FA charge on Sir Alex Ferguson opens video technology debate once more
Sir Alex Ferguson will appeal against a Football Association charge of improper conduct which he received following his remarks about Martin Atkinson’s refereeing performance in Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday.
Ferguson was left fuming after Atkinson failed to show a second yellow card to David Luiz for a cynical foul on Wayne Rooney. The Red Devils boss was further angered when Chelsea were awarded what Ferguson described as a ‘soft’ penalty in the 80th minute when Yuri Zhirkov went down in the box under the challenge of Chris Smalling. After the game, the United manager said, “You hope you get a really strong referee in games like these. It was a major game for both clubs and you want a fair referee or a strong referee and we didn’t get that. I must say that when I saw who was refereeing it, I feared the worst.”
Not surprisingly Ferguson’s outburst was not viewed too favourably by the FA while the head of the referees’ union Prospect, Alan Leighton, branded the comments as ‘unacceptable.’ However, while Sir Alex may have over stepped the mark by questioning the integrity of Martin Atkinson, there is an argument to suggest that referees are far too protected by the FA nowadays. If referees are to earn the respect of managers then they have to earn it by making the right decisions. Obviously, referees will get decisions wrong from time to time through human error but if they do; then an apology would do no harm.
If Atkinson had apologised for getting the Luiz decision wrong then Ferguson may have softened his stance. Until the referees start to openly accept the blame for poor decisions, then managers will continue to lambast officials in post match interviews. Why should managers not be allowed to voice their opinions if the whole world can see that a referee got something wrong? The FA should admit from time to time that one of their officials did get a decision wrong instead of opting to defend incompetence. In addition, what harm could a quiet word or even a warning do?
However, there is more to this debate as it once again brings up two key issues; video technology and the role of the players. Video technology has its many pros and cons but if wrong decisions in major games continue to be made, then it may have to be considered seriously once again. Secondly, players who try to deceive the referee by diving or feigning an injury need to be punished severely. It is no wonder that referees make incorrect calls when there is so much playacting in the modern era of football. If playacting was to be stamped out through handing out stern punishments, then not only would it improve the image of the game but the jobs of the referees would suddenly become a lot easier.
