, but when he did not give the blades a penalty after Kav (his name escapes me) brought one of their forwards down I just couldnt believe it

[sinkov]

He's a Jekyll and Hyde is our Mike, I remember the Wembley Sheffield Utd play off game and saw him in charge, I did not hold up much hope for us, but when he did not give the blades a penalty after Kav (his name escapes me) brought one of their forwards down I just couldnt believe it

There was another penalty claim as well he could have given, and he also robbed Sheffield United of at least a couple of minutes injury time did Mike. He was instrumental in us winning promotion in that game, but he used his credit up long since.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

He's a Jekyll and Hyde is our Mike, I remember the Wembley Sheffield Utd play off game and saw him in charge, I did not hold up much hope for us, but when he did not give the blades a penalty after Kav (his name escapes me) brought one of their forwards down I just couldnt believe it

Funny coincidence is that Alto because I watched that game on one of the play-off final replays on SKY recently.

Kalvanes made contact with the now famous Kyle Walker who did make a meal of it. It was 50/50 but Mike did not give it.

On the other hand the chances we missed was unbelievable, 4-0 would not have flattered us on the day!

[sinkov]

I don't know if any of you watched the full game because it was players falling around all over the pitch trying to con the officials which we all know is now the 'norm', particularly in the PL, although it is now filtering down to grassroots football as I witnessed in Ashington yesterday morning when I went to watch a friend refereeing.

Mike Dean played them at their own game and now everyone is up in arms because of the cautions and dismissals and the fact that there were 38 fouls given.
Most of the fouls were niggly offences, many committed by crafty Wolves players, however, I thought that the Villa players manufactured quite a few of them but they, themselves, committed more serious offences and were cautioned.

Naturally, the managers and fans will disagree with this and criticise the officials, however, Mike Dean refereed in the way that FIFA want officials to do and showed just where the modern game is headed.

Players will always try to get away with whatever they can, however, a firm referee can put them in their place and it is then up to them to learn, however, neither set of players heeded the cautions that were given and continued with their activities. As usual, it is the officials who get the blame and yet not one official did anything other than their job. It's a strnge game.

Not often I disagree with you Sub but I do on this. To me Dean seemed to be refereeing on automatic pilot, two players come together, first to fall down gets the free kick, if referees are going to give free kicks when a player 'goes to ground' at the slightest touch, whose fault is it if they continually fall down at the slightest touch.

Referees are in charge of a game, players are like children, they will try to get away with what they can, but they can only get away with what a referee will allow them to get away with. The game is going to rat-**** because of the standard of officiating. If you see a child running riot in a cafe or supermarket, it's not the kid's fault, it's the parent's, they're responsible for their child's behaviour. If players are making the game unwatchable, and they are, it's the referees and those instructing them who are the problem, they are responsible for the player's behaviour on the pitch. They could sort it out tomorrow, but for whatever reason, they won't.

[Supersub6]

Not often I disagree with you Sub but I do on this. To me Dean seemed to be refereeing on automatic pilot, two players come together, first to fall down gets the free kick, if referees are going to give free kicks when a player 'goes to ground' at the slightest touch, whose fault is it if they continually fall down at the slightest touch.

Referees are in charge of a game, players are like children, they will try to get away with what they can, but they can only get away with what a referee will allow them to get away with. The game is going to rat-**** because of the standard of officiating. If you see a child running riot in a cafe or supermarket, it's not the kid's fault, it's the parent's, they're responsible for their child's behaviour. If players are making the game unwatchable, and they are, it's the referees and those instructing them who are the problem, they are responsible for the player's behaviour on the pitch. They could sort it out tomorrow, but for whatever reason, they won't.

FIFA's quest to eliminate contact from the game is why they won't. They are refereeing to directives and the introduction of VAR has made it almost impossible to referee using common sense because they have to stick to the directives.

My feeling is that experienced referees will soon be departing the game because they are truly pissed off with VAR and are unable to officiate as they would prefer to do or have done in the past.
You say that officials should sort players out for making the game unwatchable and that is exactly what Mike Dean did on Saturday by refereeing exactly as he is being directed by his bosses. He gave fouls for the slightest contact, helped by players rolling around etc., he booked players for consistent infringements as much as anything else, players were diving around needlessly, in fact, I thought that there was a sniper at loose at Molyneux.

It isn't going to get any better sinkov, my only hope is that is does not spread to Clitheroe and Ashington because, when they are allowed to play, you do at least see a game resembling football as we know it! Sadly, it will only last until younger referees coming into the game receive the instruction that player safety is paramount to everything and that any physical contact MUST be penalised one way or another.

[sinkov]

To be honest Sub, we aren't very far apart on this, in fact we're not apart at all really, we're in agreement. I just thought two of the yellows were shocking decisions, the yellows may have been justified for persistent fouling or whatever, but neither were fouls in the first place, Mike just seemed to have lost interest, saw a player go down, and couldn't care less whether an offence had occurred or not, he just put the whistle in his gob and blew. I know the players are their own worst enemies and often ask for all they get, but if Mike is so pissed off with the pantomime that he can't be bothered to get it right any more, and is just going through the motions, he should pack it in.

Although I give refs as much stick as anyone else, I do have some sympathy for them, I'm amazed more senior refs haven't departed already, maybe at PL level they're on good money so they're not going to walk away, but if I was a ref I'd have handed in my whistle a while ago, I simply could not be a party to the way the game is now officiated. It's just a pity that all the senior refs can't get together and demand it's sorted out, and some sort of sanity is returned to the game. But it's probably too late now, the problems are so numerous, with FIFA showing no inclination to even consider they're getting it so wrong, that the game has probably gone beyond recall.

Like you say, all we can do is hope that at Clitheroe and Ashington the game remains worth watching and enjoyable for as long as we're still around and fit enough to watch it.