Photo by gingerbeardman

Having confirmed last weekend the final four of the FA Cup, it’s back to the main business of Premier League survival and title challenges as all twenty teams are involved in ten important matches. We’ve got derbies, relegation six pointers and matches between sides at opposite ends of the Premier League spectrum.

And after some indifferent performances in the Cup, all ten officials taking charge this weekend will be trying to impress their bosses enough to give them the biggest game of the season, the FA Cup final.

The early kickoff this weekend sees two London teams with different goals this season going head to head at White Hart Lane. Tottenham, looking to finish in the Champions League spots, entertain West Ham who are fighting to avoid relegation.

Here are the ten matches this weekend as well as analysis regarding each referee:

Tottenham Hotspur vs. West Ham United (12.45pm BST)
Referee: Mike Dean

Having been the most consistent performing referee this season it is only right that Mike Dean gets the big games.  Having refereed Chelsea’s trip to Blackpool two weeks ago, it meant that he couldn’t officiate the Blues’ game with Manchester City this weekend.

So if he can’t referee the best game of the weekend, then he should do the joint second best.  This match is on a par with Blackpool vs. Blackburn although that one is a relegation battle; this match between two local rivals sees the two teams vying for different aspirations this season.

West Ham have been on a resurgent run of form recently and have been scoring goals for fun netting three past each of West Brom, Stoke and Liverpool over recent weeks, whereas Tottenham are looking for Champions League football again this season.

Any match that was Mike Dean in charge means that the fans of the two sides can feel confident in the referee’s performance.  West Ham fans will feel particularly happy to have an experienced official like Dean in charge after Mike Jones’ performance in the Hammers’ FA Cup exit at the hands of Stoke.

Dean has been at his consistent best this season, talking charge of some important matches like the Carling Cup final, Tottenham vs. Chelsea and Tottenham vs. Manchester United.  He has had a quiet season by his standards when it comes to penalties and red cards so far.  He has shown five red cards this season, however only two have come in the Premier League.  He has also awarded ten penalties in the Premier League which is more than any other referee, however by this stage last season he had given fourteen penalties and six red cards.

History with Tottenham this season

Dean has refereed Spurs three previous times in the league this season in which they have drawn two and won one.  The draws were against Manchester United (0-0) and Chelsea (1-1) and the victory he officiated was their 2-1 win at Craven Cottage against Fulham.

In the draw with United, Dean sowed a red card to Rafael, but luckily for Spurs fans, Dean hasn’t given a red card to a Tottenham player, however he did award a penalty against them in the draw with Chelsea after a foul by their goal keeper Heurelho Gomes.

History with West Ham this season

Dean has refereed West Ham four previous times this season and in those four games they haven’t won.  He refereed their embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Newcastle and their 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa.  He did however referee their draws against Blackburn (1-1) and West Brom (2-2).

Dean has shown 11 yellow cards to West Ham players in the four matches he has refereed and has also given a penalty against them; however he did award them a penalty in the draw with West Brom.

Previous Meeting

West Ham upset Spurs when the two sides met at Upton Park earlier in the season in a 1-0 Hammers win.  Martin Atkinson refereed that match which saw the Clarets win 1-0 thanks to a headed goal from Frederick Piquionne.  Atkinson had very little to do that day with only two yellow cards which both went to West Ham players, Carlton Cole and Luis Boa Morte.

My Prediction

West Ham have been on a good run recently except for being knocked out of the FA Cup and have scored a bagful of goals.  Tottenham go into this game having not played since their Champions League heroics against AC Milan and currently 5^th, three points off the Champions League places.

This match will be a tight one and the Hammers beat Spurs when the sides met at Upton Park.  I can’t see West Ham winning at the Lane, however I think they’ll get a point in what will be a high scoring draw.

Tottenham 2-2 West Ham- Yellow Cards: 5, Red Cards: 0

Aston Villa vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers (3.00pm)
Referee: Phil Dowd

A Midlands derby that in recent encounters has failed to spark too much light and has avoided any real controversy, sees this season’s most improved referee take charge of his 29^th league game this season.

In the other previous 28 he has shown nine red cards which is the second highest total for a Premier League referee this season.

Dowd has the best man management skills of all the Select Group referees which means he prefers to talk to players rather than showing cards which is an important asset for a referee and I think this has contributed to his fantastic season this year.

Dowd has refereed games that two seasons ago I would never have expected him to be appointed to such as the Merseyside derby, Tyne-Wear derby and Liverpool vs. Manchester United and in all three matches he has avoided controversy where colleagues have failed to in recent years.

Some will think Dowd is an arrogant referee, I disagree however I think he is just confident in his ability. This is important when refereeing because if you’re not confident of your own ability then this will mean that players, managers and spectators will not be confident which can lead to all sorts of problems (i.e. Mike Jones last weekend), Jones didn’t look confident which meant that Avram Grant and the West Ham players were not confident in his decision making.

Both of these sides are near the foot of the Premier League table and because the division is so tight a win for either side could see them move significantly in the table.  This means that the match requires a strong, competent official and that is exactly what it has in Dowd.

Dowd has had only one cardless game in the Premier League this season (Birmingham 0-2 Everton) and the fact this is a derby means that it is unlikely that he will make it two with this game.

History with Aston Villa this season

Dowd has only refereed one game involving Villa in the Premiership this season and that was their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool.  Dowd showed one yellow card in that game and that was to Villa’s Ciaran Clark.

History with Wolves this season

Wolves have had the pleasure of having Dowd in charge of their twice already this season.  The two games he refereed were 2-1 defeats against Manchester United and Fulham.  In the Fulham game Dowd showed seven yellow cards in total, two of which went to Christophe Berra.

Previous Meeting

The last time these two met was back in September when Mark Halsey took charge of Aston Villa’s 2-1 win at Molineux where only three players were booked in what was a friendly contested Midland’s derby.  Villa won with a late header from Emile Heskey after Matt Jarvis had cancelled out Stuart Downing’s opener.

My Prediction

Villa are only two points off the drop zone but I very much doubt they will be relegated as, although they have a young team, I think it has a lot of quality in it.  Wolves will be confident heading into this one after a very well earned 3-3 draw last time out against Tottenham.

This will be a close match but I can really only see one team winning it and that is Gerard Houllier’s side, but it will only be by a goal.

Aston Villa 1-0 Wolves- Yellow Cards: 4, Red Cards: 0

Blackburn Rovers vs. Blackpool (3.00pm)
Referee: Howard Webb

A Lancashire hot pot that shouldn’t boil over because of this appointment.  With both teams fighting to avoid relegation, it is very sensible to put Howard Webb in charge of this match.

Although he hasn’t had the best of seasons domestically, in Europe he can’t be faulted having refereed last season’s Champions League final.

Having refereed big finals such as that Champions League Final, World Cup Final and FA Cup final, he is used to refereeing glamorous games, however this is far from a glamorous game between two teams who are struggling and starting to plummet down the table.

Webb always handles games with little fuss and that is what this game needs, someone who will let the teams play because stopping and starting play will prevent teams from scoring and a draw is no good for either side.

Webb has only shown two red cards this season and awarded four penalties, however he is yet to have a cardless game this season and I can guarantee this one won’t be either.

History with Blackburn this season

Webb has done two Blackburn games this season in which they have won one and lost one.  The match they won was the 3-0 win over Wolves and the defeat was the 1-0 loss to Stoke.  In those two matches Webb has shown three yellow cards to Blackburn players.

History with Blackpool this season

Webb has taken charge of one Blackpool game this season and that was their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, a match in which Webb showed a red card.  Thankfully for Pool fans however the red card went to Villa’s Jean Makoun.  He did show two yellow cards to Blackpool players on that day.

Previous Meeting

Mike Dean refereed the only other Premier League meeting between these two which Blackburn won 2-1 at Bloomfield Road.  Mike Dean took charge of that game which had everything you could want from a Lancashire derby with own goals, last minute winners and tackles flying in.  Dean did well to keep a lid on that game by only showing two yellow cards, one to each side.  Charlie Adam put the ball into his own net for Rovers’ opened but Pool equalised five minutes from time with a Matt Phillips goal, but Brett Emerton fired home in the final minute to secure the three points for Blackburn.

My Prediction

These two are both struggling and are only separated in the Premier League table by three goals as both sit on 32 points, one point above the relegation zone.  These two have only met once previously in the league which makes it very hard to predict the result.

Blackburn haven’t won in five Premier League games whereas Blackpool, although they lost to Chelsea and Wolves, have won recently, beating Tottenham 3-1.  I think home advantage will be a factor in this game; however it will be a tight affair with few goals.

Blackburn 1-0 Blackpool- Yellow Cards: 3, Red Cards: 0

Manchester United vs. Bolton Wanderers (3.00pm)
Referee: Andre Marriner

Would have liked to have seen this game go to a less established Premier League referee as it is arguably one of only a handful of games this season that will involve United in a game against a team who realistically aren’t playing for anything this season.

Although Bolton are going to Wembley for the FA Cup semi finals to face Stoke, they are not in a relegation battle and after recent performances have slipped, they aren’t going to get a European place in my opinion.

This match, I think should have gone to a referee who hasn’t had the chance to referee one of the big teams much this season.  I would have loved to have seen Anthony Taylor take charge of his first United game, or maybe Kevin Friend, however both teams should be pleased to have Marriner in charge.

He goes about his business quietly and correctly without being noticed too much.  He is one of few officials who manages to avoid controversy which is a good sign for both sides, especially United as Sir Alex Ferguson believes he has been on the wrong end of refereeing decisions in recent weeks.

Marriner has only shown one red card this season which came in his last Bolton game.  He has awarded only five penalties all season.

History with Manchester United this season

Marriner has taken charge of two previous United games in the Premier League this season where both resulted in 2-1 victories for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side against Stoke and Manchester City respectively.  Marriner showed four yellow cards to United players in those two matches and should have sent off Gary Neville for a second bookable offence in the match at the Britannia Stadium.

History with Bolton this season

Like United, Marriner has officiated two Bolton games this season one was the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City and the other was a 3-1 win over West Ham.  He showed a red card in the Manchester City game; however that was to Aleksandar Kolarov of City for a second bookable offence.  In the West Ham game Marriner awarded two penalties against Bolton.

Previous Meeting

When these two met at the Reebok in September, Bolton fully deserved the point they got from a 2-2 draw and arguably they could have won the match.  After taking the lead very early on with a Zat Knight goal, United soon equalised through their talented Portuguese winger Nani.  Martin Petrov then put the Trotters ahead before a rare Premier League goal from Michael Owen earned United a point.  Phil Dowd refereed the game and showed three yellow cards and if you were asked to predict which three players were booked you would probably guess them straight away as it was Kevin Davies for Bolton and Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic for United.

My Prediction

Having lost their last two Premier League games, it is of paramount importance that United don’t lose three on the trot if they are to win the Premier League title.  Bolton will be spurred on for this one having reached the last four of the FA Cup with a win over Birmingham last weekend.  Manchester United also booked their place at Wembley last weekend after their 2-0 win over Arsenal.

Bolton got a point when the sides met at the Reebok, but at Old Trafford I would expect United to win this comfortably by a couple of goals at least.

Manchester United 3-0 Bolton- Yellow Cards: 1, Red Cards: 0

Stoke City vs. Newcastle United (3.00pm)
Referee: Lee Mason

A very tough game to referee in the past with six yellow cards being shown in the last league meeting at the Britannia Stadium.

These two teams both like to tackle both fairly and illegally so I think this is a sensible appointment.  Mason is the best detector of foul play in the league i.e. he knows when to just give a free kick, when to give a yellow card and when to give a red card better than any other referee.

This is especially important in a game where the teams like to tackle.  He is a referee; however that looks to red card too quickly.  He is one of the referees who looks for reasons to send someone off rather than looking for reasons to keep them on the pitch.

He is a disciplinarian in that he prefers to show cards than talk to players which sometimes is a good thing and I think that will be the way he officiates this game he will look to stamp down on bad fouls early in the game which he will hope will settle the game down.

I don’t think it will be a particularly nasty game however there will be a lot of tackles that Mason must judge correctly.

History with Stoke this season

Mason has refereed Stoke only once this season and that was their 1-1 draw against West Ham.  In that game he showed three yellow cards to Stoke players in Rory Delap, Dean Whitehead and Danny Collins.

History with Newcastle this season

Mason has taken charge of three previous Newcastle games two of which they won against Liverpool (3-1) and Birmingham (2-0) and one of which they lost to Blackpool (2-0).  In those three games he has shown seven yellow cards to Newcastle players and also awarded a penalty against Newcastle in the defeat to Blackpool.

Previous Meeting

Stoke won the reverse fixture at St James’ Park with two goals from Kenwyne Jones and an own goals from James Perch in a 2-1 win. Mike Jones took charge of this fixture in which he awarded a penalty to Newcastle that Kevin Nolan dispatched.  Jones only had to show one yellow card in this game and that was midway through the first half to Stoke’s Salif Diao.

My Prediction

Newcastle are going great guns having been promoted last season sitting comfortably in 10^th.  Their opponents Stoke beat West Ham in the FA Cup last time out and themselves are mid table and don’t really look like going anywhere.

Stoke have made the Britannia a fortress with a raucous crowd behind them and the style of play they use makes it difficult for sides to break them down.  I think this one will be a home win, but Newcastle will put up a good fight.

Stoke 2-1 Newcastle- Yellow Cards: 3, Red Cards: 0

West Bromwich Albion vs. Arsenal (3.00pm)
Referee: Stuart Attwell

Fantastic appointment for Stuart who appears to have put his problems of recent seasons behind him.  Although he has had some bad games this season, he has also put in some quality performances at Blackpool (vs. West Ham) and Everton (vs. Sunderland).

This is a big game for both sides with Arsenal looking for a first Premier League trophy since the 2003-2004 season.  West Brom on the other hand are looking to avoid dropping straight back to the Championship.

