Sir Alex on Referees

Chris Davies

Chris Davies

Chief PESsimist
Staff
14 May 2003
UK
Tranmere Rovers
It's not very often I start threads but I saw something this week that made my blood boil.

Last week Man Utd were beaten by Portsmouth in the FA Cup. After the game I saw a few analysis programmes, all of which agreed that the following comments by Manchester United - Alex Ferguson, Carlos Queiroz, Cristiano Ronaldo - were out of order, and that the referee and the other officials got the vast majority of the decisions spot-on.

QUOTE SOURCE (BBC): Click
QUOTE SOURCE (THE TELEGRAPH): Click

Sir Alex Ferguson said:
"Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week."

"Martin Atkinson will referee next week, no problem, but his performance today should not be accepted in our game."

"Hackett has got a lot to answer for in this country. He's not doing his job properly."
Click to expand...

Carlos Queiroz said:
Meanwhile, Ferguson's assistant, Carlos Quieroz, took it further still, arguing that referees should be given red cards if they don't come up to scratch, replaced by someone else during a match.

"This is why the Taylors of the game are allowed to survive and the best players are out of the game."
Click to expand...

Cristiano Ronaldo said:
"The referee against Portsmouth was unbelievable. In the first five minutes, there were three fouls and he took no action and then he failed to give a penalty. It's difficult to play like this."
Click to expand...

And after all this, Ferguson then has the cheek to say the following.

QUOTE SOURCE (BBC): Click

Alex Ferguson said:
"The haranguing of referees is ridiculous, we know that."

"We are talking about introducing this into the grass-roots level, respect for the referee. It is absolutely correct."

"We had a pivotal moment a few years ago when my players surrounded Andy D'Urso. I was off my head with them, I thought it was ridiculous. It never happened again."
Click to expand...

Okay Sir Alex, if I was a reporter I'd have a few questions for you right now.

A) What kind of example do you think you're setting by making such :DUMMY: comments as those from last week?

B) If you don't respect the referees how do you expect the players to? Not just your own players but the "grass roots" players you suddenly seem to care so much about?

C) Are you sure your players haven't surrounded the referee since the Andy D'Urso incident? I seem to remember an angry Rooney leading a pack of your players towards the referee since then?

D) You haven't been told to say this by the FA or risk further punishment by any chance have you? Because it wasn't exactly a comment anybody was expecting from you after last week. I bet you don't get a fine either whereas any other manager would, I'm guessing you don't want to make a comment about that?

I can't believe nobody else has started a thread about it. It makes me absolutely sick.
 
It was discussed for days in another thread...i agree with you...it makes me absolutely sick too.

In the thread about the English premiership there is a pretty interesting discussion going on about it...
 
When you get old you expect to take all his rubbish w/ a pinch of salt No other manager in the EPL name starts w/ a Sir ;))
 
I was watching 'Sunday Supplement' this morning (journalists discussing football, for non-uk people) and Martin Samuel said there exists a league table of managers blaming refs for a defeat - Fergie is top. Considering how rarely they get beat, that's pretty impressive.

However, red nosed turd that he is, his club are very good at instilling respect in the younger players and considering he has been there for 20 years or so, a lot of it has to be down to him.

Mascherano today got booked for a flying two footed tackle, then told the ref to 'fook off' several times. For the next 20 minutes he was in the refs ear and eventually got in a row that had nothing to do with him. The ref warned him and still he went on. The ref sends him off yet Benitez still tries to defend him.

Same with Ashley Cole. Grant stuck up for him because he apologised, but the fact is he shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.

Wenger today blamed the linesman for defeat.

They all do it. If we single out just one manager, we don't solve the problem.
 
  • Thread starter
  • Staff
  • #9
True, and I'm far from one of those guys who hates Man Utd and would love to see them crash and burn. I've said it before (when that guy was a member and said something similar - ah damn, I can't remember his name, he supported Everton I think and worked in the games industry); I support all the English teams in Europe, including Man Utd, and if it was a Man Utd v Barca final I would always want Man Utd to win.

