just heard its markus merk... uefa putting there pet refs in charge again. prepare for ridiculous free kicks and a couple of dubious reds/pens..

Well there aren't many okay refs today. Merk isn't good but there are worse (I think).

Too bad we couldn't have gotten an italian ref for the game. We could have payed him off and got some advantage in the game.

strange, the bbc website says the ref will be Nikolay Levnikov (Russia).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6582695.stm

Regardless of who the ref is I wonder if TT could put his gambling eye to use and give us the odds on Drogba picking up a dodgy booking for a "misdemeanour" and thereby missing the 2nd leg.

I would have thought the odds will be short.

http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea18070 ... _2209129_1

I'm sure Markus Merk is the ref tomorrow night. He's a dentist apparently. How's that for a combination?

There's a Guardian Interview with Markus Merk here:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/smalltalk/s ... 79,00.html

Markus Merk

Whilst ligging it up in central London the other day, Small Talk bumped into none other than top Uefa match official Markus Merk. And guess what, the referee's not a w*nker!

Hope that Jose will brief our boys for tomorrow because Markus Merk is known for yellow cards when players are moaning. Merk is not that bad as referee but he has a very affected behavior.

Hope that Jose will brief our boys for tomorrow because Markus Merk is known for yellow cards when players are moaning. Merk is not that bad as referee but he has a very affected behavior.

Then I really hope he tells Drogs to keep his mouth shut.

I don't think it really matters what Jose says.

The Greek ref for the United game tonight was, on the whole, pretty good. However, he got one massively important decision wrong. The yellow card for Evra was an absolutely abysmal call and means Evra will miss the next leg. How the ref thought it even warranted a foul let alone a booking, is beyond me.

The kid was distraught at the decision. Understandably so.

I don't think it really matters what Jose says.

You're right there. Tonight after the Mancs game, Andy Townsend on Jose's opionion that tomorrow night the scousers would probably go out of their way to get Drogba booked:

This is where he lets himself down in my opinion.

Oh how bleedin' controversial, eh. Andy Townsend has got to be my least-favourite Chelsea player of all time. Miserable git was over rated anyway.

Regardless of who the ref is I wonder if TT could put his gambling eye to use and give us the odds on Drogba picking up a dodgy booking for a "misdemeanour" and thereby missing the 2nd leg.

I would have thought the odds will be short.

Another finely formed conspiracy theory bites the dust.

We'll just have to crack on. There's always the law of averages.

Regardless of who the ref is I wonder if TT could put his gambling eye to use and give us the odds on Drogba picking up a dodgy booking for a "misdemeanour" and thereby missing the 2nd leg.

I would have thought the odds will be short.

Another finely formed conspiracy theory bites the dust.

We'll just have to crack on. There's always the law of averages.

Drogba to miss the final? Cech and JT to be banned for being too good?

Thought the ref had a great game and I'd be more than happy if he was ref for the game at Anfield.