I like to see the newer officials being given a chance to referee the big teams because in all honesty if you are a Premier League referee then you have the ability to referee any team in that league.

I hope Attwell can continue is good run of form in this match and he will if he continues to referee in the way he has been mentored to by Alan Wiley.

Attwell is very good at playing the advantage rule and is also a good foul detector.  One weakness I do think he still has is selling his decisions.  Sometimes I think he can look a little bit rabbit in the headlights in that he gives a decision but he doesn’t look sure about it.

If he could improve this by looking confident then the players will feel confident in his decision making and overall make him more respected as a referee, as I think he is lacking that at the moment because of his past.

Attwell has the ability to be a top referee and I’m sure will referee at a number of major international tournaments in years to come.

History with West Brom this season

Attwell has officiated one West Brom game this season in the league and that was their exciting 3-2 win over Blackpool.  In that game he showed one yellow card to a Baggies player and that was in stoppage time to Marek Cech.

History with Arsenal this season

Attwell has also refereed Arsenal once this season that was their 4-1 win over Bolton where Attwell showed a red card to Bolton’s Gary Cahill.  He showed two yellow cards to Arsenal players Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Eboue.

Previous Meeting

The Baggies shocked everyone when the sides met at The Emirates by beating Arsenal 3-2 in a pulsating encounter.  Michael Oliver the young official new to the Premier League this season took charge of the match and he certainly had his hands full handing out seven yellow cards and awarding a penalty to West Brom which Chris Brunt missed.  West Brom went 3-0 up after goals from Peter Odemwingie, Gonzalo Jara and Jerome Thomas before two goals from Samir Nasri, the second of which came in the last minute which set up a nervy stoppage time for Albion, but they held on to secure a memorable win.

My Prediction

West Brom played out of their skin when the sides met at the Emirates and were deserving 3-2 winners over the Gunners in September.  Arsenal need to start beating the teams around the bottom of the table if they are to have any chance of winning the title.

The Baggies, after a good start to the season, are now fighting against relegation, but haven’t lost in their last four league games.  Although they are on a good run of form I think they will have to put in an extraordinary battling performance if they are to make it five unbeaten.

West Brom 0-3 Arsenal- Yellow Cards: 2, Red Cards: 0

Wigan Athletic vs. Birmingham City (3.00pm)
Referee: Lee Probert

Not surprised by this appointment as recent games have proved very little in the way of quality.  Now I am not saying that Lee Probert is not a quality referee, because in actual fact he has been one of the most improved referees this season along with Phil Dowd.

What I am saying is that there is no need to give a referee of the stature of Howard Webb, Mike Dean etc to a game of this magnitude.  Although the match is arguably a relegation six pointer, the fact that recent meetings have very little in history in terms of bad temperedness means that a lesser known referee can take charge of what is a big relegation derby.

Probert has performed well all season and looks like he has finally cemented his place on the Select Group list.  This will be his 19^th Premier League game this season, but this will be his first Premier League game in a month.

Probert is yet to have a cradles game this season; however six of his 18 games have had only one yellow card in them.

History with Wigan this season

Probert has a mixed history with Wigan this season.  He refereed their 2-2 draw with Arsenal in which he sent off Charles N’Zogbia for violent conduct; however he did award a penalty in Wigan’s favour.  He also refereed Wigan’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in which he only showed one yellow card to a Latics player who was Steve Gohouri.

History with Birmingham this season

This will be Probert’s first Birmingham game in the Premier League this season, although he did officiate their 4-1 FA Cup win over Millwall in round 3.  In this match he didn’t show a yellow card to either team.

Previous Meeting

When Wigan played Birmingham at St Andrews earlier in the season, the match was a complete shocker, lacking any great quality.  There were no goals in the game but referee Mark Clattenburg was kept busy with his cards after he showed yellows to Roger Johnson and Scott Dann of Birmingham and Hugo Rodallega, Ronnie Stam and Steve Gohouri for Wigan.  He also showed a red card to Birmingham’s Craig Gardner for a nasty looking lunge at Franco Di Santo.

My Prediction

This match has one result written all over it.  The match will not be a classic.  Both teams will have chances as they both like to get the ball into the box but the fact they are both fighting relegation means that quality will be minimal.

Wigan 0-0 Birmingham- Yellow Cards: 1, Red Cards: 0

Everton vs. Fulham (5.30pm)
Referee: Michael Oliver

Yet another TV game for the youngest Premier League referee in what has been a fantastic opening season to his Select Group career.

The 25 year old has refereed twelve games in the Premier League already this season which is a huge amount considering it is his first season.  This will be his third game to be shown live on TV.

In those two previous he has had some issues.  In the Blackpool vs. West Brom game he showed two red cards to West Brom, one of which led to a penalty, however the decision was wrong and the red card was rescinded afterwards.

In the Wolves vs. Manchester United game he impressed me a lot showing that he is capable of taking charge of big games and refereeing fairly, matches between big and smaller teams.  In that game he could have sent off Jamie O’Hara for a second yellow card, however I’m pleased he didn’t.

Many people questioned when Stuart Attwell was promoted that he was too young.  Oliver is younger than Attwell was when he joined the Select Group and Oliver has proved that age means nothing.  Just because he is half the age of Peter Walton, doesn’t mean he has half the ability.  In fact I think Oliver is one of the best decision makers in the Premier League.

He will be assisted in this game by Sian Massey who makes only her second Premier League appearance since the Richard Keys and Andy Gray incident.  Sian herself is only in her early twenties so I think that officiating together will benefit them hugely.

History with Everton this season

Oliver has refereed Everton once previously in the Premier League and that was their 0-0 draw with Wigan in which he showed two yellow cards to Toffees players in Phil Neville and Stephen Pienaar.

History with Fulham this season

Oliver has also refereed Fulham once this season their 2-2 draw with Blackpool in which he showed one yellow card, but that wasn’t to a Fulham player.  The fact this is his first year as a Select Group referee means he has little history with either side.

Previous Meeting

Much like Birmingham vs. Wigan, Fulham vs. Everton was not the most entertaining of games when the sides drew 0-0 at Craven Cottage.  Thankfully for Howard Webb though, he didn’t have as tough of an afternoon as Clattenburg did as he only had to show three yellow cards in a match that Everton had the better of, but neither side could get that vital goal and the match finished stalemate.

My Prediction

These two sides look like they are just playing out the rest of the season without having real chance of moving too much in the table.  Everton are 9^th and Fulham are 11^th and with both sides looking save from relegation and both looking too far out of the race for Europe this match really has little riding on it.

That said Everton have been performing well lately and haven’t lost since a defeat to Bolton a month ago.  The fact they are at home I think gives them a real chance of winning this match against a Fulham side who themselves haven’t lost since late January.  I don’t think this will be a draw so that means someone’s impress run will come to an end and I think it will be Fulham’s.

Everton 2-0 Fulham- Yellow cards: 0, Red Cards: 0

Sunderland vs. Liverpool (Sunday 1.30pm)
Referee: Kevin Friend

After what happened in the reverse fixture I am very surprised by the appointment of Kevin Friend to this game.

Stuart Attwell gave some very controversial decisions in the game at Anfield so to put another relatively inexperienced Premier League in charge of the reverse fixture seems like a strange decision to me.

I expected an experienced head to get this game someone Like Martin Atkinson or Mark Halsey I think would have been a better choice as both have had good seasons and both have experience at refereeing fixtures with history.

Friend, however is a good referee and I don’t think he has been given a good enough chance to prove himself in the Premier League, but hopefully in this game involving a big team like Liverpool and being shown live on Sky he can show why he is a Premier League referee.

Friend has incredibly good fitness and keeps up with play well.  He could however play more advantages because he has a habit of blowing up for infringements early instead of letting them play out to see if there is an advantage.

History with Sunderland this season

Friend’s only previous Sunderland game this season was their 1-0 defeat to West Brom.  In that game he showed one yellow card to Sunderland’s Paulo da Silva.  He does have history with the Black Cats last season however showing three red cards in three matches to Lorik Cana, Lee Cattermole and David Meyler.

History with Liverpool this season

Friend has refereed two Liverpool games this season one was their 1-1 draw with Wigan, there other was a 2-1 win over Bolton.  In those two matches he showed three yellow cards to Liverpool players in Jamie Carragher, Lucas Leiva and Fabio Aurelio.

Previous Meeting

This is one of the most controversial fixtures in recent seasons and the reverse fixture didn’t disappoint as Stuart Attwell had a performance that led to the official being dropped from the Premier League for a couple of months.  Firstly the Warwickshire official allowed Dirk Kuyt’s opener to stand after he deemed that Michael Turner had taken a free kick that Kuyt slotted home.  The Sunderland defender argued he was playing the ball back to his goal keeper, but the goal was given.

The Darren Bent equalised from the penalty spot Christian Poulsen was adjudged to have handled in the area and Bent then put the Black Cats ahead with a powerful header. Steven Gerrard then rescued a point for Liverpool by heading in a Fernando Torres cross.

Attwell showed four yellow cards in the game, three of which went to the three players involved with Liverpool’s two goals in Kuyt, Gerrard and Torres.  The sole Sunderland player to be cautioned was their goal keeper Simon Mignolet.

My Prediction

Sunderland have a decent record against the big teams in recent seasons this season however it has been predominantly away from home.  After drawing with Liverpool at Anfield in what was a very controversial affair, they will be looking for revenge and will feel that they can get all three points at the Stadium of Light.

Liverpool, having beaten Manchester United two weeks ago, play this match only a couple of days after a big Europa league second leg tie against Braga so fatigue could be an issue.

If Sunderland play the way I have seen them do on many occasions this season then they definitely have a chance of getting something out of this game.

Sunderland 1-1 Liverpool- Yellow Cards: 3, Red Cards: 0

Chelsea vs. Manchester City (Sunday 4.00pm)
Referee: Chris Foy

This is without a doubt the best appointment made by Mike Riley this weekend.  When Chris Foy refereed Manchester United and Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter final last weekend he did an exemplary job.

He hasn’t had a fantastic season by his own standards however always seems to step up his game when taking charge of important matches such as this.  This is without doubt the biggest game of the season so I expected Howard Webb to get it, but I’m pleased the big games are being evenly spread around the group.

Foy is definitely the best player of advantage and regularly plays advantages leading to very good goal scoring opportunities.

Foy uses his man management skills to good effect by talking to players rather than showing them cards.  This is obvious through the fact that he has only shown one red card all season and has had five games that were totally cardless which is more than any other referee.

For a man of 48 he keeps up with play exceptionally well and I believe he will contribute to this game being a really exciting one.

History with Chelsea this season

He has refereed Chelsea three times this season in which the Blues have won two games against West Ham (3-1) and Bolton (4-0) and one in which they lost to Sunderland (3-0).  In those three games he has shown three yellow cards to Chelsea players, two to Branislav Ivanovic and one to Ashley Cole.

History with Manchester City this season

Foy has taken charge of two City games this season one was their derby daw draw with Manchester United (0-0) the other was their 3-1 win over Newcastle.  In those two games he showed five yellow cards to City players.

Previous Meeting

The encounter at the City of Manchester Stadium between these two saw City gain a valuable three points in their quest for a Champions League place after a single goal from Carlos Tevez.  Andre Marriner took charge of the match which was pretty even.  He gave five yellow cards in total two to Manchester City to Pablo Zabaleta and Dedryk Boyata and three to Chelsea to Jon Obi Mikel, Ramires and Alex.

My Prediction

This will be a close encounter as both go into the match on the back of European action in midweek.  Chelsea will get one extra day to prepare and I think that will give them a slight advantage, also the fact they didn’t play last weekend means they have had over a week to prepare for what should be a cracker.

Both sides seem all but out of the title race however neither manager will care to admit that I’m sure.  It looks like these two are battling it out for 3^rd and 4^th respectively behind Arsenal and Manchester United and I really can’t say who’s going to finish where.

Having beaten Chelsea in the reverse fixture I can’t see City doing so at Stamford Bridge.  Although the match will be tight and probably feisty, I think Chelsea will just sneak this by one goal.

Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City- Yellow Cards: 4, Red Cards: 1

Predict the Ref

Referees to choose from:

• Martin Atkinson
• Stuart Attwell
• Mark Clattenburg
• Mike Dean
• Phil Dowd
• Chris Foy
• Kevin Friend
• Mark Halsey
• Mike Jones
• Andre Marriner
• Lee Mason
• Michael Oliver
• Lee Probert
• Anthony Taylor
• Howard Webb
• Peter Walton

My Predictions

Saturday, 2 April 2011

• West Ham v Man Utd, 12:45 BST- Michael Oliver
• Birmingham v Bolton, 15:00- Chris Foy
• Everton v Aston Villa, 15:00- Lee Probert
• Newcastle v Wolverhampton, 15:00- Andre Marriner
• Stoke v Chelsea, 15:00- Peter Walton
• West Brom v Liverpool, 15:00- Anthony Taylor
• Wigan v Tottenham, 15:00- Mike Jones
• Arsenal v Blackburn, 17:30- Mike Dean

Sunday, 3 April 2011

• Fulham v Blackpool, 13:30- Kevin Friend
• Man City v Sunderland, 16:00- Howard Webb

Question Time

Last week Mike from Southend asked me this question.

Q. What would happen if a defending play handles the ball on the line but the ball crosses the line?

A.  If the ball had crossed the line and the decision had been given by the referee or assistant then the goal would stand and the play who handled the ball would be shown a yellow card for unsporting behaviour.  Because the referee hadn’t given an infringement means that the fender cannot be sent off.

If you have a question then email me at matt8890@hotmail.com and I will answer the best one in a fortnight as there will be no article next week because of the international break.

As we reach the business end of the Premier League season, each match is becoming more and more important. This means that the choice of referee for a particular game and the way the game is refereed could have a massive bearing on where each team will finish come May.

