United v Coventry: quick thoughts from the upper tier

[lepton blade]

Anyway; back to the football. The important thing about today's result is that it keeps the momentum going in our favour. A draw that feels like a win, I can imagine how the Coventry fans will be thinking about it. Also Clough got all the subs spot on in my opinion, Kennedy on to move Bash into midfield and as so many others gave commented, Freeman changed the game today.

 

[ThatJa]

Why was the referee shit?

McEveley had to do his job....

Would we like the Ref to do McEveleys job??

 

[UnitedBlade]

He got the Baxter decision right as far as asI could see.

But looking at the foul count and the fouls he and the useless lino missed, how did they finish with 11 men ?

Big fan of Basham in central defence but not convinced in midfield until today. He gave absolutely everything - nothing left on the pitch after his 90 minutes - well played.

 

[DI36O]

Was it me or was there anothet late studs up challenge on Doyle later in the first half? I might be imagining things but it seemed like one rule for us, another for Coventry. If your going to enforce it then do it consistently.

 

[MBoreman]

Until I see it again I refuse to believe Baxter's was correct, never like this thing where even if you get the ball you can still be sent off. Added to that a foul wasn't given for a worse tackle on Doyle.

Two errors that come to mind from the ref were not booking Daniels after two half deliberate handballs and not booking their RB Phillips for the tackle that meant Murphy needed physio.

Also is it just me or are they really quick to go for the stretcher nowadays?

 

[1889]

Benefit of the doubt on that one for me. The ref had yet to mark the ball and walk the yards and mark the line. He was just being too slow sorting things out. No harm done in the end.

To be fair that wasn't difficult to do, the free kick was a yard outside the 18yd box, so the wall should have been three yards outside the six yard box. After he strode it out it was about five yards outside, hopeless!

Eventually, I think there was so much diving and play acting by both teams that the ref eventually just said' play on' 80% of the time. There was an incident in the second half where Freeman was shielding the ball about a yard in front of the linesman while their defender was swinging his left foot around Freemans armpit in an attempt to get the ball and the he never even flagged. I hate linesman.

 

[LSF]

Is it ?..



Good job then that no one cares what you think....




...isn't it?

Asked everybody have you?

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Benefit of the doubt on that one for me. The ref had yet to mark the ball and walk the yards and mark the line. He was just being too slow sorting things out. No harm done in the end.

I reckon you've done a bit of refereeing The job isn't, and the rules aren't, always what the fans, players, or pundits think it is/they are (eg the "He got the ball," defence).

Won't know about the Baxter incident till I see it again - but the consensus on here is he deserved to go, and like you said he took his time, talked to his colleagues, and by all accounts made the right decision.

I'd agree with the wall incident: he was too slow, but nothing more than that.

 

[JohnDenver]

I reckon you've done a bit of refereeing

A tiny bit. It's unimaginably difficult.

I'll only criticise refs who are particularly poor or want to be centre of attention. Aside from that, refs will always make a number of mistakes in every game - it's normal. Saturation (and increasingly forensic) football coverage has made the job even harder for them.

 

[sitwell]

The early booking of Harris ,right in front of the dugouts made the game difficult for the ref. He had to book him but Im sure our bench reminded him he had to be consistent. He wasn't consistent and was weak but players sometimes have to look at themselves.

 

[wizadry]

Done scored our 2nd I think. He will get credited with it by the dubious goals panel I reckon. Deflected in off him.

I can't believe more haven't mentioned this, it was definately deflected off Done, not only could you see it deflect, the way he ran off to celebrate also led me to believe it was his goal. So that's 5 in 4 for the him then, great start.

 

[cahill]

Tell you what, the way their goal scorer ran in front of the kop after scoring gesticulating at the crowd, if I'd been younger, and had less impulse control than I actually have, I'd have been over the wall and flattened him.

If that had happened in a more volatile atmosphere (it was only Coventry), could have been trouble.

