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Man United’s travel sickness and Dzeko to City in Five Points to Ponder…

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So what’s the solution? When we’re talking about downright incompetence, as is the case with Mason, then the only solution is the relegation of referees to the lower reaches of the football ladder. Meanwhile, it seems abundantly clear that on controversial flashpoints during a match, where perhaps the incident has occurred at such a speed that the officials are unable to make an informed decision, their efforts should be supplemented by video technology. That said, look at the frequency with which television pundits are unable to pick the bones from controversial incidents even with the aid of multiple replays. In a game played by humans, should we just accept that human error is part and parcel, or are the stakes now too high for that?

David Beckham to Spurs? Brilliant business by Harry

If, as reported, David Beckham ends up making his way to White Hart Lane, in a similar deal to the one which saw Landon Donovan successfully swap LA Galaxy for the Premier League whilst the MLS shut down, then Harry Redknapp will have enhanced his glowing transfer track record even further. Since Redknapp admitted that he was interested in bringing the former England skipper back to these shores on a short term deal, a number of newspaper journalists have questioned the wisdom of such a move.

Many of these critics are missing the point though. Beckham wouldn’t be coming in as a starter, but rather a player capable of taking the load off during a hectic period of the season in which Spurs will conceivably be fighting it out in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. More important than his actual on field performances would be the winning mentality that he’ll inevitably bring to the table. As refreshing as Spurs’ gung-ho attitude has been thus far this season, a seasoned and serial trophy winner like Beckham could be the perfect addition to a Spurs squad that is relatively light on experience and nous.

The fact of the matter is that there is nothing to lose through such a punt. Even if his legs cannot carry him as effectively as they once could, having a character like Beckham around the place could act as a vital galvanising influence for Redknapp’s side. If LA Galaxy do decide they are happy to see the globe-trotting Beckham play through the US close season, don’t be surprised to see a queue of suitors longer than this writer’s arm (and it’s a reasonably long arm).

And finally, the fourth official…

This is something that’s been bugging me for quite a while and I really need to get it off my chest. Fourth officials are so irritating aren’t they? If ever there was an individual in the world with an over inflated sense of self-worth, it’s the fourth official. In terms of ‘wage to actual work done’ ratio, the fourth official is up there with the worst value for money employees in the world. Let’s recap what they do. They hold the time added on board up at the end of both halves. They step forward from their background of irrelevancy to sternly usher managers back for having the temerity to step outside their technical area by a centimetre. And, erm, that’s pretty much it.

Actually, there’s one more thing. You know when a substitute is getting ready to enter the field of play, has anyone ever noticed how the busy body fourth official puts his arm across the player, as if to construct some sort of flimsy blockade to prevent them entering the pitch. And they literally don’t let the substitute step onto the pitch until the player trudging off is across the line. Why do fourth officials feel the need to be pernickety jobsworths (a bit like old codgers in libraries that tell you to be quiet) on things like this? It’s like when a nightclub institutes a ‘one in, one out’ system. Thing is, there are only 22 players on the field, it’s not as though someone is going to be able to secretly remain on the pitch unbeknown to the referee, unless Graham Poll is officiating that is.

Happy New Year everyone.

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