It was just such a turn-around from him, to go from going absolutely mental with the referees (and for absolutely no good reason according to the MOTD panel, who - love them or loathe them - have enough footballing experience between them to be taken seriously), to suddenly say "they should be given more respect".

It seems to say to me, perhaps the FA have given him a warning that they wouldn't have given other managers. "Take it back and we'll give you less of a punishment." It seems a bit too much of a total complete U-turn for me.

But I hate it when any manager does it, or any player for that matter. When you see every player in every league match telling the referee to "fuck off", time and time and time again, and then there's people in the crowd putting two fingers up and throwing things, I think to myself, in what other line of work would this be acceptable?

It's grown men being given the freedom to act like little boys and take as little responsibility as possible for their actions IMO. How much effort does it take not to tell a referee to fuck off and blame him for everything that goes wrong? He's as much part of the game as you are, he can have a great game or a terrible game. I can understand that it must be frustrating but do these guys burn themselves on a piece of pie and tell their mothers to fuck off? Do they trip on a shoe and tell their wives to fuck off? No, because they'd clout them around the fucking head, that's why. And yet in football it's "okay". Why?
 
Last edited:
T Butcher fan said:
I was watching 'Sunday Supplement' this morning (journalists discussing football, for non-uk people) and Martin Samuel said there exists a league table of managers blaming refs for a defeat - Fergie is top. Considering how rarely they get beat, that's pretty impressive.

However, red nosed turd that he is, his club are very good at instilling respect in the younger players and considering he has been there for 20 years or so, a lot of it has to be down to him.

Mascherano today got booked for a flying two footed tackle, then told the ref to 'fook off' several times. For the next 20 minutes he was in the refs ear and eventually got in a row that had nothing to do with him. The ref warned him and still he went on. The ref sends him off yet Benitez still tries to defend him.

Same with Ashley Cole. Grant stuck up for him because he apologised, but the fact is he shouldn't have been doing it in the first place.

Wenger today blamed the linesman for defeat.

They all do it. If we single out just one manager, we don't solve the problem.
Click to expand...

Mascherano had it coming, and deserved the card. But the fact is, the referee targeted Mascherano and no one else. Scholes made a lunge on Alonso if the first few minutes, yet the referee ignored that. Rooney told the ref to 'fuck off' on more than one occasion. Ferdinand came running to the ref, when a foul was given against United. Not to mention Torres' yellow, which led to the incident.

All I want is some consistency from the referees. It was so obvious that he was going to prove a point in the game. He couldn't go against the crowd, so he targeted us. And if I was playing the game, I would have given the ref a piece of my mind after watching some of the decisions.

The fact is now, Mascherano has been made an example of. He's going to be targeted by refs and players from now on, and that's a bloody shame, because it won't allow him to do what he is best at doing in the world. And Liverpool's reputation is going to be of the 'bad boys'. You know it's just going to happen.

Blaming just ref, just the players, just the manager is never going to solve the problem.
 
T Butcher fan said:
Wenger today blamed the linesman for defeat.

They all do it. If we single out just one manager, we don't solve the problem.
Click to expand...

:applause:

I've said this all along - I've seen Benitez/Wenger/Mourinho/Ferguson/Warnock/Curbishley/etc blame refs on countless occassions.

At the end of the day, ALL coaches blame refs. As do supporters when a result doesn't go their way (hell, even I've done it and I am perfect!)
 
Plan M said:
:applause:

I've said this all along - I've seen Benitez/Wenger/Mourinho/Ferguson/Warnock/Curbishley/etc blame refs on countless occassions.

At the end of the day, ALL coaches blame refs. As do supporters when a result doesn't go their way (hell, even I've done it and I am perfect!)
Click to expand...

Sorry you cant put some of those in the same bracket as ferguson. Did you see Benitez moan yesterday about the ref? No.

