Mascherano red card ridiculous
I read some funny stuff in the papers this morning about Javier Mascherano’s ‘crazed rant’ at Old Trafford yesterday, most of them seeming to ignore the fact that he only went mental after being given a red card that he didn’t deserve.
The first yellow was harsh, in my opinion, but I can see why the referee would give it. It looked a lot worse than it actually was and no contact was made.
The second was absolute bullshit though. Firstly Fernando Torres was booked when he was being kicked in the back of the legs - I assume his booking was for daring to say something to the referee. Mascherano came over and quite clearly said ‘What’s happening? What’s happening?’, bemused at Torres’ yellow card. He didn’t swear, he wasn’t aggressive, he didn’t call the referee a ‘fucking cunt’, which seems to be something only Wayne Rooney or Ashley Cole can get away with.
For Bennet to give him a yellow card for dissent there is an absolute mockery. Players should be able to engage with officials provided they do it in the right way. Ok, you can say he shouldn’t have come over but he didn’t come charging, he didn’t act in an aggressive manner, he merely wanted to ask the referee why Torres was being booked after a series of fouls on him.
Let me ask you this - would Bennet have sent off Steven Gerrard in that situation? No. Would he have sent off Rooney or Ferdinand? No.
I’m all for players respecting the referee but at the same time the referee has be able to communicate with players. If Mascherano had called the ref a name, questioned his parentage, told him he was a shit ref, or was in any way foul and abusive then I’d have no problem with the red card. He did none of those things and to my mind the red card was way out of line. If Bennet had been having a problem all game with Mascherano, as some of the papers suggest, he should have either told the Liverpool captain to control his player, or simply tell the player himself to keep his mouth shut. A little communication goes a long way.
As it was the game of football was ruined for the neutral and now Mascherano faces a long spell out for his behaviour after the red card. It’s easy to understand his frustration and it’s easy for Bennet to make an example of a foreigner who has paid for the price for the referees general relucatance to properly discipline England players for their onfield antics.
on March 24th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
And whilst the FA prepare to throw the book at this clear criminal, Ashley cole, his chelsea mates and the remaning of the top 3 will be laughing their socks off!
One rule for some, a different rule for others.
THIS LEAGUE IS BENT
on March 24th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I agree with you completely, the referee in my opinion seem too quick to dish the cards to the Liverpool players, but when a foul was committed by a Manchester United player he only seemed to have a little friendly chat, Rooney should have been booked when he dived into the keeper.
I believe that Manchester United seem to have a special relationship with the referees and have had so for a number of years.
on March 24th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Plain stupidity if the FA thinks they can just add a few more lines in the rule book or flash a few reds to stop players from dissent. In this day and age, you must be joking. What next? Red card the dug out? Why not try fine for club when supporters show dissent to the match officials… get real! The FA must realise that you don’t talk to the papers and say you want respect for the refs. Referees must perform to earn the respect. Referees hardly apologize for their wrongs and accountable for no one. Does the FA realise how much the refs decision is in the modern game. Refs in England need some serious training.
on March 24th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
To me Utd have been cheating for many years now . It impresses me how 1) Ferguson can get 5 mins extra time when utd aren’t winning.
2)How The Fa does not punish this man(ferguson) when a day before Utd played Liverpool he conditined the ref like many a time.
3) Mascherano was victim of corupt ref disisions Yellow cards for nothing.
4) why is it that the so called skill fiul players like Torres did not get the nessasary protection. Vidic and Ferdinand should have been red carded. But they have beeen fouling(elbowing and kicking) to intimidate players like torres for a long long time.That is not defending.
5) The media Sky and sun are so pro manure.They are cheap in comentry
6)Remember Eric cantona that tyrant, now he should have been banned from football. as he was a extremely bad example to the kids. and not Mascherano who stood up for his teammates because of unjust refereeing desicions.
7) But the Fa are corrupt have been will be. until a neutrel gets in there i am afraid The English league will only be won by a corrupt utd side.
8)SIR?! Alex Fewrguson, should have a staue erected outside oldtrafford of the ref and utd supporter should go put money in a box under the staue and kiss his feet.