With ten matches remaining for the majority of teams, there is still thirty points up for grabs.  A wrong penalty decision or a harsh red card could determine whether teams get no points, one point or three and with only five points separating the bottom eight teams and four points separating the top two, referees must be on top of their games to ensure that all 20 teams receive equality and fairness with the decisions they make.

The biggest game of the weekend in terms of their realistic aspirations this season is the Midlands derby between Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion at St Andrews in the early lunchtime kick off on Saturday.

Both teams are locked in an eight team relegation battle this season after both started the season well.  One has changed their manager recently and the other has just won their first major trophy in over thirty years.

However after poor runs of form for both teams means that only two points separate Birmingham in 16^th position and West Brom in 19^th so a win for either side would see them push towards Premier League survival.

This is a local derby and because of this it will be a tough test for any referee.  I would expect a disciplinarian or in other words a mechanical referee to take charge of this one.  By mechanical I mean someone who knows the rules inside out but doesn’t necessarily have a feel for the game and how it should be played.

I would think someone like Mike Dean or Phil Dowd would be the obvious choice for this encounter however Dean was ruled out having refereed Birmingham only last week in the Carling Cup final victory over Arsenal, so in my opinion Dowd would be the only choice so I was very surprised to hear that the appointment had gone to Mike Jones.

Jones is a referee who hasn’t had the most successful of starts to his Premier League career until this season.  Mike has impressed me vastly with some quality and impeccable performances this season including Arsenal vs. Manchester City and Tottenham vs. Wolves in the Premier League and Cardiff vs. Swansea in the Championship.  These were three tough games to officiate but he never looked out of his depth and was able to make the big decisions.

Jones has been in my opinion one of the best referees this season and he has finally been rewarded for his hard work with a game that has massive implications not only because it’s a derby but also because of the league positions of the two teams.  I think Jones will do a really good job especially because he’s backed up by a strong team of Trevor Massey and Darren Cann on the lines. Remember Cann officiated on the World Cup final so he must be good.

History with Birmingham this season

Jones has refereed Birmingham twice previously this season and a stat they won’t want to hear is that they haven’t won either of those games.  Those games were a 5-0 defeat to Manchester United and a 0-0 draw with Manchester City. One good stat to come out of those two games however is that Jones has not shown a card of any colour to a Birmingham player this season.

History with West Brom this season

Jones has only refereed West Brom on one previous occasion in the Premier League this season and that was their memorable 2-2 draw with Manchester United when The Baggies came from 2-0 down to salvage a draw against the league leaders.  In that game he showed yellow cards to Scott Carson and Nicky Shorey.

In the four Premier League matches involving West Brom that Jones has refereed, he has shown two red cards.  Thankfully for Baggies fans neither of those were shown to West Brom players.

Previous Meeting

West Brom beat Birmingham 3-1 in the reverse fixture at The Hawthorns with goals from Peter Odemwingie, Jonas Olsson and a Scott Dann own goal.  Chris Foy refereed this match and to be honest he had very little to do resulting in only one yellow card to Lee Bowyer.

My Prediction

I’m expecting a tight encounter with maybe only one goal in the game. Both sides have had disciplinary problems this season so I can see Mike Jones handing out a few yellow cards but I don’t think there will be a dismissal.

Birmingham 1-0 West Brom- Yellow cards: 5, Red cards: 0

In the 3.00pm kick offs the game of the day comes at The Emirates where Arsenal after the disappointment of missing out on their first trophy since 2005 take on Steve Bruce’s Sunderland in a match that, if the Black Cats win and other results go their way, they will sit 6^th in the table come 4.50pm.

I am surprised by the appointment of Anthony Taylor to this game, but I am extremely pleased that Mike Riley is giving the new boys a chance to prove themselves with the big teams.  This will be Taylor’s first visit to the Emirates and it is one that should be a memorable one for him if previous results between the two are anything to go by.

The reverse fixture saw Arsenal manager get so angry that he pushed the fourth official. Now Taylor will be hoping that his performance doesn’t lead to anything like that.  Taylor joined the Premier League list at the start of this season, so I don’t know too much about him.

Although I can tell you that he has refereed nine Premier League games so far this season, which is very good considering it is his first season.  His last match was Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Stoke; however he has refereed two games since then, one in the FA Cup and one in League 2.

He has shown two red cards in his nine Premier League matches this season. One of those was to Sunderland player Lee Cattermole in their 2-2 draw with Birmingham.  He has only awarded one Premier League penalty and that was in the same match to Sunderland.

From what I have seen of Taylor this season, he isn’t afraid of playing the advantage rule unlike some officials which is a very good quality.  His physique also impresses me as he is a tall, slim man which means his fitness is impeccable.

I think he will have a good game at the Emirates and I hope that he can prove he is able to referee the bigger teams as this will be his first match involving any of the top four.

History with Arsenal this season

Taylor hasn’t refereed Arsenal yet this season and in fact he has never refereed at The Emirates Stadium so he will start with a clean sheet with Arsenal fans, players and especially Arsene Wenger.  A lot of fans will probably never have heard of him before and to be honest that’s a good thing. It shows he hasn’t been involved with controversy. He is a young referee who I am sure will make many more trips to The Emirates during his career.

History with Sunderland this season

Sunderland fans on the other hand will have memories of Taylor.  He refereed their 2-2 draw with Birmingham when he sent off Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole.  Although the decision was correct, fans will have been unhappy with the decision because the sending off came when the Black Cats were one nil up. So had he not sent Cattermole off, they would have gone on to win that game.

Previous Meeting

The two teams drew the reverse fixture at the Stadium of Light 1-1.  Phil Dowd refereed that fixture which was a controversial one.  The Stoke official showed five yellow cards and one red card (Alex Song) in a match that saw Rosicky miss a penalty for Arsenal and Darren Bent step up to score a last minute equaliser which infuriated the Arsenal manager enough to make him push the fourth official

My Prediction

Sunderland have been the surprise package for me this season but Arsenal will be fired up for this one having missed out on silverware last weekend.  It won’t be a hammering but there will be a couple of goals in it.

The fact the reverse fixture was feisty in my opinion has no relevance and I think Taylor’s first visit to the Emirates will be a relatively straight forward one.

Arsenal 3-1 Sunderland- Yellow Cards: 1, Red Cards: 0

Other 3.00pm kick offs see Bolton entertain Aston Villa, Fulham take on Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle face Everton  at St James’ Park and Stoke travel to Upton Park to face on the up West Ham United.

Bolton against Villa will be refereed by Kevin Friend who is in his second season on the Select Group and finally appears to have found his feet having not really being given too many chances in his first season.

I have interviewed Kevin in the past and found him to be a really nice guy.  I have also watched him live in the past and on that night he impressed me in what turned out to be an extremely difficult game with three red cards.

Friend has made a couple of mistakes this season, none more so than in the Everton vs. Blackpool game when he blew up for a foul when if he had waited a couple of seconds, Everton would have scored.  Although the decision wasn’t incorrect it did infuriate the players and fans because the whole idea is to keep the game flowing.

Friend has refereed twelve Premier League games this season showing two red cards in those matches.  Bolton won’t want to hear that one of those red cards was given to Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in their 2-2 draw with Birmingham.  The other was to Gary Caldwell for Wigan against Arsenal.

Like Taylor, Friend has really good fitness and keeps up with play very well, one way he could improve his game is if he learns to play the advantage rule more.  He does have a habit of blowing up for infringements too quickly instead of letting them play out to see what happens.

I am really pleased Friend is having a run of Premier League matches having done four in four weeks last month.  I hope this game goes well for him.

History with Bolton this season

Friend has refereed Bolton twice this season and they haven’t won either game.  He took charge of their 2-1 defeat at Anfield on New Year’s Day where he booked two Bolton players.  He also refereed the Trotter’s 2-2 draw with Birmingham where he sent off Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen correctly for raising his arms to Roger Johnson’s face.

History with Aston Villa this season

Friend hasn’t refereed Aston Villa in the Premier League yet so Aston Villa fans will have to wait until 4.50pm on Saturday before they judge him.

Previous Meeting

The sides drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture at Villa Park after first half goals for Ashley Young for Villa and Kevin Davies for Bolton.  Mike Dean refereed the match in September which saw three players yellow carded.

My Prediction

Bolton are a revitalised team under Owen Coyle and are doing significantly better than Gerard Houllier’s Villa who, if they don’t start picking up some points, might find themselves is a relegation battle.  This fixture doesn’t have a history of being feisty and to be honest Friend should have a quiet game.  I expect Bolton to win but only just.

Bolton 2-1 Aston Villa- Yellow Cards: 2, Red Cards: 0

Mark Clattenburg has somehow managed to get himself a game this weekend after his awful decision not to send off Wayne Rooney against Wigan last weekend.  A decision that, because punished by a free kick from Clattenburg meant that the FA couldn’t take retrospective action.

Because Clattenburg was incorrect in law, as it should have been a red card for violent conduct to Rooney, Clattenburg in my opinion should have stepped down this weekend, instead Mike Riley gives him a match over someone like Lee Mason who doesn’t have a game this weekend and hasn’t made a mistake recently.

Now I am a big fan of Clattenburg he is one of my favourite referees, and because of the difficult job they have to do I will not sit here and bad mouth referees, however I will not defend the indefensible.

He made a huge mistake and should not in my opinion have a game this weekend, however he has got one and there’s nothing I can do about it except tell you Fulham and Blackburn fans what you can expect from him.

He has shown three red cards in twenty Premier League games this season but generally before last weekend, he had a pretty controversy free season except for one incident, surprisingly, or maybe not, involving Manchester United.  That can’t be said for his refereeing career however.  Firstly in 2005 he failed to award a goal to Tottenham after Pedro Mendes’ shot clearly crossed the line.

In 2007 he refereed the Merseyside derby in which he sent off Phil Neville and Tony Hibbert, awarded two penalties to Liverpool and failed to send off Dirk Kuyt and didn’t award two penalties to Everton when he should have.  Because of this he hasn’t refereed an Everton game since.

Then earlier this season Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp described his decision to allow Nani’s goal to stand despite the midfielder handling the ball.  For all his faults however he is still a fabulous referee and Blackburn and Fulham fans shouldn’t worry too much about his appointment to this game.

History with Fulham this season

Surprisingly Clattenburg hasn’t refereed Fulham yet this season.  He did however referee them three times last season and they won one, drew one and last one.  In those three games he only showed one yellow card to a Fulham player, that was Chuka Okaka in their 2-1 in over Wigan.

History with Blackburn this season

This will be Clattenburg’s fourth Blackburn game of the season and their third away from home.  He took charge of their 2-0 home win over West Brom, and their 1-1 away draw with Manchester City and 2-1 away defeat to Bolton, a match that saw Clattenburg show three yellow cards to Rovers players.

Previous Meeting

The match at Ewood Park saw the sides draw 1-1 with headed goals in either half from Christopher Samba for Blackburn and Clint Dempsey for Fulham.  New boy Anthony Taylor refereed the match and he showed only one yellow card that was to Fulham’s towering defender Brede Hangeland.  Both sides have had good disciplinary this season and I wouldn’t be surprised if Clattenburg has a card less afternoon at Craven Cottage.  Fulham should win this match comfortably by a couple of goals.

My Prediction

This won’t be a classic but there will be goals, however I can only see those goals going to one team.  Fulham vary their play well using long ball when it’s necessary and pass and move when the opportunity arises.

Andy Johnson is back from injury and he is a player they have missed.  With him and Dempsey upfront together Fulham should have no problems against Rovers in this one.

Fulham 2-0 Blackburn- Yellow Cards: 0, Red Cards: 0

By his own standards Howard Webb has not had the best of seasons with some below par performances, however when he is on top of his game he is outstanding there doesn’t seem to be a happy medium, he’s either brilliant or poor.

Unfortunately for Webb, in my opinion, he has had more poor games than brilliant.  Since the FA Cup match between Liverpool and Manchester United he has struggled to get his form back.

He hasn’t refereed a game in the Premier League for three weeks since Blackpool vs. Aston Villa in which he didn’t have that good a game; however the red card he showed in that encounter was correct.

Although he hasn’t that the best season, he is still without doubt our best referee in Europe and Internationally, however I think he has been overtaken as the best referee in England and that has shown through recent appointments.

In the past Webb would have taken charge of Chelsea vs. Manchester United or Liverpool vs. Manchester United but instead Mike Riley has opted to go with Martin Atkinson and Phil Dowd respectively.

The teams will be pleased, however with Webb in charge as he is without a doubt the best foul detector and player of the advantage rule in the league.  Having refereed in the Championship last weekend he will be looking forward to stepping out back in the Premier League, especially at a ground the stature of St James’ Park.

Newcastle like to get stuck in to their opponents, especially with players like Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton on the pitch, however they don’t necessarily have a bad disciplinary record this season, however they did have Ryan Taylor sent off in their draw last weekend to Bolton.

Everton themselves have players who like a tackle such as Phil Neville and John Heitinga but they have gone three Premier League games without a card so they will be hoping to make that record four games which will be a massive achievement.

History with Newcastle this season

Webb has refereed Newcastle on three previous occasions in the league this season, but this will be his first match of the season at St James’ Park.  He took charge of the 1-1 derby draw against Sunderland, their 1-0 win over Wigan and their 5-1 hammering at Bolton.  In that match Webb showed a straight red card to defender Fabricio Coloccini and awarded two penalties against them.  Although Newcastle fans weren’t happy with Webb’s performance, he did all three of the big decisions correct.

History with Everton this season

This will be Webb’s fifth Premier League game involving Everton this season, more than any other referee.  He last took charge of the Toffees in December in their 1-1 draw with West Ham.  He also took charge of their derby day victory over Liverpool, their 0-0 draw with Fulham and their 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.  In those four previous games Webb has shown five yellow cards to Everton players.

