I am currently working in Germany for a month and watching the game between Chelsea and United, when Torres was given a red everybody in the hotel lounge immediately said the game was fixed. Thats how bad it looked.the english game took a hit on Sunday, some mates in south africa felt the same.
Its normally accepted that in big games with a world wide audience refs do not exactly ref to the last letter of the law to allow the game to ebb and flow.Remember TV brings in the money and if the audience feels that results are predetermined or something is unfair they can switch off just like they have with Sierra A.20 years ago Sierra A was the best league in the world before England provided more money and attracted the best foreigners hence the popularity of the english game.
Personally it hasn't crossed my mind that Clattenburg could have arranged to fix the game as I feel british sport generally has integrity however his profile personal businesses, debt and general decision making is the kind that any decent lawyer could easily assassinate his character in court.
I only saw 2 real bad decisions in the game, The Torres 2nd yellow and not sending of Rooney for what was a clear cynical 2nd yellow offence.united fans will point to Torres 1st half challenge but I seem to remember Johnny Evans karate kick Drogba which was worse than Torres and he rightly got a yellow.
The other contentious decisions were fifty fifties but what was clear was Clattenburg changed the course of sundays game wittingly or unwittingly and I have looked at the replays of Hernandez offside goal, some say its a difficult one but if the lines man can see that javier is coming from the opposite side of the pitch why give him the benefit of doubt, he was behind Cech for f_cks sakes.
I feel thats a bad call and only reason I can think is the linesman hasnt seen Javier at all.
For the next few weeks the FA not only have to resolve the chelsea complaints but rescue the integrity of the sport.
Those who say Clattenburg may not have said anything are either naive or children, this isnt just Mikel, its half the Chelsea team.he has definitely said something, the context is something that will be debated, already reports say he may have said "cheeky monkey" which most people use in a playful way but the heated debate between Mikel and Clattenburg dont suggest anything playful.
Why Clattenburg did not apologise after the game is beyond me, would chelsea have reported this if they had won the game, Im sure the answer is No.They would have swept this under the carpet just like many racial abuse occurances are all over the world, however and opportunity to deal with racism has been presented just like Rio has tried to grab a few that have occured in the last few months, this isnt a cut and dry case, the media will be pleased.
Clattenburg & Integrity of the English game
posted on 30/10/12
@ Insufferable-piffle
u have missed the point, I didnt link the linesman in the pool game to sir Alex, all Im saying is similar situations and the linesman calls it differently.
To be frank Im yet to see a professional game where a striker 1st strikes the ball when he is behind the goalie and its given as a legitimate goal.
If you look at the Mendez goal and Nani goal, its a long list of strange goals that have been awarded to united.
posted on 30/10/12
What Nani goal? I hope for your sake you don't mean the one with Gomes
posted on 30/10/12
scrummy (U14126)
Maybe, just maybe, he may have done nothing wrong in his eyes and therefore doesn't feel the need to apologize?
-------------------------------------------------------------
you don't only apologize because you have done something wrong, you can at times apologize to diffuse a potentially explosive situation.
Dont you think it would have been better for Clattenburg to apologize and let this thing blow over rather than the personal and professional turmoil he has to go through let alone the integrity of the english game.
Mikel went to his room to demand an aopology, if cattenburg wasnt so hard ars_ed and proud like most elite refs are this wouldnt be the issue it is today.
All he had to do was say sorry you misunderstood me.he is an official, he is supposed to be the calmer and wiser one.you cant compare a ref to a player.
posted on 30/10/12
So do we know who threatened to break who's legs yet?
posted on 30/10/12
scrummy (U14126)
I don't believe he should apologize if he has done nothing wrong. Why should he? If Mikel or whoever(hypothetically speaking here) is accusing him based on 2nd hand information and he felt he is in the right then I fully agree with his stance, especially seeing Mikel and other cronies went at him in an aggressive manner. Who is to say that if Clattenberg apologized that Chelsea still would not have reported it and this saga would still be with us? If he did apologize it could have made things even darker than it is now as it would have been seen as an admission of guilt. If Mikel went to get an apology why are we hearing reports of people wanting to breaking legs and whats not?
Mikel is a proffesional, he should have been able to behave himself in such a manner, I find your argument very laughable. Refs are human like anyone else and there can be compared to players.
posted on 30/10/12
red666, i have been meaning to ask a reasonable united poster something.
lets say Clattenburg is found innocent or more likely lets say there is not enough evidence to suggest he has racially abused Mikel,chelsea players cant be punished neither will Clattenburg, but that is assuming he actually did not say any racial term because if he did irrespective of the context he will be found guilty.
What do you guys thing of Clattenburg as a ref in general, were these just innocent mistakes or is he unfit to ref.Remember City fans have complained in the last few weeks and he has already appeared to make mistakes in other games this season!
I just cant see how any manager will want him even united, but correct me if I am wrong.
posted on 30/10/12
My own view of MC over the years are he is kak.
posted on 30/10/12
Right I'm out of here, works calling see ya
posted on 30/10/12
@Denis_Law(Gangham Stylin' like Gayle) (U3163)
Firstly are you white(caucasian)?reason I ask is because I just wanted to know if you generally expect people who are racially abused to behave themselves?
Secondly why are Judges given a different moral code to normal citizens or any position of officialdom?
Clattenburg is a ref, he is DIFFERENT, he is supposed to be the bigger guy or pretend to be. Thats why refs arent allowed to be criticised in public the same way players are being criticised by managers every week, take Suarez for example, if you cant see that distinction Im afraid i cant explain this any further.
Lastly I did think about the fact that Clattenburg could have apologised and still Chelsea would have reported it but there is one thing you have to realised, Chelsea did not accuse Clattenburg of racism, they put forward a complaint of inappropriate language something clattenburg has to answer irrespective of what he said unless if you actually believe he said nothing and CFC have made all this up.
Either way if he was genuinely misunderstood and apologised it wouldnt make a difference to his case as it stands now because he would still say the same things he woul;d have said when he apologised.
In any case he will make a public apology at the end of all this just like Terry did.he might dio it after a few weeks or months but if he has actually said anything he will apologise mark my words.
Only way out is if he hasnt actually said anything inappropriate and CFC are lying from the chairman Buck, Ron goulay to RDM and half the 1st team that played on sunday.
guess we will see what happens in a few weeks?
posted on 30/10/12
scrummy (U14126)
No I'm Afro-Caribbean. No one was "racially abused", it was alleged that that was the case, and Mikel wasn't being proffessional even before Mr.Clattenburg had a word with him about his behavior.
Referee and player roles may be different, but what is expected remains the same. I also think you'll find that all human kind are binded by the same moral code. Regardless of whether you're a judge, cook, vagrant, certain things are expected of you.
I would ask what is meant by the term "inappropriate language". If they want an investigation and subsequent punishment for using 'bad language' are they willing for the same to be metted out when their players say bad words too?
I don't think Evra/ your club made public apologies when there was that issue a few years ago, so I don't see why MC should give one, if nothing comes of it.
It wasn't "half the team or the chairman or Ron or RDM", it would only be Ramirez and Luiz(?) who apparently heard something and reported. At most the others would be guilty of being misled.