He never does. He's a gent in that respect. the only time i saw him lose it was against Styles and rightly so for the Chelsea Pen.
 
I think the ref was within his rights to send off Mascherano, but the cruxt of the issue was, just as in "ALL MANAGERS DO IT", ALL PLAYERS DO IT. Ferdinand was Card Waving and swearing at the ref, and he was already on a yellow, why wasn't he sent off?

I think its unrealistic to expect consistency on a game to game basis because quite frankly, the FA and some of the refs in this league are a joke. But for the love of god can we please have some in the SAME game. You know, marshalling tackles and managing player dissent EQUALLY. It kinda helps to keep the contest on some sort of even footing when you are at Old Trafford playing the richest club in the world with best team in the country we have seen for about 7 years.
 
What Mascherano did was not professional and privately, Benitez will tell him that...
What i do not undestand is that Torres got a yellow when he was the victim.
And what i certainly do not understand is that Rooney did not receive a yellow for his charge on Reina...he was seconds too late. And it worked, because afterwards Reina played bad...he made mistakes..
We will never know, but i'm pretty sure that Ferguson told Rooney to intimidate Reina if there was an opportunity to do it....
What infuriates me is that Man Utd do it systematically, they have a great team, but they don't always win fair and square. To me winning is not enough, you have to win in style...Man Utd does not win in style...

PS: measured by what i saw in MOTD Man Utd deserved to win against Liverpool...Gerrard once again proved that he's one of the most over-hyped players in the world.
 
gerd said:
What Mascherano did was not professional and privately, Benitez will tell him that...
What i do not undestand is that Torres got a yellow when he was the victim.
And what i certainly do not understand is that Rooney did not receive a yellow for his charge on Reina...he was seconds too late. And it worked, because afterwards Reina played bad...he made mistakes..
We will never know, but i'm pretty sure that Ferguson told Rooney to intimidate Reina if there was an opportunity to do it....
What infuriates me is that Man Utd do it systematically, they have a great team, but they don't always win fair and square. To me winning is not enough, you have to win in style...Man Utd does not win in style...
Click to expand...


And this my friend is what boils my blood. there is NOT a level playing field out there. Money and high profiles see to that. Thats the problem.

Too simple examples - swap Mascherano for Rooney yesterday at Old Trafford, would Bennet have sent him off? You know the answer.

Swap Ferguson or Quieroz after the Portsmouth defeat with any other manager, say Hodgson, Hughes or Curbishley and they would be in the dock now serving a few match touchline ban and a massive fine.
 
I remember last season he made a comment about offering the FA his credit card so they can debit his account w/ all the fines he`s gotten.
 
antred said:
And this my friend is what boils my blood. there is NOT a level playing field out there. Money and high profiles see to that. Thats the problem.


Swap Ferguson or Quieroz after the Portsmouth defeat with any other manager, say Hodgson, Hughes or Curbishley and they would be in the dock now serving a few match touchline ban and a massive fine.
Click to expand...

So you're saying that you haven't scored a goal against United for nearly 12 hours because of bad refereeing EVERY time? Are you saying that Liverpool are fighting for the last Champions League spot instead of the title YET AGAIN because of poor refereeing?

Mate, I've never in my life come across a football supporter so bitter, jealous, biased and FULL of excuses as yourself. Why can't you put your hands up and say "Liverpool are not good enough domestically - we need changes and NOW."

I'll wait until the next time you lot drop points and I JUST KNOW you'll be back with the same old excuses unlike the other dignified L'pool supporters who can take defeat VERY well & know what changes needed to be made at Liverpool Football Club. It's not just a coincidence that you haven't won a title for so long you know! We had to wait 28 years but never came up with the same old tired excuses that you do week-in, week-out and we didn't have the money & talent then that you lot have now.

:))
 
Last edited:
All I'm going to say is watching the game as a totally impartial viewer, I really didn't see Bennett get much wrong yesterday. I don't remember Anderson's two-footed lunge, or Ferdinand telling Bennett to fuck off. To be honest, I didn't notice any miscarriages of justice. It may well be that I had flicked over and missed those incidents, or it might be that you're looking for things that aren't there.

