No friend of ours but he is assessed stringently after each game.

Enjoying getting up later and not having someone who knows better than me (apart from the missus of course).

As are all 'Select Group' referees.

There is a robust system for measuring their performance. Every decision is scrutinised using the match footage and 'ProZone'. Furthermore there is an assessment of their accuracy and consistency of decision making and their management of the match.Referees also meet every couple of months when match analysis is carried out and rationale for decisions discussed.

I have admiration for the 'Select Group' who have reached the top of their profession.

Edited by Willo (21 Feb 2018 7.21pm)

My Apologies Silurian I shouldn't have tripped the alarm bell. Do as I do and just ignore anything written by the Norwegian dwarf.

Enjoying getting up later and not having someone who knows better than me (apart from the missus of course).

As do the rest of us when you roll out all that old s***e about referees' performances being "forensically examined", etc. etc. Lest you think I'm "grandstanding", I'll use some good down-to-earth old-fashioned Anglo-Saxon instead: it's f***ing bulls***.

Edited by chateauferret (21 Feb 2018 10.09pm)

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If it were not bulls*** then:

- We would not see week after week ghastly mistakes being made by soi-disant "elite group" referees.
- The arch-t*** Clattenburg would not be entrusted with important matches and certainly would not be in the Middle East getting his snout buried as deep as he can in the deepest trough on the planet whilst he sits there laughing at us hearing about his own admissions of ghastly errors in a number of important matches including an FA Cup Final in which we were involved.
- Several men would have been dismissed and suspended this season alone for fouls on Zaha.
- Bakary Sako might be available (or else Zabaleta would also have had a red card).
- Niasse would not have obtained a penalty for Everton against us. Ditto Snodgrass for Hull.
- Most referees would be trusted by fans to give an objective and fair performance in a Premier League game.
- Pep Guardiola would not look such a fool after playing against a referee who was actually prepared to send one of his men off when he deserved it for a change.
- Not even Alan Shearer would be able to accuse Zaha of being a diver.
- The so-called "Diving Panel" would not be required.
- VAR would not be required.
- Huddersfield Town would be bottom.

These things happen because the standard of refereeing is unacceptably poor and because, for all your harping on about "forensic reviews", nothing is ever done about it apart from the sticking plasters that are the VAR trials and the Diving Panel. Those two initiatives don't address the real problems or help clubs that lose out because of s*** decisions, but they do constitute an admission that the referees are doing a s*** job and that the system isn't delivering the level playing field that everyone involved with football should expect as a basic right.

Edited by chateauferret (21 Feb 2018 10.35pm)

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The Ferret
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Suffice to say a declamatory post which shouts a lot but imparts little.24-carat tosh.

As McEnroe said "You cannot be serious".

Not going to waste my time proving any further 'Oxygen' to such hogwash.