As it is I go to confession after matches and pray forgiveness for my bad thoughts

 

[Fiery Blade]

Points from yesterday's match

• Baxter's sending off correct
• Referee inconsistent but got most of the key decisions correct
• Poor defending both goals
• So called 'fans' leaving at 0-2 with 15 minutes to go when Freeman is brought on as sub
• Freeman changed the game
• Excellent point won in view of the Baxter sending off and 0-2 down with only 12 mins left
• Why did the groundsman have the sprinklers on at half time down the South Stand touchline - it was a sea of mud in the second half - did not help Brayfords runs and short passing at all !
• We appear to have accumulated a lot of dickheads as 'supporters' who haven't a clue about football full stop !

 

[HillmortonBlade]

Points from yesterday's match

• Baxter's sending off correct
• Referee inconsistent but got most of the key decisions correct
• Poor defending both goals
• So called 'fans' leaving at 0-2 with 15 minutes to go when Freeman is brought on as sub
• Freeman changed the game
• Excellent point won in view of the Baxter sending off and 0-2 down with only 12 mins left
• Why did the groundsman have the sprinklers on at half time down the South Stand touchline - it was a sea of mud in the second half - did not help Brayfords runs and short passing at all !
• We appear to have accumulated a lot of dickheads as 'supporters' who haven't a clue about football full stop !

Strong opinions indeed Fiery. And can't disagree. I mentioned somewhere yesterday that I was incredulous that fans were leaving with 15mins+ to go, when it was clear we were in the ascendancy. Granted, I have never left a match early, I'd prefer to sit in traffic and watch My Team, no matter how bad. But yesterday, The HB Family all thought there would be at least a Blades goal.

 

[Fiery Blade]

I was certain that if we scored we would get more - it was embarrassing when their fans were singing 'Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio' - there seemed to be a mass exodus from the kop !
I have never left early - nearly did many years ago when Sunderland were doing us 0-4 at home - think Michael Gray scored all four !

 

[JasonEllis]

I think if people want to leave early having watched a mainly dire performance then that is their right as paying patrons.

That said I would never leave early, but each to their own.

 

[bladesadviser]

The Baxter decisions sounds like it is proving to be the correct one, but the ref still had a mare. McEveley actually showing him how far back the wall should be a bit embarrassing for a professional referee.

Serious question are the referees professional at this level or is it a hobby? The reason I ask is that my wife works with someone who is a linesman most weeks at L1, L2 and even occasional championship games and he works full time in a job not connected with football or even sport

Having been a season ticket holder for the first time this season I have been appalled at the consistently bad refereeing. I am struggling to think of a game when the officials haven't been booed off at half time or full time by one or both sets of fans

I did think he got Baxters sending off correct yesterday but as someone said it was the last correct thing he did all game and don't get me started on the lino nearest the kop

While I couldn't argue with Baxter's dismissal it would have been easier to accept if equally bad tackles had been punished when we were being kicked up in the air by MK, Oldham and Notts County back in the Autumn

 

[Fiery Blade]

I think if people want to leave early having watched a mainly dire performance then that is their right, doesn't necessarily make them "dickheads" etc.

That said I would never leave early, but each to their own.

My comment regarding 'Dickheads' was not directed at those leaving early because of a dire performance but in response to Freeman being bought on as sub !

 

[JasonEllis]

My comment regarding 'Dickheads' was not directed at those leaving early because of a dire performance but in response to Freeman being bought on as sub !

I noticed that FB, just amended. Agree re the freeman sub.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Serious question are the referees professional at this level or is it a hobby? The reason I ask is that my wife works with someone who is a linesman most weeks at L1, L2 and even occasional championship games and he works full time in a job not connected with football or even sport

Having been a season ticket holder for the first time this season I have been appalled at the consistently bad refereeing. I am struggling to think of a game when the officials haven't been booed off at half time or full time by one or both sets of fans

I did think he got Baxters sending off correct yesterday but as someone said it was the last correct thing he did all game and don't get me started on the lino nearest the kop

While I couldn't argue with Baxter's dismissal it would have been easier to accept if equally bad tackles had been punished when we were being kicked up in the air by MK, Oldham and Notts County back in the Autumn

Unfortunately, in the Third Division you get Third Division referees
Yesterday, the ref set his stall out when he booked Harris early doors for tugging the guy back so it was odds on that somebody would 'walk' before the end of the game - Baxter alas didn't give him many options !
To me, this season the Linesmen are poor and weak - it's generally a case of follow my leader !

 

[JohnDenver]

Tell you what, the way their goal scorer ran in front of the kop after scoring gesticulating at the crowd, if I'd been younger, and had less impulse control than I actually have, I'd have been over the wall and flattened him.

If that had happened in a more volatile atmosphere (it was only Coventry), could have been trouble.

As it is I go to confession after matches and pray forgiveness for my bad thoughts

Some bellend lobbed a bottle at him but it hit the advertising boards.

I thought he was a bit of an idiot based on his early handballs and clumsiness in a couple of fouls (plus the pony-tail), but players should celebrate their goals and fans should just bloody behave.

 

[Worksop II]

it hit the advertising boards

Bang on target, it was a John Holland Cars Advert .........

 

[JohnDenver]

Unfortunately, in the Third Division you get Third Division referees
Yesterday, the ref set his stall out when he booked Harris early doors for tugging the guy back so it was odds on that somebody would 'walk' before the end of the game - Baxter alas didn't give him many options !
To me, this season the Linesmen are poor and weak - it's generally a case of follow my leader !

Refs are under instruction to book players for pulling back opponents. Good decision and poor play from Harris.

No-one else threatened to see red barring Baxter who would have gone for that tackle 95% of the time I reckon.

 

[Fiery Blade]

Refs are under instruction to book players for pulling back opponents. Good decision and poor play from Harris.

No-one else threatened to see red barring Baxter who would have gone for that tackle 95% of the time I reckon.

No, I fully agree that Harris deserved the booking - it was poor play !

 

[Maidenhead]

Refs are under instruction to book players for pulling back opponents. Good decision and poor play from Harris.

No-one else threatened to see red barring Baxter who would have gone for that tackle 95% of the time I reckon.

They're also under instruction to book players for deliberate hand ball but that somehow seemed to have slipped the memory of yesterdays ref

 

[JohnDenver]

They're also under instruction to book players for deliberate hand ball but that somehow seemed to have slipped the memory of yesterdays ref

I wonder what the wording of that directive is, given handballs have to be deliberate.

When their goalscorer patted one down in the area I thought a defender would have been booked at least for an equivalent offence.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

They're also under instruction to book players for deliberate hand ball but that somehow seemed to have slipped the memory of yesterdays ref

I'm pretty sure this is a fallacy - albeit one perpetuated by the media who, as ever, seem more interested in controversy than information.

Law 12 includes the following:

Cautionable offences
A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offences:
• unsporting behaviour
• dissent by word or action
• persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game
• delaying the restart of play
• failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
• entering or re-entering the fi eld of play without the referee’s permission
• deliberately leaving the fi eld of play without the referee’s permission

Some of that is open to interpretation - and is further clarified elsewhere - but I'm pretty sure one incident of deliberate handball is not included.

Whether it should be is a different matter.

As is the fact that the Laws and how they are applied are not communicated clearly at all, to even very keen fans of the game.

Why the hell are we misinformed, and then left guessing?

 

[Fulwood Blade]

I was certain that if we scored we would get more - it was embarrassing when their fans were singing 'Cheerio, Cheerio, Cheerio' - there seemed to be a mass exodus from the kop !
I have never left early - nearly did many years ago when Sunderland were doing us 0-4 at home - think Michael Gray scored all four !

I too remember that match and what I also remember how passionate the S'land fans were - very loud! Although you would be at 4 nil up - didn't they get promotion that year?
Not sure who has been loudest at BDTBL, but for me it is between Man City (pre Middle Eastern plastic lot) and S'land.

UTB

 

[Fulwood Blade]

• 
  
• We appear to have accumulated a lot of dickheads as 'supporters' who haven't a clue about football full stop !

classic !

UTB

 

[Hodgyman]

I thought that Baxter's red was correct as it was a 2 footed lunge, no other outcome can be expected. The situation that got the home crowd enraged was the Coventry player (No 16) writhing around in agony afterwards although little serious contact was made with him, if any. After the red card was shown he was up and running about freely and obviously uninjured.

The strangest refereeing decision that I was baffled with was when he awarded us a free-kick when Basham was pushed over from the back. He had his back to Coventy's goal and was pushed over, towards our goal but ended up on the floor with his feet still in the box. How could the push have taken place just outside the box where the free kick was awarded?

Answers on a post card please, addressed to Howard Webb.