I will accept that if it had been my lot (and we got a few duff decisions at Old Trafford ourselves) I'd be pissed off - but as someone who was impartial yesterday, I thought the ref did ok. Mascherano's actions were exactly the type of behaviour that the press have been raging against all week. If he'd kept his mouth shut, things might have turned out differently.
 
Anyway, what about the two dodgy sendings off in Liverpool's tie against Inter? As much as I dislike him, Mazeratti NEVER deserved the red in the first leg. I can't recall Antred crying about that decision! ;)

It's swings & round-a-bouts when it comes to getting the "rub of the green." We've ALL been awarded dodgy decisions and we've ALL had ones against us. That's football. What was Bennett supposed to do yesterday? Masch was giving him shit CONSTANTLY after he was booked. The silly bugger should of SHUT UP and get on with the game. Remember, we were 1-0 up at that stage and Liverpool REALLY should of used their heads. Even Alonso was shown screaming at Masch - you just don't behave like that! It's like Rooney FECKS ME OFF when he constantly shouts at refs after certain decisions. I always think to myself "Get on with the game Wayne, the ref WON'T CHANGE HIS MIND because you are screaming at him!"

I'd say all of the "big four" clubs get more favours than the smaller clubs like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Derby etc. Refs worry about giving certain decisions at the big grounds.
 
Last edited:
Plan M said:
Anyway, what about the two dodgy sendings off in Liverpool's tie against Inter? As much as I dislike him, Mazeratti NEVER deserved the red in the first leg. I can't recall Antred crying about that decision! ;)

It's swings & round-a-bouts when it comes to getting the "rub of the green." We've ALL been awarded dodgy decisions and we've ALL had ones against us. That's football. What was Bennett supposed to do yesterday? Masch was giving him shit CONSTANTLY after he was booked. The silly bugger should of SHUT UP and get on with the game. Remember, we were 1-0 up at that stage and Liverpool REALLY should of used their heads. Even Alonso was shown screaming at Masch - you just don't behave like that! It's like Rooney FECKS ME OFF when he constantly shouts at refs after certain decisions. I always think to myself "Get on with the game Wayne, the ref WON'T CHANGE HIS MIND because you are screaming at him!"

I'd say all of the "big four" clubs get more favours than the smaller clubs like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Derby etc. Refs worry about giving certain decisions at the big grounds.
Click to expand...

you know you are right all teams have had dodgy decisions go for them. my point is United get most and less against and you know it.

Its nothing to do with being bitter or jealous. Why the hell am i jealous of your lot? We still hold the records, ive experienced some wonderful nights and matches over the years, ive seen some of the greatest players to ever grace the Anfield turf and i love the bones of my club.

I can accept the fact that currently we are fourth rate, thats fine, thats acceptable, we arnt good enough and i know that. Yet theres been times when your lot hasnt been good enough but due to favourable decisions you have got away with it.

Explain to me why when cantona was making his comeback from his famous king fu kick, his ban ended the day after the saturday of the weekend we were playing you at Old Trafford, yet the game was moved to a Sunday? Media yes, United certainly - they wanted their talisman back and fuck the rest. The wish was granted he played and lo and behold he got his goal to a dubious penalty.

Rio ferdinand, banned for months for missing a drugs test, his ban ended after the weeknd we were playing you at Old Trafford, again the match was moved to a Monday night so he was allowed to play in a high profile return and lo and behold he scores and we lose.
Ferguson was complaining he never gets Steve Bennet refereeing at Old Trafford last week after slating hackett and what happens? he's immediately drafted into the clash this weekend.

it took Liverpool months to get Mascheranos green light from the fa, it took Tevez less than a few weeks for United.

These four examples out of many, many i could list. Shit yeah, Liverpool have fallen short on occasions but for goodness sake the favourable decisions are numerous in Manchester Uniteds cause.

