Mon 27 Mar 06
Blues on Blues Crime
The FA has not yet made a decision on whether to charge Didier Drogba over his handball goal against Manchester City. They ought to do so, especially after Drogba’s bizarre self-incriminating interview with the Beeb, a performance richly deserving of the assessment Bobby Moore once made of Alf Ramsey, “As a PR man, he would have made a splendid concentration camp commandant.”
That being said, the Usual Suspects™ should take note of Stuart Pearce’s own observations on Sylvain Distin’s red card-winning moment:
“Why speak to the referee? Referees are under enough pressure as it is without me knocking on his door and barking in his face. He gave an honest decision.
“I’ve played in teams who have scored goals that have been maybe free kicks, handballs or whatever and you just get on with it. But I’m not going to moan about decisions because I know next week we might get a handball decision the referee doesn’t see and we get a goal from it.”
Paul Canniff
Gotta love Pearce. And while it’s not up to players to officiate the games, it would be nice if they could admit that they got away with one. Loved seeing Danielle De Rossi telling the ref that he had handed a goal in. Wonder what his coach did to him later though? (even though they won that game)
As for the linesman (sorry, asst. referee), he should be penalized for the blown call, and go referee in the Championship for a month or so.
Styles perhaps didn’t have to reach for his card. If he warned him it was coming if he didn’t give the ball back, and Distin carried on, then ok, he’s left him no option. But a warning first, please. What ever happened to warnings?