Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool: Big games that shouldn’t be decided by poor decisions

More recently, just a few days ago, Suarez scored a fairytale goal in the dying minutes of the Merseyside derby. He was given offside, when in actual fact his goal should have stood. Had he completed his hatrick, and decided the match, he would have silenced his critics, inspired his team, and perhaps changed the season for Liverpool. Well I guess in the end it didn’t go quite that way.

I know he shouldn’t have been on the pitch anyway; he got away with two ankle stamps, which he could and should have seen straight red for. And for that even the Everton supporters can cry foul, a ten men Liverpool without Suarez is a much easier team to beat. And imagine if he then scores in the next game? When he should be serving suspension? (see just how involved referees have become in deciding the fate of the game)

Then comes the big one, United and Chelsea. A classic game indeed, that ended in mere, sorrowful chaos. Van Persie at his best, involved in all three of United’s goals and Ivanonic’s sending off (his sublime turn took out three of Chelsea’s place out of the game, and his through ball, graceful, put Ashley Young through on goal). Juan Mata; amazing, intelligent, involved in all two Chelsea’s goals, scoring one and doing the work in the second. Mata took Carrick out of the game, and he inspired Chelsea’s comeback. And then there is good old David De Gea, finding his form, boosting his confidence

Sadly, this game will not be remembered for these performances, instead it will rest on the debatable ‘dive’ that led to Torres’s sending off and Hernandez’s ‘offside goal’.(since there is large agreement even amongst the Chelsea fans that Ivanonic deserved his red card for denying Young a sure goal). With ten men Chelsea still had a chance to win it, but with nine men effectively killed it as a contest.

I don’t doubt that the referee was consistent with his decisions; he booked Valencia for simulation, under a challenge from Mikel, which had thrice the share of contact than Evan’s challenge. (Philosophically Chelsea could have still finished with nine men, if Valencia hadn’t been booked, Mikel would have been sent off for a second bookable offence)

Seeing it after multiple replays, no one can still reach an objective conclusion, we must forgive the referee, he only had one view, of an incident we have had a million times, and still can’t quite decide. But I blame the linesman, Chicharito was offside, and his goal shouldn’t have stood. (Some reprieve for the first half handball by Luiz)

However we look at it, I will still remain in mourning. It is terribly tragic that games that meant so much, that had so much in them, that lived up to the billing, where players rose to the occasion, ultimately failed to mature into the unforgettable classics they had proved to be, instead, they ended in chaos, confusion, and drama, all ‘decided by contentious referring decisions’.

I don’t blame the refs, I don’t support technology too much, and the 5^th official looks a silly plot and a silly man. But the fact that lady ref luck shines so brightly in European football now, sickens me. It is sad, sad, sad!

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