9) If I where the ref I would sink my head in sand with shame he is a JUDAS!
6)
on March 24th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Funniest comment ever!
on March 24th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
There is definitely something bent going on here. As soon as I’d heard that Ferguson had personally requested Bennett to ref the Man Utd v Liverpool home game I knew you wouldn’t stand much chance of winning that game. I was so confident I had a £20 bet on Man Utd to win, so at least I won in that respect. Oh, I’m a gooner BTW, and I’m still smarting from us being cheated out of the title in 2003 (the year Mike Riley won them the title). Now this year it’s happening again, ever since we drew with Birmingham (due to several dodgy decisions by Mike Dean in that match) we’ve had decision after decision go against us. I’m almost in awe of how it’s done actually, it’s very subtle and always backed up by Andy Gray, Richard Keys et al at Sky and the daily scum papers like The Sun and Mirror etc. so that anyone who questions what’s happening is laughed at and called paranoid.
I’ve actually come to accept it now and the only way I can gain anything out of the situation is to bet on the pre-ordained outcome of these matches.
Straight after the draw away at Birmingham (as I could immediately see the similarities with 2003) I went down the bookies and put a ton on Man Utd to win the title at Evens, now I don’t think they are taking bets on them.
Anyway at least it’ll be a fair game in the Champions League QF between us, so may the best team win (now that’s something you can’t say when you’re playing Man Utd in the Premiership!!!)
on March 24th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
we have noticed for quite as much as often that referees often behave behave differently in matches involving Manchester Utd and the other big clubs. How much are referees being paid by the FA and how much does it take for the referees in question to be “bought over” by the croonies linked to either Manchester Utd or the bookmakers? There is a vast difference in the treatment of players from both sides by the referee and showing a yellow card to Ferdinand was just a formality to act to be un-biased… It showed on Ferdinand’s face in an unusual manner and throughout the game, if anyone notices, the Manchester Utd players were acting intentionally different towards the referee not because of all the furore over the recent disrespect towards referees, but because the had the information that the referee had been paid to influence the game in their favour. Man Utd players were told not to argue and keep fouling until the Liverpool players come arguing… Its quite a simple ploy actually, and very evident coming from a neutral. Steve Bennett and like many other referees in the English Premier League can be and have been bought over time in just about the amount any Man Utd blayer earns in a week, or probably more these days. The referees’ association is well protected and no one would dare make this known, but we can’t deny that this can be true, and we adamantly feel that this is the case as a referee is supposed to be a judge and in doing so he too has to be un-biased, thus it’ll be worth mentioning that in some countries, judges are paid a substancial sum so as to eliminate the potential temptational tendency to get lured into a web of deceit for personal financial profits. Steve Bennett has an offshore bank account. Would the FA know that, or are they in it as well? Is there any legal independent body who would walk the right path to look into this? Or is it the red-tape surrounding the FA concerned abour their image in the sport avoiding any inquiries? Since the inception of the new Premier League, there have been far too many incidences, and the referees are just a small monopolising bunch who have maintained their ststus quo, and also their fattening bank accounts. It has been for some time now, no longer a sport, but a commercial entity, and with the millions of pounds involved, it is no wonder that referees can be bribed for just a small fraction of it. Corruption is present in the EPL like it or not, and there is no reporter who dares to expose them in the media
on March 24th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Usually, I think we have shot. Naive, I know. After yesterday, I am under the full impression that there is an AC Milan level of corruption going on in the English Premiership. If there is any doubt, look at the transcripts from the wire taps. The only reason I watch is probably because I’d watch liverpool anyway.
on March 24th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
You forget the 5 times that he told Bennett to fu*k off between the first and second yellows. He was on his last warning and he ran 25 yrds to get involved in something that he didn’t need to. Also Torres asked for a booking for Carick which I hope we all agree is good cause for a booking for him.
on March 25th, 2008 at 12:23 am
You forget the 5 times that he told Bennett to fu*k off between the first and second yellows
I can only go by what I saw and I didn’t once see him tell Bennet to fuck off. But I suppose if The Sun says it it must be true
on March 25th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Another spoilt overpaid primadonna who gets his just deserts and the “fans” squeal about it. Players like him are appaling role models for kids.
on March 25th, 2008 at 1:08 am
What’s an even worse example for kids are players like Rooney and Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard and John Terry who openly, obviously swear at referees, call them all kinds of names, and get away without so much as a ticking off, let alone a yellow card.
on March 25th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I simply do not understand how this has all been allowed to go on. The game against Manure was so biased in its referring it was staggering ! No one will complain, no one will fix anything, and it will continue as it always has - a shame on the whole game.
