Farcical Absurdity

Last Saturday, IFAB made the momentous decision to avoid implementing video technology for 42 months minimum.

Last Saturday, Roger East sent off Wes Brown for two fouls committed by fellow Sunderland defender John O'Shea. Despite every other human being on the planet thinking that East got it wrong, the referee claims an entirely disingenuous narrative that borders on bringing the game into disrepute.

Last Monday, the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOB - recent attempts at rebranding as PGMOL should be resisted as MOB has a truer ring) made appointments for the one Premier League game next weekend. Roger East is to be 4th Official, a position he also held at both Liverpool and Southampton in midweek. So, East is official at 3 out of 11 matches in window following his blatant error at Old Trafford. What sort of absurdist message is this?

So, anyway...
... to the midweek round of Premier League games.

Every game but Spurs v Swansea had the match outcome potentially affected by erroneous refereeing decisions that would not have occurred if video technology had been in use.

Man City v Leicester - Visitors denied three penalties by Robert Madley, two of which looked solid. As Nigel Pearson said: "Three in one night is a little bit surprising."

Newcastle v Man Utd - Evans and Cisse should have been sent off for spitting. Newcastle denied cast iron penalty by Taylor (a former prison officer of Strangeways Prison who still lives on edge of Greater Manchester).

West Ham v Chelsea - Sam Allardyce thinks Eden Hazard was offside for Chelsea's winning goal and that John Terry should have been red-carded. He's probably right but Andre Marriner was referee so a lottery is guaranteed.

Southampton v Palace - Londoners denied clear penalty for Fonte's assault on Bolassie which was missed by Martin Atkinson.

Aston Villa v WBA - Jon Moss who, in 17 previous matches officiating WBA had given the West Midlands side 11 penalties/sendings off in favour and none against, denied Villa a penalty and the potential sending off of Foster, before not sending off Hutton for assaulting Saido Berahino before topping it all off with a hugely theatrical point to the spot for the injury time penalty given away by Foster (who should no longer have been on the pitch). A truly Warholian performance. But this game also gave us an indication of the value of technology. Villa claimed a goal when the 'strangely' incompetent Foster allowed a shot to squirm beneath him at 0-0. Technology proved that the ball hadn't crossed the line and it proved this information instantly.

QPR v Arsenal - Arsenal denied a penalty and probable sending off for the pulling back of Ozil at 0-0 which Kevin Friend happened to miss.

Hull City v Sunderland - That thoroughly unpleasant individual Gus Poyet is sent to the stands after a Quixotic outburst based around his perception that Sunderland were denied a penalty by Mike Dean. The Sunderland equaliser was scored with an arm, however, so refereeing incompetence evened out here over the 90 minutes.

Stoke v Everton - Everton denied a penalty for a foul on McCarthy that although it began outside the area continued into it as the Everton player attempted to stay on his feet which, unfortunately, was not the interpretation of Mark Clattenburg.

Liverpool v Burnley - Burnley denied a penalty for the pulling back of Danny Ings by the otherwise totally excellent Jordan Henderson. Instead of talking about Hendo's two goals in last brace of matches, all discussion centres around erroneous decisions.

There is chaos on the field of play.
Less importantly, there is chaos in the betting markets (witness the Burnley v Swansea market abuse last Saturday!).

If we didn't know what was going on...
... we'd have to be asking 'What's Going On?'