You all probably think i'm just bitter - all i want to see is fairness across the board. Its ruining the game for everyone else apart from United and on the days shit goes against United you get Ferguson chucking the toys from his pram.
 
Plan M said:
Anyway, what about the two dodgy sendings off in Liverpool's tie against Inter? As much as I dislike him, Mazeratti NEVER deserved the red in the first leg. I can't recall Antred crying about that decision! ;)

It's swings & round-a-bouts when it comes to getting the "rub of the green." We've ALL been awarded dodgy decisions and we've ALL had ones against us. That's football. What was Bennett supposed to do yesterday? Masch was giving him shit CONSTANTLY after he was booked. The silly bugger should of SHUT UP and get on with the game. Remember, we were 1-0 up at that stage and Liverpool REALLY should of used their heads. Even Alonso was shown screaming at Masch - you just don't behave like that! It's like Rooney FECKS ME OFF when he constantly shouts at refs after certain decisions. I always think to myself "Get on with the game Wayne, the ref WON'T CHANGE HIS MIND because you are screaming at him!"

I'd say all of the "big four" clubs get more favours than the smaller clubs like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Derby etc. Refs worry about giving certain decisions at the big grounds.
Click to expand...

See your chatting shit again and missing the point as usual of why people are up in arms in the first place.

here ill spell it out for you seeing your are too stupid to get it.

NO ONE IS COMPLAINING THAT MASCHERANO WAS SENT OFF. PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING THOUGH BECAUSE THE EQUAL TREATMENT WAS NOT USED ACROSS THE BOARD IN THE SAME MATCH TO BOTH TEAMS. WHERE LIVERPOOL WERE PENALISED AGAINST AND SHOWN CARDS, MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS WERE ONLY TICKED OFF FOR THE SAME INCIDENTS. WHICH MEANS TO SUM UP MANCHESTER UNITED GOT AWAY WITH LATE TACKLES, VERBALS AND BACKCHAT AT THE REFEREE. LIVERPOOL DID NOT.

Its not the result, its not about how we were playing its about applying the letter of the law fairly.

Now go and print that out in big letters or write it on a piece of paper a few times so it sinks in.
 
Plan M said:
Anyway, what about the two dodgy sendings off in Liverpool's tie against Inter? As much as I dislike him, Mazeratti NEVER deserved the red in the first leg. I can't recall Antred crying about that decision! ;)

It's swings & round-a-bouts when it comes to getting the "rub of the green." We've ALL been awarded dodgy decisions and we've ALL had ones against us. That's football. What was Bennett supposed to do yesterday? Masch was giving him shit CONSTANTLY after he was booked. The silly bugger should of SHUT UP and get on with the game. Remember, we were 1-0 up at that stage and Liverpool REALLY should of used their heads. Even Alonso was shown screaming at Masch - you just don't behave like that! It's like Rooney FECKS ME OFF when he constantly shouts at refs after certain decisions. I always think to myself "Get on with the game Wayne, the ref WON'T CHANGE HIS MIND because you are screaming at him!"

I'd say all of the "big four" clubs get more favours than the smaller clubs like Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Derby etc. Refs worry about giving certain decisions at the big grounds.
Click to expand...

Opinions, Plan, as you like to call them.
 
:sick::censor::SIL:

Plan....when will you ever understand, that it aint about our position, nor points, nor 'domestic - superiority', nor is it about manu this time. and to top it, this aint even a manu thread. this thread is about a specific topic about the law, and why it is'nt the same for everyone.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........now i wonder why manu stutters in europe......the new inter maybe?

oh and yeah, stop putting on this good guy mask. "rooney fecks me off when he..." nothing will ever 'feck you' off, if it gets you a win, plain and simple, just like any fan.
 