It seems unless you are Manure or Alex “Whisky Nose” Ferguson you havn’t got a hope.
Masher did have a brain explosion, but can you really blame him ?
1. Torres was constantly kicked, hit, elbowed and pushed around by the defenders and nothing was done about it.
2. Mashers first yellow was for a tackle that he pulled out of, there were no studs and he had tried to pull back from the tackle, but got a yellow anyway.
Funny that he was our best player at that point in time (he was everywhere)so it now seems really logical that he would be carded.
3. Rooney knees/kicks Reina and knocks him down, nothing happens.
4. In one of the many fouls on Torres he asks the ref how come he is letting this happen - and gets a card for dissent ??
5. The sending off for Masher was stupid, you can see from the TV he came up to the referee and asked what is happening - hardly being aggressive or difficult ?? The ref should have told him to calm down or he will get another booking, chill out etc, call over Gerrard etc and deal with it like an adult. Not just throw his toys out of the pram and give him a yellow - just because he wanted to throw his weight around.
I am bitter, I will agree with that, but it was not a fair game. The ref did everything he could to allow the Manure players to win, and get away with repeat fouls until someone snapped - just so happened it was Masher.
I was looking forward to a good game, but that was spoilt by a bad ref. He should be kicked out of the premiership.
Rant Over.
on March 25th, 2008 at 3:15 am
Terry in particular gets away with an outrageous amount of shit towards referees. And I’m a Chelsea fan, so what does that say?
on March 25th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Steven Gerrard told Bennett “You’re taking the f*cking p*ss now.” in the 66′, after Ronaldo had run into Arbeloa’s back for yet another soft free-kick for the home team.
Carrick scythed Torres down from behind in the 75′, catching both legs, but Bennett waved play-on/no foul, but he had to stop the game for Torres to receive treatment. Then Ferdinand kneed Torres in the ribs once again, going for a high ball and Benitez decided better to take him off than risk injury or some tiny display of dissent that might lead to another sending-off.
The FA have refereeing by fads, inconsistent campaigns that last a few weeks, usually until some one of their precious international players would have to be punished.
England internationals at the Big 4 seem to get incredible amounts of indulgence from FA referees, and their disciplinary panels, supported by most of the media coverage.
on March 25th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I feel its time to stand up and be counted a huge protest should be done by all the leagues different supporters this cannot go onforthe good of us and the game in general! We have to attack any form of bias as shown by ferguson before the game.Full Stop Thats enough Alex!!!
on March 25th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
“I can only go by what I saw and I didn’t once see him tell Bennet to fuck off. But I suppose if The Sun says it it must be true.”
There is a very nice youtube clip where you can see it very clearly.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=8YQSmkB5XWg
on March 26th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I’ll be honest, I think Mascherano was stupid to race over 20 yards to speak to Bennett after already being booked. Bennett was clearly looking for a chance to make an example of a player following the Cole incident last week and Mascherano was that player. What frustrates me is that he wasn’t the only player to have ‘questioned’ his decisions in the game and if every player is treated like Mascherano was then we’d end up with 5 a side in most games now. The problem is there is no clear rules on dissent and until there is there will continue to be confusion and inconsistency and that means some sides will benefit and others, like Liverpool did on Sunday, will suffer.
on March 28th, 2008 at 5:31 am
Watch the replay… he deserved everything he got. In fact he was lucky not to be red carded earlier… potty mouthed kid needs to grow up.
on April 1st, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Everyone says the players didn’t say anything. He may not have called the referee a f**king c**t but remember he does not have to say something that extreme. By the way Rooney and Cole should be thrown out for that but the Prem (I suggest)tells the referees what to allow and not allow regardless of the Laws of The Game.