Quote Originally Posted by Supersub6 View Post
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.