Last edited:
lak47 said:
:sick::censor::SIL:

Plan....when will you ever understand, that it aint about our position, nor points, nor 'domestic - superiority', nor is it about manu this time. and to top it, this aint even a manu thread. this thread is about a specific topic about the law, and why it is'nt the same for everyone.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...........now i wonder why manu stutters in europe......the new inter maybe?

oh and yeah, stop putting on this good guy mask. "rooney fecks me off when he..." nothing will ever 'feck you' off, if it gets you a win, plain and simple, just like any fan.
Click to expand...

Define well in Europe...? We're still seeded, so must be one of the top 8 over the past what, 5 years? We've won 11 matches at home in a row a CL record. Admittedly, pool have had two great runs in the past couple years, but don't belittle United. It's a cup competition. Little moments of luck/chance (Scholes 'offside' v Porto for example) can go a long way.

Anyway, I belive the point of this thread is, Sir Alex Ferguson uses his position to influence referees, and the media, and therefore is a bad man, and (insert you team's coach here) is better because (insert your reasons here). I recall similar threads about Mourinho being worse than (insert your manager here) because he said (insert thing you found offensive here), and of course Wenger for not seeing (insert red card offense not seen here). They're all masters at what they do. In my opinion no one is any worse than any other.

And Mascherano was unlucky in a way, but an idiot nonetheless. To compare his constant tirades against other Unitd acts in that match is just stupid. Anyone who watched the whole thing not wearing their Gerrard jersey can see the difference. On other days Bennett might not have made him walk at that point, but I honestly don't believe United players were close the same fate, because they didn't do the same actions.
 
beachryan said:
Define well in Europe...? We're still seeded, so must be one of the top 8 over the past what, 5 years? We've won 11 matches at home in a row a CL record. Admittedly, pool have had two great runs in the past couple years, but don't belittle United. It's a cup competition. Little moments of luck/chance (Scholes 'offside' v Porto for example) can go a long way.

Anyway, I belive the point of this thread is, Sir Alex Ferguson uses his position to influence referees, and the media, and therefore is a bad man, and (insert you team's coach here) is better because (insert your reasons here). I recall similar threads about Mourinho being worse than (insert your manager here) because he said (insert thing you found offensive here), and of course Wenger for not seeing (insert red card offense not seen here). They're all masters at what they do. In my opinion no one is any worse than any other.

And Mascherano was unlucky in a way, but an idiot nonetheless. To compare his constant tirades against other Unitd acts in that match is just stupid. Anyone who watched the whole thing not wearing their Gerrard jersey can see the difference. On other days Bennett might not have made him walk at that point, but I honestly don't believe United players were close the same fate, because they didn't do the same actions.
Click to expand...

yeah right right!! liverpool are lucky in europe, no? continuously lucky. fine then. luck will do very well :) then, why dont we do one thing? buy united some of it? now if it ai'nt referees, it has to be luck.
 
Ow dear..this thread has gone totally wrong and is basically the "Sir Alex Abuse Thread" at the end of the day Liverpool lost a football match and their fans aren't happy so reason's and issue's are brought up that in my opinion just aren't there..beachryan summed it up already above
 
C'mon, give him a break. Sir Alex is getting on a bit now so its only natural for him come up with stuff like that. I'm sure your grandads do too.
 
gerd said:
What Mascherano did was not professional and privately, Benitez will tell him that...
What i do not undestand is that Torres got a yellow when he was the victim.
And what i certainly do not understand is that Rooney did not receive a yellow for his charge on Reina...he was seconds too late. And it worked, because afterwards Reina played bad...he made mistakes..
We will never know, but i'm pretty sure that Ferguson told Rooney to intimidate Reina if there was an opportunity to do it....
What infuriates me is that Man Utd do it systematically, they have a great team, but they don't always win fair and square. To me winning is not enough, you have to win in style...Man Utd does not win in style...

PS: measured by what i saw in MOTD Man Utd deserved to win against Liverpool...Gerrard once again proved that he's one of the most over-hyped players in the world.
Click to expand...
so much speculation so little proof... cmon gerd. sounds like your writing a jack higgins novel... :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom