Wenger slams Tottenham ref change

[mawspurs]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has slammed the decision to strike referee Kevin Friend off Tottenham Hotspur's clash this weekend.

Read the full article at Daily Mail

 

[ernie78]

Hey Wenger

 

[Japhet]

And if the boot was on the other foot? Wenger doesn't possess a single gramme of credibility or class.

 

[Danners9]

He has it completely the wrong way round. Surprise, surprise.

It's not that they don't trust him, it's to remove all doubt. And, if it was his team involved in anything significant at the end of the season, he would be pushing for it - rather than leaving it to the FA.

 

[Riandor]

All about detraction and pressure, mind games.
Of course Arsene would have preferred a Leicester supporting ref to officiate our game, would potentially mean we drop points and Arsene will desperately want to finish ahead of us/catch Leicester.

That I think is the true aim here, of course he isn't entirely incorrect about the judgement of ref's impartiality. If this continues, will the board have to question every ref as to their allegiance and then ensure they do not ref games that could have any kind of bearing? Would be chaos.

So this does set an awkward precedent if not careful.

 

[teddy_sheringham_125]

Dare I say that I think I agree with him? The referees are either professional and impartial, or they are not. To change the ref suggests the latter, which opens up a whole shit storm of questions, not least whether the referee in question should be allowed to officiate any game.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

Painful though it is to admit it, he is right.

I don't understand how Kevin Friend can now be allowed to referee any match if his impartiality is this seriously in question.

 

[talkshowhost86]

Agree with @teddy_sheringham_125 and @Led's Zeppelin here.

It creates a terrible precedent and calls into question his decision making in any game that even has a tangential impact on Leicester.

Watch for fans of all teams now scouring the net to try and find who each ref supports then kicking up a fuss whenever they can.

Daft stuff from the Premier League.

 

[Japhet]

Dare I say that I think I agree with him? The referees are either professional and impartial, or they are not. To change the ref suggests the latter, which opens up a whole shit storm of questions, not least whether the referee in question should be allowed to officiate any game.

I don't think that the Ref's impartiality is being questioned but rather it's an attempt to avoid any outcry if he makes a bad call. There's a lot at stake here for both the clubs and the Refs.

 

[talkshowhost86]

I don't think that the Ref's impartiality is being questioned but rather it's an attempt to avoid any outcry if he makes a bad call. There's a lot at stake here for both the clubs and the Refs.

The problem is you can now apply that to every ref in every game. It's potentially a genie out of the bottle situation.

 

[Led's Zeppelin]

I don't think that the Ref's impartiality is being questioned but rather it's an attempt to avoid any outcry if he makes a bad call. There's a lot at stake here for both the clubs and the Refs.

I understand what you're saying. But the PL need to insist that their refs are impartial, and if they make a mistake, it must be seen to be an honest mistake.

This is dangerous and foolish stuff from the PL and will not be good for anyone in the game, from fans to referees.

 

[Japhet]

The problem is you can now apply that to every ref in every game. It's potentially a genie out of the bottle situation.

It's out of the bottle now anyway. Ref's never officiate their home countries in internationals so the precedent has been there for a long time.

 

[vuzp]

I don't think that the Ref's impartiality is being questioned but rather it's an attempt to avoid any outcry if he makes a bad call. There's a lot at stake here for both the clubs and the Refs.

so many ifs and buts in this one, ok some spurs fans have been on about him being a Leicester fan before hand and just imagine 0-0 and we get a Barcelona v Atletico Madrid situation with the last minute Free-Kick /Penalty, it would be war.

 

[talkshowhost86]

It's out of the bottle now anyway. Ref's never officiate their home countries in internationals so the precedent has been there for a long time.

That's very different though. It's easy to determine which country someone comes from, but much harder to ascertain their allegiances towards a club.

I'm not sure Friend is even a Leicester fan is he, yet because he's been seen at a few games that's it.

What if I see Clattenburg in Finsbury Park...is that him off Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea or any other teams' games that compete with them for life?

It's a very dangerous precedent to set IMO.

 

[Roscilous]

How about getting a few referees from abroad into the EPL? I'm sure there are a few that would be good enough and would be less impartial. This one would definitely be fun to watch!

 

[Roscilous]

That's very different though. It's easy to determine which country someone comes from, but much harder to ascertain their allegiances towards a club.

I'm not sure Friend is even a Leicester fan is he, yet because he's been seen at a few games that's it.

What if I see Clattenburg in Finsbury Park...is that him off Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea or any other teams' games that compete with them for life?

It's a very dangerous precedent to set IMO.

He's a Bristol City fan as that's where he was born, and follows Leicester City because that's where he lives.

 

[Treacle]

Oh just fuck off!!! ****

 

[dricha1]

And it's also had the opposite of the desired effect. Whichever referee recs the game now is going to be under scrutiny. Scrutiny from Stoke cos they might think its preferential treatment for Spurs.

Was it spurs fans who raised the issue anyway?

 

[cliff jones]

You can bet the myopic cnt has an ulterior motive, even if he is right.

Mike Dean is Spurs though right, although last weekend you could be forgiven for thinking he hates us as much as he does the scum. Allegedly.

 

[hughy]

I disagree with most here, and think it's the correct decision.

You're all assuming this is because the FA don't trust him. I believe it's so there can't be a media/Tottenham shit storm should he make an incorrect and potentially decisive call during the match.

His impartiality isn't in question at all, it's just that the FA would rather not deal with months of questions should something debatable happen.