“I cannot lose my time organising defensive set-plays for the referee to make a mistake like that”
So said Andre Villas-Boas, as he vented his frustration at the referee [vicariously] and his assistants [only one primarily] and their obvious lack of expertise when confronted with key decisions in the critical opening stages of Sunday’s match. Sour-grape whinge or warranted condemnation? Well, in a Premiership graced by the infamous Sir Alex Ferguson Mind Game, there will always be a tendency to judge these issues using a scornful what’s-in-it-for-them method of analysis, but I would beg to differ on this occasion. Also, it really is too easy to assume the seemingly fair-minded position, to proffer a sympathetic pat to the head of officialdom (what a difficult job they do, poor souls) whilst simultaneously chuckling at [or deriding] a game old boy every time he gets away with murder. In short, if we’re completely honest over the media coverage to date in this particular instance, there has been precious little of this type of ‘precious’ handling, either on screen or in print.
Just why this should be, especially when you consider how far the estimable(?) restraint of Carlo got him up the Media ladder of respect and into a Sky Italia studio, is hard to fathom. Perhaps it was because AVB didn’t go to the other critical extreme, reliving a bygone age crusading into Jose territory, where the citadel named Respect was sacked with regularity and impunity. Then again, perhaps it was because they do actually agree with what the Boas has said and thought to themselves ’yeh, he’s right, those officials weren’t up to scratch, they did influence the match in favour of the home team at a crucial moment in the contest and it was at Old Trafford, yet again, and you are spot on Andre, what is the point of working your defensive skills butt off when you’re going to get shafted like that in the big games?’ Either way, regardless of your take on the situation and accepting that none of these Media messengers will ever gainsay refereeing authority in support of a Chelsea case, their unadulterated verbatim reporting speaks volumes and if we hear any loudmouthed effrontery emanating from Phil Dowd’s corner over the next few days I will be very surprised.
In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that what we have seen embodied in this firm, but fair, critical aftermath is a newly-arrived Premiership manager laying down an early marker, delivered on his own behalf and that of the club, and those in authority will now understand he is not prepared to accept foolhardy decisions gladly, with self-seeking outrage, or meek and mute acceptance. Instead we will have comment on just and unjust cause, plus appraisal of the overall affect as he sees it and, should that ’affect’ be a wastage of his time and effort doing the job, he will say so in no uncertain terms. Indeed, such has been the measure of approach, any retributive action taken for his comments, by the FA with PGMO approval, will look no more than a punishment for stating the bleeding obvious in the starkest terms and, hopefully, commonsense will prevail in circumstances where, might I suggest, the demotion of Phil Dowd and Co to a Championship game wouldn’t seem out of place.
