Ref needs investigating

[BushBlade]

I think there's some OTT Blades-tinted-specs reactions here. Maybe he wasn't the best, but it was a tight, physical and niggly game - more our choice than theirs, by the way - and in those games referees often become quick to blow and also dish out a lot of cards. One thing he wasn't was biased. Equal yellows to each side, the Besic one was dark orange and we got away with it - a biased ref wouldn't have left him on the pitch. Same with the other instances jamie0114 listed above.

I think any red card for violent conduct would be checked by VAR and if it had been an obvious red, they would have overturned the yellow like they did to Aubameyang.
I don’t think he was biased though, I was starting to think he might be but then he gave a couple of decisions against City that I thought were a bit poor so I came to the conclusion he just wasn’t very good. Not awful, just a bit crap, not quite on it and not quite in control, particularly when everyone started telling him to fuck off.

 

[Swannyblade]

That. I’ve been trying to put my finger on it but you’ve nailed it.

It was a weird one.
You couldn't point to any major decision he got wrong, but he was always half a yard off the pace of the game, he didn't allow any potential advantages for either side, he was quick to the whistle in some instances and very hesitant in his decision making in others (when Aguero told him to give a foul was a good example of this) and his communication with the players during the game was poor.
His lack of respect and authority was exemplified by the Sterling substitution - he told him to go off by the nearest touchline, Sterling chose to ignore him without consequence and Mr Mason looked weak in consequence.
As I've said, a very irritating refereeing style to watch and to play under I can imagine. I assume City would have been as frustrated as us if they hadn't squeezed the win.

 

[The Hobott]

I think one problem was that our (the crowd's) abuse and baiting of the ref - often deserved - was a bit disjointed. Normally we can put some real pressure on them and foster doubt in the guys head after a couple of dodgy decisions. I felt it was a bit half-hearted yesterday so we didn't bring him to heel. Maybe that's indicative of him making no major howlers.

 

[John Street West Terrace]

Wank referee, biased, deserved all the pelters he got. Bastard.

lots or love,
The Shoreham

Poetry Rodley couldn’t put it better myself

 

[John Street West Terrace]

I agree with the thread title .... but I would probably change the last word for something more appropriate like f.....g

 

[Trigger Blade]

It was a weird one.
You couldn't point to any major decision he got wrong, but he was always half a yard off the pace of the game, he didn't allow any potential advantages for either side, he was quick to the whistle in some instances and very hesitant in his decision making in others (when Aguero told him to give a foul was a good example of this) and his communication with the players during the game was poor.
His lack of respect and authority was exemplified by the Sterling substitution - he told him to go off by the nearest touchline, Sterling chose to ignore him without consequence and Mr Mason looked weak in consequence.
As I've said, a very irritating refereeing style to watch and to play under I can imagine. I assume City would have been as frustrated as us if they hadn't squeezed the win.

At the game live, it looked to me as though he got plenty wrong, but watching the game back later, he got most things right, for example the penalty and Besic’s booking, which I wasn’t at all convinced by at the time.

The one that really got me was, as you say, the Sterling substitution. He was stood right next to Sterling, told him where to go off and then let him go off by a much longer route, very slowly. Apart from the fact that an England international wearing the colours of the English champions felt the need to waste time against little SUFC, it made Mason look a bit feeble.

I expect to be in his company again quite soon (mate of a mate) and most of the split second decisions he has to make are matters of opinion and I wouldn’t want to argue about most of them. However, I will ask him what his logic was with Sterling, I just don’t get it. I’ll report back, though it may be a while.