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.
A yellow card was as much as it merited but out came the red. Nonsense and game spoiled. Now, according to Martin Tyler on Sky Sports that was the 14th red card he’s shown in 20 games. That is an amazing statistic and surely it is way, way beyond the average for most referees. Basically in 75% of matches he referees he gives a red card.
During the first half of the Charlton v Reading game on loan midfielder Alex Song hacked down Steve Sidwell and was lucky to escape with just a yellow card. He then proceeded to kick and foul his way around the pitch. At half time Graham Poll spoke to Alan Pardew and Poll said he would signal Pardew if Song was about to be sent off.