How bad does it have to get….?

Two things got a whole lot worse this weekend - Manchester United and refereeing. Two things that I’ve been banging on about for years now, but I genuinely didn’t think could get much worse.

I’m actually bored writing about both subjects so I’m not going to dwell on either. United are now so bad it’s scary. The fans singing ‘sixty quid - you’re having a laugh’ weren’t wrong. They were referring to ticket prices of course; whilst watching their team implode again.

Week after week I’ve suggested solutions. Week after week I’m criticised for apparently not liking United. Nonsense. All I do is point out what’s wrong. Some time later the rest of the world catches up and realises I was right all along. That’s a bit Brian Clough isn’t it? 😂.

Gary Lineker is making headlines today for suggesting Fergie left a poor team. Brilliant. I said that the season he actually left. That title winning side was a poor one - with huge cracks papered over by Van Persie and Scholes, who’d come out of retirement to help win it. After Fergie had gone I said United were eight players short of being a good team. Great spot Gary - a decade or so later. 🥱

Another line I’ve just read is that Onana is considering his future at United. Really? He shouldn’t have one. He’s hopeless. Who was it told you he’d cost United as many points in a season as de Gea used to save them?

And a Rooney was correct this weekend. United are miles away from another title bid. Miles and miles. And Amorim isn’t naïve - he’s stupid if he thinks differently. Amorim is so deeply out of his depth it’s embarrassing. That’s it. I’m fed up talking about United now.

Sadly that leads me to refereeing. What on earth is going on? Why isn’t Richard Masters demanding more from Howard Webb? I had a lot of faith in Webb when he succeeded Mike Riley. I couldn’t see how things could get worse - but they have.

What was that all about at Bournemouth? Eight minutes - eight minutes to make an offside call - and then get it wrong.

I was fuming watching it. Webb and his inept charges are nothing short of a disgrace. Eight minutes? I still can’t quite believe it.

The main reason for the delay was because our new semi-automated offside system didn’t work. Are we surprised about that? Of course we’re not. These things are all so predictable.

Why are we developing our own system anyway? What’s wrong with the tech that works very well in CL? I hate it, but if we’ve got to have it, why don’t we use something tried and tested.

I know. I know. Because the ball is different. And the tech isn’t available. So? Buy it. How hard can it be?

Eight minutes lapsed before we went back to using a protractor and coloured crayons - and a system we know isn’t accurate, but it’s all we’ve got right now because we’ve waited far too long to buy in anything better.

And I ask again. What happened to ‘raising the bar’ and allowing goals to stand that clearly aren’t controversial? Why the obsession with finding a way to disallow goals? They’re what we all pay to see.

How much longer can Michael Oliver be allowed to arrogantly strut around making one big error after another? He’s having a terrible season.

First there was the pen at West Ham that wasn’t. Remember him telling the match ref David Coote (from the bunker) to change his mind and give West Ham a pen in the dying minutes v United? Wrong call.

Then there was the Lewis-Skelly red at Wolves. That decision is made to look all the more ridiculous when you watch Liam Roberts assault on Mateta. Have another look at it. Oliver doesn’t even whistle initially. Doubtless Webb will tell us on Sorry! Oliver was allowing a phase of play to develop. Bollocks.

Even when he realised something had happened Oliver only showed Roberts a yellow card. What didn’t he see? Ffs. VAR should never have had to get involved? Mateta ended up with 27 stitches. Oliver failed again. It’s time to give him a rest and let him know he’s not as good as he thinks he is.

I know why Anthony Taylor sent Gordon off at Newcastle. Gordon was daft and probably deserved to go, but it’s mad to think right now he’ll serve the same ban as Roberts.

I hope Newcastle appeal it. I’d say they’d have a 50-50 chance of winning. I’d like to see them win it. Gordon should be allowed to play in the Carabao Cup Final. I’ve argued for years when it comes to a final we want to see the best players on the pitch. It’s a showpiece so why not?

If we restricted punishments to the competitions bookings or red cards were picked up in - that would happen more often. If you’re sent off in a league game your ban should apply to league fixtures. The same with the FA Cup. It’s simply wrong that Gordon will miss a cup final because he got sent off in a league game. I’d make an exception for something like Roberts challenge mind you.

And finally - the FA Cup ball isn’t to Guardiola’s liking. Well, well, well. That’s the League Cup ball not good enough for Arsenal and the FA Cup ball not good enough for City. There’s a theme here somewhere.