Previous Meeting

Newcastle were victorious in the encounter at Goodison Park after a solitary goal from Hatem Ben Arfa.  Andre Marriner was the man in the middle and he showed five yellow cards in total two to Everton (Fellaini and Beckford) and three to Newcastle (Nolan, Enrique and Perch).

My Prediction

I think this has a draw written all over it and I think it will be a high scoring draw.  Although this match doesn’t have a history of being feisty I have a funny feeling that Webb might have to go to his back pocket and show a red card.  I hope it will be a nailed on decision but our best referee hasn’t been firing on all cylinders recently so hopefully this game will see him back to his normal outstanding ability.

Newcastle 2-2 Everton- Yellow Cards: 4, Red Cards: 1

From what I can remember about this fixture in the past it does have a history of being a scrappy and dirty game both on and off the pitch.  When Peter Walton refereed this fixture at the Britannia Stadium two seasons ago I seem to remember there being trouble in the crowd.

The match at the Britannia between these two last season had six yellow cards and a penalty for Stoke.  The reverse fixture this season had five yellow cards so it does have a history of being bad tempered.

I think Andre Marriner is the perfect choice for this match because he has the ability to clamp down on tough tackles early on which calms the whole game down.  When he refereed Chelsea vs. Liverpool a few weeks ago he showed Jon Obi Mikel a yellow card in the opening minutes and this helped to put a lid on the game as there wasn’t a bad tackle for the rest of the match.

This is the approach I think he needs to have refereeing this fixture.  He needs to clamp down on the tackling early on as this could help the game stay good tempered, however sometimes this approach can backfire.  Showing early yellow cards could mean that players run the risk of being sent off later on in the match and that is something that neither of these teams could do with.  West Ham need to keep their players playing week in week out if they are to avoid relegation and picking up silly suspensions would hinder this.

Marriner does have experience in refereeing this fixture as he took charge of Stoke’s 1-0 win at Upton Park last season and on that occasion he only had to show two yellow cards, both of which went to Stoke.

If Marriner controls this game in the way I think he will then he should have an easy afternoon, although if he lets bad tackles go early on he may face big problems as the game progresses.

History with West Ham this season

Marriner has taken charge of three previous Hammers matches this season and a stat West Ham fans won’t want to hear is that they haven’t won when he’s been in charge.  His last visit to Upton Park was on 15^th January when he refereed their 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.  He also took charge of their defeat to Bolton and their draw with Fulham.  In those three matches Marriner gave six yellow cards to West Ham players and also gave a penalty against them; however he did give two penalties to West Ham in their 3-1 defeat to Bolton.

History with Stoke this season

Stoke on the other hand have had mixed fortunes with Marriner in charge.  He refereed their 2-0 victory over Everton where he booked three of their players Danny Collins, Rory Delap and Dean Whitehead.  Stoke fans however will have bad memories of Marriner in their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.  In that match he should have shown United’s Gary Neville a second yellow card but opted not to.  Had he made the correct decision and sent the defender off then Stoke may have gotten something out of the game.

Previous Meeting

The sides drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture when Scott Parker put the away side ahead, only to see Kenwyne Jones equalise three minutes into the second half.  Lee Mason showed five yellow cards in that match, three to Stoke (Collins, Delap and Whitehead) and two to West Ham (Behrami and Cole)

My Prediction

West Ham or on a good run at the moment ant having beaten Liverpool in their last game I think they’ll beat Stoke who can look forward to their FA Cup quarter final meeting later this month knowing that they are just about guaranteed Premier League football next season.  Like Newcastle v Everton I can see this one turning a bit spicy with a few cards and I think this will be a tough game for Marriner to referee.

West Ham 1-0 Stoke- Yellow Cards: 3, Red Cards: 0

The tea time kick off sees Manchester City take on bottom of the table Wigan.  Roberto Martinez has been critical of referees over recent weeks, none more so than Mark Clattenburg last week after the official failed to send off Wayne Rooney for an elbow.  Had the striker been shown a red card then no doubt Wigan will feel they could have gotten something out of that game as they played well in the first half.

So all Martinez needs is Mr Controversial turning up to referee the Latics’ match with Manchester City at Eastlands.  Stuart Attwell is in his third season as a Premier League referee and in that time has failed to impress me too much.

In his first two years on the Select Group it appeared that controversy followed him around as no matter what game he took charge of whether Premier League (dodgy goal Liverpool vs. Sunderland), Championship (the ghost goal in the Reading vs. Watford game) or League 2 (controversial sending offs).

This season has been slightly different for Attwell.  He goes on a run of having really good confident performances but then follows it up with an extremely poor one.  I witnessed Attwell live at a recent Premier League match and I thought he was outstanding, as he was in the Everton vs. Sunderland game last weekend.

This season he has been given ex Premier League referee Alan Wiley who was one of the best referees this country has ever seen.  His help has obviously had an impact on Attwell this season as his confidence and ability have risen in abundance.

He did have a poor game however in the FA Cup match between Fulham and Bolton a couple of weeks ago.

I have had my reservations about Attwell but I’m pleased he finally appears to have found his stride in the Premier League.  Although he does have the odd poor performance, generally, he has been impressive this season.

Wigan haven’t had a player booked in their last two games in all competitions, however they have had at least four players booked on five occasions this season which is not great discipline.  City on the other hand have only had six players booked in their last five Premier League matches so the chances of Attwell having to flourish a lot of cards in this match is pretty low.

However in the last three meetings there have been 12 yellow cards and two reds including one shown by Attwell in this fixture last season to Wigan’s Gary Caldwell, but with recent disciplinary records from both teams I can’t see either team losing their heads in this one.

History with Man City this season

Attwell hasn’t refereed Manchester City yet this season, but did referee them twice last season.  One of those games last season was this same fixture when City beat Wigan 3-0.  In that game he sent off Wigan’s Gary Caldwell.  The other City game he has refereed in the past was their 3-3 draw with Burnley last season in which he gave a penalty against City.

History with Wigan this season

This is also Attwell’s first Wigan game of the season, but again like City he did referee the Latics twice last season, one was their 3-0 defeat to Man City as I mentioned earlier where he sent off Gary Caldwell.  The other was their 1-1 draw with Sunderland, a match which he showed nine yellow cards, five of which were to Wigan players.

Previous Meeting

Lee Probert refereed the reverse fixture which saw City run out 2-0 winners with goals from Carlos Tevez and Yaya Toure.  Mason showed three yellow cards two to City for Nigel de Jong and Yaya Toure and one to Wigan, Steve Gohouri.

My Prediction

City should win this match comfortably by at least three goals, maybe more.  Although Wigan have some tough tacklers in the side I don’t think they will lose their discipline like they have in previous games against the big sides this season.  In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if Attwell has a card less game.  I watched him referee at Blackpool recently and he was outstanding, however a couple of weeks ago at Fulham he was poor so who knows which Stuart Attwell will turn up, but I think this will be an easy game for him.

Man City 3-0 Wigan- Yellow Cards: 0, Red Cards: 0

Sunday’s big game sees Manchester United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool.  This will be the first meeting in the Premier League since Kenny Dalglish returned to the helm.  The sides did meet in a controversial FA cup tie in January when Howard Webb awarded a controversial penalty and a red card to Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.

The last five league matches between the two sides have been controversial aswell with referees showing 22 yellow cards, four red cards (three of which to Vidic) and three penalty kicks being awarded.

Webb refereed three of the last five league meetings, with Alan Wiley and Andre Marriner officiating the other two.  I would have expected either Webb or Marriner to have appointed to this match; however I am pleased that Mike Riley has given Phil Dowd the opportunity in what will be his first experience of this fixture.

Dowd, who in my opinion has been the best performing referee this season, hasn’t done a lot of high profile games in his long Premier League career that is until this season where he has already refereed the Merseyside and Tyne-Wear derbies and put in good performances in both matches.

Just because Webb is the best referee our country has, doesn’t mean he should referee all the big games.  I believe the big games should go to the referees who are performing the best and there is no doubt that Dowd deserves this appointment.

Dowd is the best detector at serious foul play in the league and is also very good at his foul detection which is extremely important in a fixture such as this as there will be a lot of fouls I would predict at least thirty between the two sides.  The fact that there have been so many cards shown in these matches also tells me that Dowd will definitely have his hands full in this encounter; in fact it will probably be one of the hardest games he will referee this season.

Dowd has shown eight red cards and given nine penalties in the league this season and I think the chances of those two tallies increasing are extremely high.  I hope for his sake he manages to keep a lid on the game otherwise it could boil over, especially because Sir Alex’s side felt hard done by with decisions in their crunch game with Chelsea in midweek.

History with Liverpool this season

This will be Dowd’s fifth Premier League game involving Liverpool this season.  His last visit to Anfield will be fondly remembered by Liverpool fans as it was the derby day draw with Everton back in January.  Dowd awarded a penalty to Liverpool in that game for a foul by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard.  He also refereed their victories over Aston Villa and Blackburn and he oversaw their heavy 3-0 defeat at Manchester City, a match in which he gave a penalty against the reds.

History with Man United this season

Dowd has refereed Manchester United three previous times in the Premier League this season.  Of the three matches he has refereed, United haven’t lost any of them.  Dowd oversaw the 2-0 win over Sunderland and 2-1 win over Wolves and also their 2-2 draw with Bolton.  Although he hasn’t been involved in any controversy with United this season, two seasons ago he refereed United’s 2-0 defeat to Fulham where he sent off Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney.

Previous Meeting

These two met in the FA cup in January in which Manchester United won 1-0 after a controversial penalty and a red card to Steven Gerrard.  In the reverse fixture in the Premier League Manchester United ran out 3-2 winners in what turned out to be an exciting end to end encounter.  Howard Webb refereed both of the mentioned matches and in the league game he awarded a penalty to Liverpool and showed five yellow cards, four to United and one to Liverpool.

My Prediction

Liverpool have had a poor season by their standards but under Kenny Dalglish they have improved their form.  Having lost surprisingly to West Ham last weekend, they will want to put in a performance against their local rivals.  United should win this but I’m hoping it will be an exciting match.  This fixture does have a history of penalties with three being given in the last three matches, two to Manchester United and one to Liverpool, this will have a few cards aswell, especially because Dowd has shown nine red cards and 103 yellow cards in the 27 matches he has refereed this season.

Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United- Yellow Cards: 8, Red Cards: 1

The late Sunday game will be a tribute to Dean Richards who died at the weekend aged only 36.  The defender played for both Wolves and Tottenham so the match at Molineux will be a special one for his family and all the fans connected with the two clubs.

Mark Halsey has been put in charge of this one and again this is a really good appointment by Mike Riley and team because of the fact Halsey is so laid back.  He will allow the two teams to get on with the game which is increasingly important when the game is to honour Richards.

Halsey likes the players to get on with the game; he doesn’t give needless free kicks and uses his skills as a man manager rather than giving out cards.  This is a very good quality and the fact he receives respect from all players allows him to man manage successfully.

The reverse fixture saw six yellow cards and a penalty given by Lee Probert.  In the other previous four meetings between the two sides in the Premier League there were 12 yellow cards and one card shown.

Although the previous encounters have been quite feisty, I don’t think this one will be.  I don’t think the atmosphere will allow it to be feisty and also the fact that Halsey is in charge will prevent too many tough tackles going in.

History with Wolves this season

Wolves have had mixed fortunes when Halsey has been in charge this season.  Of the three previous games, they have won and lost two.  That victory was their 1-0 win over Chelsea.  The defeats were the 2-0 against Arsenal and the 2-1 against Aston Villa.  He has shown two yellow cards to Wolves players in those three matches and hasn’t sent any off or given a penalty against them.

History with Tottenham this season

Halsey has refereed Tottenham once previously this season that was their 1-1 draw against Newcastle where Halsey managed to go the whole 90 minutes without showing a card.  He didn’t referee a Tottenham game last season because of his illness but the season before he refereed two Spurs games, one against Manchester City where he gave a penalty to Tottenham.

Previous Meeting

The reverse fixture was full of strong tackling and Mike Jones had his hands full on that day.  He showed six yellow cards, three to Tottenham and three to Wolves and he awarded a penalty to Tottenham.  The match finished 3-1 in Tottenham’s favour.

My Prediction

This match will commemorate Dean Richards who died last week so I expect the atmosphere to be pretty downbeat, however both will want to put on a show and there will be goals in this one.  Halsey may have his hands full if the reverse fixture was anything to go by.  Wolves have had excellent results against the top teams and I think they will continue that good run with a victory here.

Wolves 2-1 Tottenham- Yellow Cards: 1, Red Cards: 0

The final match of game week 29 is played on Monday night. The game sees Chelsea travel to the sea side to take on Blackpool.

This will only be the second meeting between these two sides in the Premiership with the other clash finishing 4-0 in Chelsea’s favour.

Mike Dean has been appointed to this game, which for the two sides is a good appointment because he always puts in a strong performance; however I would have liked to see one of the new guys referee this game to give them a chance to experience taking charge of a top four team.

Someone like Michael Oliver or Kevin Friend would have been perfect for this game as both are very competent in the Premier League and it would help them build their ability in the top flight by refereeing the best teams.

At the end of the day all the referees in the Select Group are there on merit and because of this any of them should be able to take charge of any Premier League game if they are asked to.  The fact that this is true means that the appointments should be shared around more giving the likes of Oliver, Friend, Taylor and Attwell the chance to referee the best teams.

The fact there has only been one meeting between the sides makes it difficult for me to predict what sort of game Dean will have to contend with, but if the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge is anything to go by there will be cards but not an excessive amount and not for particularly dirty challenges.

History with Blackpool this season

Blackpool haven’t won this season when Dean has refereed them this season.  He has officiated them twice previously one was their 2-2 draw at Bolton and the other was their 2-1 home defeat to Blackburn.  In those two games Dean has shown three yellow cards to Tangerine players.

History with Chelsea this season

Dean has refereed Chelsea more times this season than any other referee, having done four of their matches in which they have drawn two and won two.  The last Blues game he took charge of was only three weeks ago, their 0-0 draw with Fulham in which Dean correctly awarded a stoppage time penalty to Fulham, luckily for Chelsea, Petr Cech saved the spot kick.  The other games he has taken charge of involving Chelsea were the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in which Dean again gave a stoppage time penalty, this time to Chelsea, but it was missed. He refereed their 2-0 win over Arsenal and their 6-0 win over Wigan.

Previous Meeting

The reverse fixture was the only other meeting between these two in the Premier League and Blackpool will not have good memories of that match.  They were beaten convincingly 4-0 in a match refereed by Mark Clattenburg.  Clattenburg showed three yellow cards on that day in a match that was over by half time after first half goals from Solomon Kalou, Didier Drogba and two from Florent Malouda.

My Prediction

This should be as easy for Chelsea as the reverse fixture was and I don’t expect Dean to have too much to do, however he does have a history of giving stoppage time penalties, however if he does give one in this one I can’t see it changing the result.

Blackpool 0-3 Chelsea- Yellow Cards: 2, Red Cards: 0

Predict-the-referee for Game week 30

Below are the fixtures for next weekend’s Premier League fixtures, why don’t you have a go at predicting which referee will have what game? If you post your answers on here then I will tell you all how you did next week.

To give you some ideas I will give you the list of Premier League referees and I will make my predictions aswell.

Good Luck!

Next weekend’s fixtures

Saturday, 19 March 2011

Tottenham v West Ham, 12:45

Aston Villa v Wolverhampton, 15:00

Blackburn v Blackpool, 15:00

Man Utd v Bolton, 15:00

Stoke v Newcastle, 15:00

West Brom v Arsenal, 15:00

Wigan v Birmingham, 15:00

Everton v Fulham, 17:30

Sunday, 20 March 2011

Sunderland v Liverpool, 13:30

Chelsea v Man City, 16:00

Referees to choose from:

Martin Atkinson

Stuart Attwell

Mark Clattenburg

Mike Dean

Phil Dowd

Chris Foy

Kevin Friend

Mark Halsey

Mike Jones

Andre Marriner

Lee Mason

Michael Oliver

Lee Probert

Anthony Taylor

Howard Webb

Peter Walton

My Predictions

Saturday, 19 March 2011

Tottenham v West Ham, 12:45- Howard Webb

Aston Villa v Wolverhampton, 15:00- Mark Clattenburg

Blackburn v Blackpool, 15:00- Chris Foy

Man Utd v Bolton, 15:00- Stuart Attwell

Stoke v Newcastle, 15:00- Mike Dean

West Brom v Arsenal, 15:00- Phil Dowd

Wigan v Birmingham, 15:00 – Peter Walton

Everton v Fulham, 17:30- Martin Atkinson

Sunday, 20 March 2011

Sunderland v Liverpool, 13:30- Mike Jones

Chelsea v Man City, 16:00- Andre Marriner

Question Time

If you have a refereeing question whether it’s about the laws of the game, a particular incident or whether you want to know a bit more about the Premier League referees then email me at matt8890@hotmail.com and I will answer the best questions in next week’s article.

Sorry to all the fans of my articles, if there are any.  This week’s Meet the Ref is a shortened version as I’ve been ill in bed for a few days and haven’t got enough time to do a full run down of the weekend, but we will be back to normal next week.

Saturday

Aston Villa vs. West Brom (3.00pm GMT)

Referee: Mark Halsey

The first of the two Midlands derbies to take place this weekend and this one has the potential to be a tough fixture for the man in the middle.  Mark Halsey has been appointed and this will be his biggest Premier League game since returning to action after successfully seeing off throat cancer.

He is a referee that goes about his business without really being noticed.  This is because he isn’t controversial, he doesn’t go looking for the limelight and he would rather take a back seat and let the players get on with the game rather than interfering.

This is a good appointment and it should go quite smoothly for him, where perhaps it wouldn’t be such an easy game to control for a more disciplinarian referee or a less experienced referee but I think Halsey should do a good job.

It isn’t the biggest derby in the Midlands but there will be tackles flying in like any derby, but I expect Halsey will keep all 22 players on the pitch and will show a minimal amount of cards.  He has refereed Villa twice already this season, 1-0 to Sunderland and 2-1 win over Wolves.

Prediction

Aston Villa 1-1 West Brom

Yellow Cards: 3 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Everton vs. Wigan (3.00pm GMT)

Referee: Michael Oliver

Michael Oliver takes charge of this match, only his seventh in the Premier League.  None of those seven involved either of these two teams so this will be his first Everton and first Wigan matches in the Premier League, however he did referee The Toffees defeat on penalties to Brentford in the Carling Cup.

I always rated Oliver highly when he was a youngster working his way through Conference level and then Football League and I was thrilled when he got the promotion to Select Group and all was going swimmingly for him until one Monday night in Blackpool when he had to send off two West Brom players.  Since then he hasn’t really had the chance to re-establish himself in the Premiership, however it’s nice to see him given a chance to prove how good he is.

Lee Probert refereed both fixtures last season and had no major decisions to make, one penalty decision that went in Everton’s favour at Goodison Park but from what I can remember it was a good decision.

Wigan lost their discipline in that game aswell with six of their players being booked, but they have a relatively good record thus far this season when it comes to cards and Oliver should have an easy game.  I can see him giving a penalty in this match but don’t really know why, just call it a gut instinct but he should do a good job.

Hopefully won’t let the newbies down as it appears that Saturday’s games have gone to the new, less experienced officials and Oliver will be hoping that he, along with Anthony Taylor can prove that they deserve their place on the Select list.

Prediction

Everton 3-1 Wigan

Yellow Cards: 2 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 1

Fulham vs. Sunderland (3.00pm GMT)

Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Well, Well, Well? What a fantastic appointment very much deserved.  Neil Swarbrick, a Football League referee has been given his chance to prove himself at Premier League level.  Arguably the best referee in the lower leagues but definitely has the ability to be a top level official.

I remember the PGMOL doing something very similar with Lee Mason a few seasons ago and obviously Anthony Taylor last season.  Both at the time were Football League referees but were given Premier League matches.  Lee Mason did Middlesbrough vs. Aston Villa in 2006 and Anthony Taylor did Fulham vs. Portsmouth in February and both of these were promoted to the Select Group the following seasons.

Hopefully history will repeat itself and Swarbrick gets his chance to be a Select Group referee as I think the standard of his officiating is better than that of some of our current top flight referees.

Fulham vs. Sunderland should be a nice easy game for him, small stadium and small crowd but two good established Premier League teams doing battle.  I hope for his sake that his game at Craven Cottage isn’t called off like Michael Oliver’s potential first Premier League game was there last season.

Prediction

Fulham 1-0 Sunderland

Yellow Cards: 2 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Stoke vs. Blackpool (3.00pm GMT)

Referee: Anthony Taylor

This season’s other new kid on the block, Anthony Taylor, unlike Michael Oliver went completely under the radar to me and even when he was promoted to the Premiership I still had very little idea as to who he was and what sort of referee he was.

But I remember watching Match of the Day on the night of the opening day of the season and I waited in anticipation for Sunderland vs. Birmingham to come on and the only reason was because I wanted to see how Taylor had done.

I remember seeing him get the big decisions right, a penalty to Sunderland and a red card for Cattermole both I felt were correct and at the time I thought this guy has something special.  I still can’t put my finger on exactly what that thing is but I believe he has the potential to be one of the best.

Unfortunately for him, like Oliver, he hasn’t had a lot of chances to impress with this being only his sixth Premiership game of the season and he hasn’t refereed a game of any kind since his controversial showing in front of the SKY cameras in the Sheffield United vs. Crystal Palace match where he awarded three penalties and sent off two players in what really was a horror show for him.

He’s had a couple of 4^th official appointments to get over that and he comes back to referee at a very difficult ground.  It’s loud and it’s a good atmosphere.  I live in Stoke and I can hear the crowds on a Saturday afternoon when I’m walking down the street or going to the pub so I don’t think there could be a tougher ground to go to on your comeback.

However these two haven’t met in the league since the 2007/2008 season which was in the Championship.  Only four yellow cards were shown in those two matches and I don’t expect that card tally to increase by too much after this one.

Stoke have had some rotten luck with referees this season which may put added pressure on the shoulders of Taylor but I think he’ll do a fine job in what will be a big decision free game in my opinion.

Prediction

Stoke 2-0 Blackpool

Yellow Cards: 1 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 0

West Ham vs. Manchester City (3.00pm GMT)

Referee: Phil Dowd

This season’s best performing official takes charge of this match at Upton Park and in my opinion any match that gets the best referees appointed his a good appointment.  Phil Dowd has taken charge of more Premier League games than any other referee this season which just shows how highly he is rated this season.

I do think that a lesser experienced official someone like Kevin Friend could have done this game instead as it would have been a good challenge for him but I’m happy Dowd has a game this weekend and it’s one that I think will have a Manchester City red card.

City had Aleksandar Kolorov sent off last weekend and they have also had Dedryk Boyata and Mario Balotelli sent off this season and I can see them being reduced to ten men here by a referee who has already shown four  red cards this season.

Dowd hasn’t refereed West Ham yet this season but has officiated two Manchester City matches their 3-0 win over Liverpool and 3-2 win over Blackpool and this match should be the third City win he’s officiated this season.

Prediction

West Ham 0-3 Man City

Yellow Cards: 2 Red Cards: 1 Penalties: 0

Newcastle vs. Liverpool (5.30pm GMT)

Referee: Lee Mason

The live TV game on Saturday goes to Lee Mason, one of the referees who have disappointed me thus far this season with some very questionable performances none more so than his last match Everton vs. West Brom where he missed so many incidents.

This will be his first match since then and personally I don’t think on performances, he deserves to have a live TV game.  I think this should have gone to someone like Lee Probert or Mike Jones who have both had really good seasons but yet neither have a Premier League match this weekend.

Lee hasn’t referred a Newcastle game since a 1-1 draw with Stoke in January, nearly a year ago and he does have some history with the Anfield club.  He came under criticism from then manager Rafael Benitez for sending off two of his players in a match against Fulham.

Mason refereed Newcastle’s 2-0 home defeat to Blackpool in September and since then has only refereed five Premier League matches, mostly because of injury, however I believe another reason is because his assessors, like me, have not been impressed with his performances this season.

He has shown three red cards in his last three matches and I think he will show one in this match.  The last meeting between the two produced a red card when Joey Barton was sent off in Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Anfield two seasons ago.

However neither of these two teams are dirty so I think if there is a red card it is likely to be for a second yellow card rather than a bad tackle or violent conduct.

Prediction

Newcastle 1-1 Liverpool

Yellow Cards: 4 Red Cards: 1 Penalties: 0

Sunday

Bolton vs. Blackburn (1.30pm GMT)

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

A Lancashire hotpot to wet your appetite for an exciting day of derby football on Sky Sports.  Bolton take on Blackburn in a match that sees Sam Allardyce return to the club in which he began is Premier League managerial career.

Bolton haven’t beaten Blackburn since a 1-0 win in 2006 a match that had three missed penalties and a red card to then Bolton captain Kevin Nolan.  Chris Foy refereed the last match between these two but he had to be replaced by fourth official Lee Probert after picking up an injury.

Mark Clattenburg referees this match which is a good appointment, however with this not being a huge derby it would have been nice for one of the newer guys to gain some experience at refereeing Premier League derbies, however Clattenburg is one of the best we have, but has come under some criticism this season especially after the Nani goal incident at Old Trafford.

The last game he refereed was Manchester United’s capitulation against West Ham and he controversially chalked off a West Ham goal, correctly in my opinion, after a consultation with an assistant referee.

His last Premier League game was the exciting encounter between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park.  He hasn’t refereed Bolton yet in the league this season but he did officiate their League Cup defeat at the hands of Burnley.

He has however refereed Blackburn and that was their 1-1 draw with Manchester City.  Although this is a derby it isn’t the most competitive and is nowhere near in the league of Merseyside, Manchester or North London derbies but both teams will want to win and I can see Bolton piping Blackburn to this one.

Prediction

Bolton 2-1 Blackburn

Yellow Cards: 4 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 1

Wolves vs. Birmingham (1.30pm GMT)

Referee: Martin Atkinson

The second of the Merseyside derbies and arguably the bigger of the two this weekend so because of this England’s number two Martin Atkinson has been put in charge.  A good appointment if you ask me for someone who started the season making some very poor decisions but he has improved greatly over recent weeks.

I have attended this fixture in the past and it provided a really good game full of incident and cards.  Atkinson is the strictest of all the Premier League referees showing 62 yellow cards in his seventeen matches so far this season.  He has also shown seven red cards which is more than any other referee.

Martin is yet to referee Wolves this season, but he has refereed Birmingham, their 2-1 defeat at Arsenal where he sent of Jack Wilshere.  Of the seven red cards Atkinson has shown this season three have been to the home team and four have been to the away team.  If there was to be a red card in this one, even though I don’t think there will be, it will probably go to a home player to make Atkinson’s record 4-4.

There were twelve yellow cards in the two meetings last season and there will be a large number today aswell I think even though Wolves have turned their reputation of being a dirty team around.

Prediction

Wolves 1-0 Birmingham

Yellow Cards: 7 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Tottenham vs. Chelsea (4.00pm GMT)

Referee: Mike Dean

Can be a controversial fixture, but it is one that has seen Tottenham lose only one of the last five meetings.  Last season’s fixture saw a red card issued to John Terry, his second in this fixture after being sent off by Graham Poll in 2006.

Good appointment for this game I think.  Mike Dean is a strong referee and one in which you always know what you’re going to get from him.  This fixture needs someone who isn’t afraid to make big decisions and Mike Dean is the ideal man for the job.  Without doubt this is the best appointment of the weekend by the PGMOL.

Mike Dean refereed this fixture two seasons ago when Tottenham beat Chelsea 1-0 and on that day he had very little to do.  I think this match will be different because Chelsea are on a bad run of form and I believe they will do anything to get back to winning ways.

Because of this I think that if things aren’t going their way, then Chelsea could lose their heads and with that their discipline.  Tottenham won’t expect to get anything out of this game so their player’s should just get on with the game and play.

There will be cards but I think the majority will go to Chelsea, however I don’t think there will be a red card in this encounter, however if there is it’ll more than likely go to John Terry as his discipline against Spurs is poor.

Dean refereed Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Fulham a victory he had a hand in after overruling an assistant referee’s flag for offside for Tottenham’s 2^nd goal, a decision that replays showed was a bad one but he gained Tottenham the three points.

He has refereed Chelsea twice this season their 2-0 win over Arsenal and 6-0 win over Wigan.  I think this will be a tight match but I can see Tottenham getting something and Chelsea’s wait for a win continue.

Prediction

Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea

Yellow Cards: 4 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Monday

Manchester United vs. Arsenal (8.00pm GMT)

Referee: Howard Webb

Well this match, the biggest of the season so far was always going to go to Howard Webb and I’m not going to say that it shouldn’t have been given to our best referee, but I would like to see some of the other officials get a crack at the big games.

Although Howard Webb hasn’t refereed this fixture since 2008, he is still always first in the queue for matches that pit the top four against each other.  Mike Dean and Chris Foy, both good strong referees refereed the two meetings last season and I would have liked Phil Dowd to have gotten a look in this season as this is the biggest game of the season and Dowd has been the best referee, even better than Webb.

However Howard knows how to referee the big matches and I think he will help contribute to a good game.  There were ten bookings in the two games last season, but gone are the fantastic encounters when Keane took on Vieira and Keown took on Van Nistelrooy now those were tasty games.  Now matches between these two are still exciting but not as challenging to referee.

United are strong at Old Trafford and do get a lot of penalties when playing at home, however I do remember Arsenal getting a spot kick at Old Trafford a few seasons ago and with one being given in this fixture last season, I can see one here on Monday evening.

Howard has refereed both of them on one occasion United’s 3-2 win over Liverpool and Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Everton.  This game will be feisty due to what is at stake, a place at the top of the table but I think this will be a 0-0 draw I’m afraid.  Sorry to those of you who were expecting a classic.

Prediction

Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal

Yellow Cards: 5 Red Cards: 0 Penalties: 1

Finally I would just like to say good luck to Sian Massey who is running the line on the Barnsley vs Sheffield United match along with Premier League officials in Mike Jones and Darren Cann.  This is a fantastic appointment for the young lady and it could mean promotion is in order for her next season.

Firstly, this weekend’s matches saw a record number of goals scored, 41 in total including eight in Manchester United’s demolition of Blackburn Rovers and also for the first time ever since it’s inauguration in 1992, every team managed to score a goal.

With more goals, however comes more controversy and incorrect decisions from our countries’ elite officials. I will now look back at the best and worst decisions made this weekend.

Lee Mason, if you’re reading this then look away now!

I think it’s only right to start with the positive and it was a very good weekend for one or two of our top assistant referees.

Best of the Week

#1 Darren Cann- Wolves vs. Sunderland

The best decision made by far this weekend in my opinion was by our top assistant, Darren Cann. Cann, a former Norwich City youth player, has officiated in some of this sports most prestigious tournaments.

He was one of Howard Webb’s assistants at this year’s World Cup Final between Holland and Spain, and he also assisted Webb at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid for the UEFA Champions League Final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich so this guy has the experience and is undoubtedly the best we have currently.

Darren was assisting Mike Jones on the Wolves vs. Sunderland game at Molineux
Where he made a fantastic offside decision to deny Wolves what they thought was a legitimate goal at 0-0.

However having seen the replays Richard Stearman is quite clearly closer to the goal line than Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon and with only one Sunderland defender on the line, this makes Stearman offside.

This could arguably be the best offside decision you will see all season and that is why it has made my top 5 best decisions of the week. It’s a shame Dave Bryan the other assistant in this game can’t tell an offside like Cann can, but I’ll get onto that later.

With the argument of goal line technology being brought up every week, the officials running the line at Bolton, Stoke and Aston Villa proved that you don’t need technology in fact all you need is good eyes and confident decision making. The three incidents in these three games are my next in the top five decisions of the week. Firstly the most difficult of them, the one at Stoke.

#2 Andy Newbold- Stoke vs. Manchester City

Andy Newbold is the assistant referee concerned in the match between Stoke City and Manchester City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Newbold an experienced official at Football League level was promoted to the Select Group three seasons ago.

This wasn’t really a difficult game for the officials and there weren’t really any big decisions to make, except one which Andy Newbold got absolutely spot on.

Matthew Etherington’s corner was headed towards goal by Kenwyne Jones, but his effort was cleared off the line by James Milner. Stoke were furious, they thought the ball had crossed the line. Stoke manager Tony Pulis was apoplectic with 4th official Phil Gibbs but the replay showed that the whole of the ball had not crossed the line, and with the score at this point at 0-0, this was an important decision.

Newbold didn’t flinch with the flag and rightly so, it was a marginal decision but Milner prevented the ball crossing the line by about an inch. Peter Walton went with his assistant’s decision thankfully for the both of them because had that been given I guarantee they’d have had this weekend off but they will both be at Bloomfield Road on Saturday for Manchester United’s trip to Blackpool.

This was the most difficult of the three ball over the line decisions this weekend and that is why it makes number two on my list.

Speaking of Blackpool it is in their game with Bolton that number three in the top 5 decisions of the week comes.

#3 Dave Richardson- Bolton vs. Blackpool

Blackpool, already 1-0 up away at Bolton were awarded a second by assistant referee Dave Richardson who flagged when Luke Varney glanced Elliot Grandin’s corner towards goal.

Chung Yong Lee cleared the ball, but he did so after it had crossed the line. That was in Richardson’s view. In real time I thought it was touch and go, I wasn’t sure whether it had gone in or not but looking at the replay it had gone in my about a yard.

Richardson took up his position in line with the goal line and therefore was in a perfect position to make the decision. Blackpool 2-0 up couldn’t hold on for an away win drawing the match 2-2 but Richardson, one of our leading FIFA assistants made a fantastic call that sees him in the top three best decisions of the week.

#4 Adam Watts- Aston Villa vs. Arsenal

Number four on the list comes from arguably the game of the weekend, Arsenal’s 4-2 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime.

With the score at 3-1 Ciaran Clark, Villa’s young midfielder, who had already scored once earlier in the match headed a cross towards goal even in real time it looked pretty clear that the ball had crossed the line.

Nasri was the Arsenal player on the line who after handling the ball, cleared it away, thankfully though Adam Watts had already signalled to Mark Clattenburg that the ball had gone in.

People will say it was a clear and easy decision to make, but Watts had to be sure and the fact he was means that this was a top decision and therefore it makes the top 5.

#5 Martin Atkinson- Tottenham vs. Liverpool

They say lightning doesn’t strike twice but it did for Tottenham. Only a week after Cesc Fabregas gave away a penalty for handball against Tottenham playing for Arsenal, David N’Gog did exactly the same, blocking a Gareth Bale free kick with his arm.

Referee Martin Atkinson was in the perfect position to see it and immediately blew his whistle. There was a little hesitation before he pointed to the spot as the offence occurred right on the edge of the penalty area.

Liverpool players were furious as they thought he handled it outside the area. Replays show that N’Gog was stood in the area but it is unclear whether the ball and N’Gog’s arms were inside or outside the area.

Personally I think Atkinson was right to give the penalty it looks to me as though the ball hits N’Gog’s hand right on the line. The 18 yard line is classed as the penalty area so an offence on this line should be a penalty therefore the decision is correct. That’s my opinion anyway.

Worst of the Week

Now we’ve dealt with the positive we should now look at the negatives with the worst three decisions coming in the same game, given by the same official.

#1 Lee Mason- Everton vs. West Brom

Take your pick from this game as to which was the worst decision because quite frankly there are three or four to choose from that is why I have put three in the top 5.

Lee Mason had a really poor game and I believe the worst decision he made was not sending off Gonzalo Jara of West Brom when he clearly threw a forearm into the face of Leighton Baines.

The incident warranted a straight red card, however Mason didn’t even stop play even though he was in a really good position to see the incident clearly. Everton were clearly riled up about Jara’s actions and they were compounded when Mikel Arteta was correctly sent off for a vicious stamp on the leg of Jara.

Although the tackle deserved red, it could have been prevented had Jara been sent off in the first place.

Everton from this point completely lost their heads and should have been down to nine men shortly after.

#2 Lee Mason- Everton vs. West Brom (Failure to send off Tim Cahill)

Cahill, obviously angry with West Brom’s tactics should have seen red for scraping his studs down the back of an Everton defender’s leg.

I can only imagine Lee didn’t see this incident as if he had he would have sent him off, thankfully the failure to send Cahill off didn’t affect the result in anyway, however the failure to send off Jara clearly did.

#3 Lee Mason- Everton vs. West Brom (Mulumbu’s 2nd Yellow card)

Finally we come to Mason’s last controversial decision of the match which was to show West Brom’s Youssouf Mulumbu a second yellow card for a foul on Steven Pienaar.

Mulumbu was booked after scoring his goal for celebrating scoring by going into the crowd. Although I don’t like this rule, it is a mandatory yellow card offence and he was correctly booked, however I didn’t agree with the second yellow he was given.

Some people will argue it was a bookable offence, but I don’t, I think it’s the kind of tackle that should just be punishable with a free kick.

I think it was harsh to send Mulumbu off having had no previous warning. If I had been dealing with this incident I would have called Mulumbu over and told him that this was his last foul before I would send him off.

I would say the decision would be correct had Mason already warned Mulumbu but since he hadn’t I think it’s incredibly harsh. Perhaps already being booked may have had an impact on the decision and Mason was attempting to even things up but I don’t think the offence deserved a second yellow card.

Right finally I can leave Lee Mason alone and slag off someone else for a change. My final two worst decisions of the week are both offside decisions. Having praised Darren Cann earlier in this article for a difficult but correct offside decision, it is hard to believe that two gentleman refereeing in the same league, failed in their duty to spot when someone is offside and when someone is onside

#4 Dave Bryan- Wolves vs. Sunderland

Dave Bryan is one of the most experienced officials our country has ever seen. He’s been around the block a few times and has been a European and international assistant since 1999.

Having already witnessed his colleague make a fantastic offside decision, Bryan was thrusted into the spot light for Wolves’ second goal.

From a free kick, Kevin Doyle is standing in an offside position when the ball is played. Granted he was onside when he collected the ball, however he was three or four yards offside when the free kick was played in.

Doyle then passed it to Jarvis who crossed the ball in and Wolves got the equaliser. It could be argued that this decision lost Sunderland the game as they were 2-1 up when the incident occurred.

I would expect any linesman in this country to spot that as offside no matter what level he or she is refereeing at and for Dave Bryan, a very experienced top flight official to miss this is totally unacceptable in my view and is why this decision is number four in the worst of the week.

#5 Martin Yerby- West Ham vs. Wigan

With the score already at 3-1, Wigan, having already had a penalty saved by West Ham keeper Robert Green, were denied a chance to get back into the game with an offside flag that should never have gone up.

In the 5th minute of second half stoppage time Steve Gohouri was flagged offside by Yerby when he was clearly two or three yards onside. I was very surprised that someone of Yerby’s experience would make this mistake, but I guess it shows how difficult their job is.

Well there you go that’s my best and worst decisions of the week, be sure to check out my next Meet the Ref article where I preview the weekend’s games and also look out for next week’s Best and Worst

Saturday

Arsenal vs. Fulham (3.00pm)

Referee: Chris Foy

After a fantastic performance from the silver fox in the Carling Cup quarter final between Birmingham and Aston Villa in midweek, Chris Foy is appointed to his first Premier League encounter for two weeks since Stoke’s 3-0 win over West Brom, a match in which Foy awarded two controversial penalties to the away side.

Those penalties were the incorrect decisions I think Foy has made this season and in my opinion he is one of the top performers in this division.  He puts in consistent performances week in week out no matter what division or cup he is officiating in.

Fulham have one of the best disciplinary records in the Premier League over recent seasons.  Arsenal under Arsene Wenger did have a really poor record with 73 red cards being shown under Wenger up until 2008; however they topped the fair play league last season.

With both sides having good disciplinary records, who better to have in charge than the most lenient referee in the league.

Chris Foy has refereed twelve league games this season including eleven in the Premier League and one in the Championship.  In those twelve games, Foy has shown 24 yellow cards and 0 reds.  This averages at only two yellow cards per game.  Of the 12 league games, three of them have passed without any cards being shown at all.

Like I said last week, Arsenal need a referee who is not afraid to play the advantage rule because they are a team that like to have flowing movement and pass the ball around.  I stated last week that the appointment of Mark Clattenburg was a good one as he is one of the best players of the advantage rule; however Chris Foy IS the best.

Foy will only stop play if it is absolutely necessary and this will benefit Arsenal’s type of play.  He doesn’t have any history with either of the two clubs to any extend, except sending Fulham’s mascot Billy the Badger from the field for break dancing in the 2-1 win over Aston Villa in 2008.

He hasn’t refereed Fulham yet this season, with his last Fulham match being their 2-0 defeat at Hull in March.  Foy has refereed Arsenal once previously this season, their 2-1 win at Blackburn.

There were eight yellow cards in the two matches between these two teams last season, however only two shown the three matches previous to last season.  There have been eighteen meetings between the two teams in the Premier League with only one red card shown in that time.

Arsenal do get a lot of penalties at home and Foy has given three in his last two games so I can see one being given here but there will be very few cards shown.

Interestingly after this game, Arsenal’s players are donating a day’s wages to the Club’s Charity of the season.  A very good thing for the club to do.

My Prediction:

Arsenal 3-0 Fulham

Yellow Cards: 1, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 1

Birmingham vs. Tottenham (3.00pm)

Referee: Kevin Friend

With the introductions of Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor to the Select Group, Kevin Friend is no longer the newbie on the block.  He was an experience referee at Football League level, but hasn’t really got going as a Premier League referee, however I have met him a couple of times and on the occasions I have seen him referee live and on TV he always seems to do a decent job.

Friend has however come under a lot of criticism this season from managers including Roberto Martinez and Darren Ferguson for his performances in the Blackburn vs. Wigan and Burnley vs. Preston matches.

He was slammed by Ferguson for sending off Billy Jones for time wasting.  Ferguson was given a three match touchline ban for a tunnel blast with Friend at full time.  Martinez was left fuming with Friend after the Leicestershire official disallowed a Charles N’Zogbia goal for an apparent foul on Morten Gamst Pedersen which Martinez disagreed with saying Friend cost Wigan the match. “I don’t know what was wrong with N’Zogbia’s goal. It’s a game of contact and I didn’t think it was a free-kick.”

This match will be Friend’s sixth Premier League match of the season which is significantly lower than any other official; however Birmingham and Tottenham are both on a good run of form at the moment.  Birmingham beat their local rivals Aston Villa in midweek to reach the semi finals of the League Cup and Tottenham come into this match on the back of victories over Liverpool and North London rivals Arsenal.  So this is a very good appointment for Kevin who’s last Premier League match was West Ham vs. Blackpool three weeks ago.

The two matches last season produced ten yellow cards with the last red card coming in a 3-2 win for Birmingham at White Hart Lane in 2007.

Kevin Friend’s only Premier League red card this season came in a match involving Birmingham, a 2-2 draw at Bolton where Friend sent off Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.  Friend’s last Tottenham game was their 2-0 victory over Portsmouth last season.

Having been a Premier League referee for only one and a half seasons, Friend hasn’t had any controversy with either of these two teams, however he has had his fair share in the other matches he has refereed this season so I wouldn’t be overly surprised if something controversial happens in this game, but I really hope for Friend that it doesn’t

My Prediction:

Birmingham 2-2 Tottenham

Yellow Cards: 4, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Blackburn vs. Wolves (3.00pm)

Referee: Howard Webb

This match sees two teams who like a tackle go head to head in what some would describe a relegation six pointer with Wolves sitting second from bottom, three points from safety and Blackburn currently 13^th, however only four points from the relegation zone.

I said in my article last week that Wolves and Blackburn were dirty teams but in recent weeks they have probed me wrong.  I thought Wolves vs. Sunderland last weekend was going to be one of the dirtiest games of the season, however I was proven wrong.

Wolves have had only six yellow cards in their last five matches.  Blackburn themselves have had two cardless games in their last five Premier League matches so in all honesty, their characteristic of being dirty teams has lifted.

Howard Webb takes charge of this encounter on the back of arguably one of the best refereeing performances in the league all season, last weekend’s match between Fulham and Birmingham.

I don’t think this will be a classic at all, in fact I think there will be very little in the way of quality, however had this game been played maybe two or three months ago I would be predicting double figures in the way of cards, however with both teams improving their discipline I think Howard may aswell leave his cards in the dressing room for this one.

There have only been four previous meetings between these two in the Premier League with only seven yellow cards being shown and no reds.

Webb last refereed Wolves when they really were a dirty team, that was a 2-0 defeat to Wigan where he showed seven yellow cards and two reds in January this year.  Howard last refereed Blackburn in their 1-0 defeat at Stoke in early October.

I’m predicting very little in the way of goals and also very little, if any in the way of cards.

My Prediction:

Blackburn 1-0 Wolves

Yellow Cards: 1, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Chelsea vs. Everton (3.00pm)

Referee: Lee Probert

This match sees two teams who are struggling of late do battle at Stamford Bridge.  Chelsea, sitting second in the league, are on a poor run of form having won only one of their last five league games.  Everton, who are 16^th and only two points above the relegation zone have had a rotten November.  They haven’t won a league game since a 1-0 win over Stoke on the 30^th October, but they have a good recent record against Chelsea in the Premiership.

Everton haven’t lost a league game away at Chelsea since a 3-0 defeat in 2006.  Last season Everton beat Chelsea 2-1 at Goodison Park and drew 3-3 in the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge.

They have already beaten Liverpool and drawn with Manchester United this season and they will be looking to keep up their unbeaten run against Chelsea come 4.50pm on Saturday.

This is one of the stand out matches this weekend and that is why I think the appointment of Lee Probert shows just how much this guy has improved.

I said last week before the Manchester United vs. Blackburn game that Probert’s man management has improved and that showed last weekend when he opted to talk to players rather than yellow card them and I think this is something he will also implement in this match.

Chelsea vs. Everton usually produces exciting encounters, well they did last season.  It isn’t a fixture that produces much drama or controversy.  The only flashpoint I can think of over recent seasons was December 2008 when Chelsea captain John Terry was sent off by Phil Dowd for a bad tackle on Leon Osman.  So in all honesty Probert should have a quiet game, but I expect an exciting game with a few goals.

Having looked back at Lee’s history with the two teams this season I came across something interesting in that Lee Probert refereed Everton’s last victory in the league, their 1-0 win against Stoke.   His only other Chelsea game this season was a 2-0 victory at home to Wolves.

He has never sent off a Chelsea player, but he has sent off an Everton player, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa over a year ago.

I don’t think he’ll have a lot to do in this one, in fact I think he’ll have his first cardless game of the season.

My Prediction:

Chelsea 3-1 Everton

Yellow Cards: 0, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Manchester City vs. Bolton (3.00pm)

Referee: Andre Marriner

Well this should be an intriguing North West derby with 6^th placed Bolton travelling to 4^th placed Manchester City.  Both teams go into this match on the back of draws with Bolton drawing 2-2 with Blackpool last weekend and City drawing 1-1 with Stoke.

Bolton are only three points behind City, who are currently occupying the last Champions League place.  They have become a revitalised team under Owen Coyle and haven’t lost in the league since October.

I criticised Manchester City last week for not gelling together, but in recent performances they have proved me wrong.  They played well in the second half against Stoke last weekend and beat Salzburg in the Europa League in midweek without looking their best.

Both teams produced two fantastic encounters last season with City winning this fixture at the City of Manchester Stadium 2-0 with the reverse fixture at the Reebok producing a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Owen Coyle has change the way Bolton play this season.  They like to pass the ball around now rather than playing the long ball that suited them under Sam Allardyce and Gary Megson.  This was shown with two fantastic goals one from Johan Elmander against Wolves and the other from Mark Davies against Blackpool last week.

They have a similar playing style to that of Manchester City who also like to pass the ball around.  They themselves have scored some very good goals through passing movement, none more so that Yaya Toure’s goal against Fulham.  The fact both teams have a passing mentality means that this match needs a referee who will let the game flow and I believe they have got that in Andre Marriner.

Marriner, behind Chris Foy and Mark Clattenburg is the third best at playing the advantage.  He also likes to talk to players rather than show them needless cards which is why he is a good choice for this game as he will just sit back and let them play.

This fixture saw a red card last season in the match at the Reebok when Craig Bellamy was shown a second yellow card for diving.  Previously to this there hadn’t been a red card since Joey Barton was sent off in 2006.

Marriner has refereed Manchester City twice previously this season and in those two games they haven’t lost.  One was their 1-0 win over Chelsea, the other a 0-0 draw with Tottenham.

He hasn’t refereed Bolton yet this season with his last Bolton game coming in February a 1-0 win over Wolves.

I don’t think he will have any major decisions to make as I think both teams will just get on with the game.

My Prediction:

Man City 2-0 Bolton

Yellow Cards: 2, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Wigan vs. Stoke (3.00pm)

Referee: Mike Jones

Certainly not a glamour tie but this will be a hard fought game between two teams who appear to be going in opposite directions.  Wigan sit in the relegation zone currently, however are only one point from safety.  Stoke on the other hand have catapulted to 8^th in the league after some good results against West Brom and Manchester City.

Wigan are on a downhill spiral at the moment having won only one of their last nine league games whereas Stoke are on the up losing only one game in the last five.

The two matches between them in the league last season were fierce encounters with eleven yellow cards being shown in total and it wouldn’t surprise me if this match sees figures close to double figures.

Mike Jones has been appointed to take charge of this game which is surprising for me as he refereed another potentially fiery affair between Wolves and Sunderland last weekend.  Granted that game didn’t live up to the build up I gave it, but I believe that was because of the players that were missing and not because Mike Jones was lenient.

I said last week that Mike Jones was the most improved referee and I stick by that even if he didn’t have the greatest of games in the League Cup at Ipswich vs. West Brom in midweek but he was good last weekend even if he was let down by some shoddy assisting .

Jones isn’t afraid to show a lot of cards in a game, having shown six in a match between Tottenham and Wolves and seven in a match between Newcastle and Blackburn.  The fact this fixture last season produced so many yellow cards I think shows just how difficult a game this could be.

There isn’t a history of sending offs between them though so if he does show cards I predict they will only be yellow.

Mike hasn’t refereed Wigan yet this season with his last game at the DW Stadium coming in March a 1-0 win over Burnley.  He has officiated Stoke however, their 2-1 win at Newcastle, a match in which Jones awarded a penalty against Tony Pulis’ side.

I think he’ll have a hard job but I think he’ll do a good job as on performance this season he is definitely one of the top three referees in the division.

My Prediction:

Wigan 1-2 Stoke

Yellow cards: 7, Red cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Blackpool vs. Manchester United (5.30pm)

Referee: Peter Walton

Manchester United make their first visit to Blackpool since 1975 and it will be shown in front of the ESPN cameras.  United went top of the league last weekend after a 7-1 demolition of Blackburn.  Blackpool are sitting pretty in 11^th a good five points off the relegation zone, however I can’t see them gaining any points from this match.

United had Dimitar Berbatov to thank for their win last weekend, but the Bulgarian didn’t play in their own demolition, a crushing 4-0 defeat to West Ham at Upton Park in the League Cup Quarter Final.

Blackpool go into this game having lost a 2-0 lead against Bolton to draw 2-2 so confidence in the Ian Holloway dressing room will be low, so who better to play when your confidence is low than the league leaders.

Peter Walton has been appointed to this match and at the age of 51 he is undoubtedly the oldest referee currently in the football league.  Walton was 15 years old the last time these two teams met in what was a 4-0 win for United in the old division two back in April 1975.

This will be Walton’s 10^th Premier League game of the season.  He has shown 29 yellows and one red in those nine previous Premier League matches.  In those matches he has brought a wealth of experience and very little controversy.

I would consider Walton to be a safe pair of hands; you always know what you’re going to get from him a solid unspectacular but controversy less game.

These two teams are fairly well behaved, United especially.  That is shown in the fact that in the last four games in all competitions (two premier league, one League cup and one Champions League) Manchester United have had no yellow cards.

I certainly can’t see any red cards in this game and penalties in matches involving United are usually given at Old Trafford so doubt there will be one here.  I can see a routine United win here with little in the way of cards, I’m predicting only two yellows over the 90 minutes and with United’s recent run of having no bookings against them I can see both cards being given to Blackpool.

My Prediction:

Blackpool 0-4 Man United

Yellow cards: 2 Red cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Sunday

West Brom vs. Newcastle (1.30pm)

Referee: Mike Dean

Two of last season’s Championship promotion sides go head to head at the Hawthorns in front of the SKY cameras and in fact is available to watch in stunning 3D.

When the season started I honestly thought the three promoted teams would go straight back down, but now, nearly half way through the season, I’m not sure any of them will drop back into the Championship.

Newcastle currently sit in 9^th place, six points from European football, but five points from the relegation zone.  West Brom are 12^th on the same points as Newcastle, only lower than them on goal difference.

Both teams appear to have adapted well to life in the Premiership.  Both have altered their playing styles into a more passing game.  They have both recorded some outstanding results with victories over Arsenal.

Mike Dean will take charge of what I believe will be an exciting game, but I think it will be a difficult one.  Newcastle have had three red cards in matches involving them this season with only one being given in their direction.

West Brom have seen seven red cards given in their matches this season with five of them being awarded to their own players, including two to Yousouff Mulumbu who will be banned for this game.

I can definitely see a red card here today especially with Mike in charge as he showed a red card in  his last Newcastle match, their 1-0 win over Arsenal where he sent off Laurent Koscielny, however there has only been one red card in the eight previous Premier League matches between them.

This will be the third time Dean has refereed this fixture, taking charge of the Championship encounter last season when they drew 1-1 and the Premier League match at St James’ Park in the 2008/09 season when Newcastle won 2-1.

Mike refereed in Croatia in midweek taking charge of the Europa League tie between Hajduk Split and AEK Athens.  He gave seven yellow cards in this game and he has also given 11 yellow cards in his last two Premiership games which is an average of 5.5 per game.

Because of this I think there will be a few cards in this one, including a red.  I also think there will be a penalty in this match, especially because Dean awarded two in his last West Brom match, the 2-2 draw with West Ham.

If you are watching this game in2D, HD or even 3D I think you will be in store for a treat.

My Prediction:

West Brom 2-2 Newcastle

Yellow cards: 6 Red cards:  1 Penalties: 1

Sunderland vs. West Ham (4.00pm)

Referee: Martin Atkinson

This will certainly not be one of the best games of the weekend as struggling West Ham travel to Sunderland somewhere they haven’t lost since 2007.

West Ham come into this match on the back of two very important victories.  One a 3-1 win over relegation rivals Wigan in the Premiership last Saturday, while the other an impressive 4-0 win over Manchester United in the Carling Cup, a win that sees them reach the semi finals where they will face Birmingham.

Sunderland have lost only one of their last five league games, that was last weekend when they lost 3-2 to Wolves.  They’ve drawn with Everton and Tottenham and beaten Chelsea and Stoke and this run of results sees them sitting in 7^th, their highest League position this season.

West Ham are still bottom of the table, but having beaten Wigan last week, they are now only three points from safety.  That win last week was their first in eight league matches.

This won’t be a classic encounter as it has a history of being quite feisty especially last season when this fixture saw Andre Marriner show six yellow cards and two reds in a 2-2 draw.

Martin Atkinson takes charge of this match and this is a good appointment if this match is going to be feisty as he is undoubtedly the strictest official in the Premiership.

Martin is England’s number two currently but has had his fair share of controversy this season, none more so than when refereeing Sunderland against Stoke in October when he failed to send off Lee Cattermole and award a penalty for Stoke when Cattermole handled the ball on the line not once but twice.

In that game he showed a red card to Ryan Shawcross, that was one of seven red cards he has given this season which is more than any other Premier League official.

Atkinson has refereed West Ham once previously this season, which was their 1-0 win over Tottenham earlier this season, in fact before last weekend, that was their only win this season.

Atkinson has refereed this fixture once previously a 1-1 draw in 2005 where he gave 6 yellow cards.

It is a game that has a tendency to be feisty, however they have already met this season in a league cup tie that West Ham won 2-1 at the Stadium of Light and on that night Howard Webb didn’t show any cards at all, however the league is a completely different story and I think Martin will have his hands full in this encounter.

I think there will be a handful of cards and I really can see a sending off here, but I wouldn’t like to predict which team it will go to.

These two have 26 wins each against each other and West Ham haven’t lost at the Stadium of Light since 2007 but I think they will lose this one.

My Prediction:

Sunderland 2-1 West Ham

Yellow cards: 5 Red cards: 1, Penalties: 0

Monday

Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (8.00pm)

Referee: Phil Dowd

Well the game of the weekend, by far takes place on Monday night on Sky when Liverpool travel to Aston Villa, a ground that Liverpool won at last season.

Villa go into this game having been beaten by their local rivals Birmingham in the Carling Cup in midweek, and also having not won in the league for the last three matches.

Liverpool, on the other hand are an improved side over recent weeks and they have reached the knockout stages of the Europa League after a 1-1 draw with Steaua Bucharest, however after a run of good results in October, Liverpool have won only once in their last four league matches.

Aston Villa have a poor record against Liverpool winning only 52 of 170 league encounters, however they did win 3-1 at Anfield last season.

Last weekend against Tottenham, Liverpool showed a complete lack of discipline having five players cautioned, Villa on the other hand have had only two yellow cards in their last two games both given to Ciaran Clark.

Liverpool sit in 10^th at the moment with Villa sitting 15^th with only two points separating them.  Both teams should be doing better than they currently are so they will be looking to impress when they face off against each other on Monday night.

Phil Dowd will take charge of this match, surprisingly for the first time.  He has refereed thirteen Premier League matches so far which is more than any other official.

Phil is our most consistent official so far this season with a number of strong performances under his belt including Arsenal vs. Tottenham, Newcastle vs. Sunderland and Manchester City vs. Liverpool.

As I said last week he is the best man manager in the league which means he prefers talking to players, building up a rapport with them.

He hasn’t refereed a Villa game since last season’s Carling Cup Final when he should have sent off Nemanja Vidic however he did award Villa a penalty on that day at Wembley.

He refereed Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Blackburn earlier in the season and also Liverpool’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, their heaviest defeat of the season.

I think this will be an easy game to referee as both teams will just want to get on with it rather than committing fouls.  I can only see 1 or 2 cards being shown in this game, and there isn’t a history of penalties.

As for the result, I think it will be 0-0, but possibly the most exciting 0-0 you will see this season.

My Prediction

Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool

Yellow cards: 2 Red cards: 0 Penalties: 0

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Aston Villa vs. Arsenal (7.45pm ET/12:45pm GMT)

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

The early kick off sees Arsenal travel to Villa Park a ground the Gunners haven’t won at since 2007.  Gerard Houllier’s men lost 2-0 to Blackburn this weekend but have drawn the last two home games against Arsenal in the league.

Mark Clattenburg takes charge of this fixture for only the second having overseen the 1-1 draw between the two sides at The Emirates in March 2008.  Clattenburg from Tyne and Wear has had a good season thus far refereeing eleven Premier League matches including some high quality games like Tottenham against Villa and Manchester City vs. Arsenal but he, like many other referees has had his fair share of controversy and criticism none more so than Manchester United’s second goal against Tottenham when he allowed Nani’s goal to stand despite the Portuguese winger handling the ball.

Clattenburg in my opinion is one of the best players of the advantage rule and isn’t afraid to allow play to go on and come back and book players but he, along with Phil Dowd is a very good man manager because he likes to talk to players rather than showing needless yellow cards.

This is why I believe this is a fantastic appointment from Mike Riley because these two teams like to play football so as long as Clatts lets the game flow like he usually does then this has the potential to be a really entertaining game.

Clattenburg has taken charge of one previous Arsenal game and one previous Villa game this season.  He refereed Villa’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham in early October, a match in which he booked three Villa players.  The Arsenal game he refereed was their 3-0 win at Manchester City where he correctly sent of Dedryck Boyata after only five minutes, and gave a penalty for a foul by Vincent Kompany.

That red card for Boyata was one of two shown by Clattenburg this season, the other was to Birmingham’s Craig Gardener against Wigan, but with no red card in a Villa vs. Arsenal match since Gilles Grimandi was sent off in 2001 so I think this one should go without any major blips for Mark

My Prediction:

Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal

Yellow Cards: 2, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Bolton Wanderers vs. Blackpool (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: Mike Dean

This is the first meeting between these two sides since 1992 so there is very little to go on when it comes to recent history between them.  Blackpool under Ian Holloway have shown a good attitude to Premier League football by trying to play attacking football especially when playing at home however I think they will really start to struggle as the season progresses.

The Tangerines had a good result last weekend beating fellow relegation rivals Wolves and they go into this match with in form Bolton having lost only once in their last five matches.

Bolton under Owen Coyle have become revitalised and are now starting to look like a similar team to the one under Sam Allardyce with the likes of Elmander and Lee finally looking like good acquisitions.

This match I think will be a typical North West derby similar to the one between Bolton and Blackburn.  Both teams will get stuck in and I think some tough tackling will come into play in this one, so who better to have in charge than the card shark himself.

Mike Dean does give out a lot of yellow cards, most of which are usually correct.  Dean has possibly the best foul detection of all the Premier League referees and although he is one of the strictest, he does allow challenges that are 50-50 go unpunished.  Mike likes to stamp his authority on the game early by showing yellow cards in the opening twenty minutes and this seems to work for him as he has only shown one red card in his eleven Premier League games this season.

Dean has only had one controversial incident I can think of this season and that was Tottenham’s winning goal against Fulham when he overruled his assistant’s flag for offside,

He has taken charge of one Bolton game and one Blackpool game previously this season.  Bolton’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa and Blackpool’s 2-1 defeat to Blackburn both of which passed with no major decisions for Mike to make.

Last season Dean was criticised for the number of penalties he awarded and also the flamboyant and overzealous way he pointed to the spot and having awarded spot kicks in each of his last two games I can see at least one being given in this encounter.

My Prediction:

Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Blackpool

Yellow Cards: 5, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 1

Everton vs. West Bromwich Albion (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: Lee Mason

Roberto Di Matteo was a legend as a player and now his first real management job; he is starting to become a top quality manager.  Since taking the reins at West Brom he has guided them to promotion from the Championship and now the club tipped for relegation before the season began have shown that the club have enough ability to stay in the top division.

Everton have been on a good run of form lately having lost only once in their last nine league games a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.  With players like Steven Pienaar, Mikel Arteta and Tim Cahill in the squad Everton do like to pass the ball around rather than playing the long ball like other teams in the division.

West Brom play a similar style to Everton and have brought their passing qualities they had in the Championship last season and have adapted it to suit them in a higher division.

Both sides like to pass the ball around and like to play flowing football so the appointment of Lee Mason for this game, in my opinion, is not a good one.  Lee likes to stamp his authority on a game which can be a good thing, but he does blow his whistle a lot rather than let play flow.  He doesn’t play a lot of advantages; however one thing I will say is that he doesn’t show silly yellow cards early on in matches.  He will let players off with warnings early on which prevent players from worrying about tackling and getting themselves sent off.

Mason spent three weeks out injured after pulling a hamstring in the Carling Cup tie between Manchester United and Wolves and only made his Premier League comeback last weekend in Manchester City’s 4-1 win over Fulham.

Lee is very good at keeping up with play, and having spent a few weeks on the injury table has come back looking trimmer and fitter than ever.  This will be his first Albion game since refereeing their FA Cup 5^th round reply against Reading back in February.

He has already refereed Everton this season, their 1-1 draw with Wolves in August where he only showed one yellow card that was to Johnny Heitinga.

Mason has shown three red cards this season, only one of which was in the Premier League and because these two teams aren’t particularly dirty teams I would expect this game to pass with very few cards.

West Brom haven’t won a league game at Everton since 1979.  The Toffees have won two of the last three meetings but I can definitely see The Baggies getting something out of this match.

My Prediction:

Everton 1-1 West Brom

Yellow Cards: 2, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Fulham vs. Birmingham City (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: Howard Webb

Well Fulham manager Mark Hughes has complained a lot about refereeing decisions against his team this season and to be honest some of them I agree with but since the Tottenham game with the controversial offside goal I can’t really think of too many decisions that Hughes could complain about.

Birmingham go into this match on the back of a fantastic result against League leaders Chelsea last weekend, but the Blues haven’t won away from home yet this season.  Alex McLeish’s side have had very good discipline thus far this season with only two yellow cards in the last four league games and one red card (Craig Gardener against Wigan)

Howard Webb is without doubt the best referee in the world at the moment.  That is proven through the appointments he has had in the last year, Champions League final, World Cup final and a number of top clashes in the Premier League including Manchester United vs. Liverpool and Chelsea vs. Arsenal.

Being such a top quality referee in England and Europe, Webb has to apply two different types of refereeing.  One for when officiating in England and one for in the Champions League.  It is obvious that European football is a lot stricter than it is in England with challenges being penalised in the Champions League that would go unpunished in the Premiership.  This means that his card count in Europe will be much higher than in England and that is the case with yellow cards in his two Champions League games.

The Premiership however is a different story.  Although he is yet to have a card less game this season his average of yellow cards is very low with usually only 1-2 cards being shown per game.  Bolton vs. Newcastle last weekend being the only exception as Howard showed five yellow cards and one red, his first red this season.

This is another good appointment from Mike Riley.  Mark Hughes as expressed his concern at the standard of refereeing at Craven Cottage so who better to put in charge of their next home game than England’s number one.

He refereed Fulham’s 0-0 draw with Everton earlier in the season and is yet to referee a Birmingham game.  I think this one will be an easy game to officiate as I don’t think much will happen to be honest I think it’s got 0-0 written all over it.

My Prediction:

Fulham 0-0 Birmingham

Yellow Cards: 0, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 0

Manchester United vs. Blackburn Rovers (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: Lee Probert

This match sees two great managers and good friends go up against each other as Sam Allardyce takes his Blackburn Rovers side to Old Trafford to face Sir Alex Ferguson’s topsy turvy Manchester United.

United have not had the best of starts to the season dropping silly points against teams like Fulham, Bolton, West Brom and Sunderland however they haven’t lost at home yet this season.

Blackburn have lost to the big teams in the league but unlike previous seasons, haven’t been totally outplayed losing by only one goal against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and in all three of those occasions they got themselves on the score sheet which is something I think they will do in this match aswell.

They go into the match having beaten and totally outplayed Aston Villa last weekend but they haven’t beaten Manchester United since they did the double over them in the 2005/2006 season.

Blackburn in the past have been accused of being s dirty team but they appear to have put that accusation to bed now with good discipline in the past two seasons.  They have had only one red card this season which was shown by the same referee who will take charge of this match.

Lee Probert has been assigned this match, only his second ever match at Old Trafford.  Lee, along with Mike Jones is one of the most improved referees this season.  Last year I didn’t rate him highly at all, but this season he has really started to impress me.

His man management has improved 100% he now has a rapport with the players which is something he didn’t seem to have a couple of seasons ago.  His decision making has also vastly improved.  In the past he would give really baffling decisions and fouls that were nonexistent but his foul detection now is the best in the league.  He reminds me a bit of Rob Styles in that I think along with Phil Dowd he is the best at recognising serious foul play; however this isn’t something I think he’ll need to worry about in this match.

Blackburn vs. Manchester United has produced only one red card in the last eight meetings so I think a sending off is unlikely, however I have a feeling there will be a penalty in this one.  If there is it’ll go to United because the away side hardly ever get penalties at Old Trafford.

As I said earlier Rovers have lost by only one goal against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool but I think the difference between the two this weekend will be greater than one goal.

My Prediction:

Man United 3-1 Blackburn

Yellow Cards:  3, Red Cards: 0, Penalties: 1

Stoke City vs. Manchester City (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: Peter Walton

Well what do you say about Manchester City?  Are they title challengers? I have to say no not at the moment.  Yes they’ve got the players to win a trophy but at the moment they don’t seem to be gelling and I think that is because there is too much competition for places.

Roberto Mancini has at least two quality players in every position to choose from and because of this different players are playing with different partners in defence, midfield and up front.

City had a good result at Craven Cottage last weekend but before then had two defeats and two 0-0 draws in their five previous matches, a run of form that has seen them drop rapidly off the pace at the top of the table.

Stoke on the other hand started the season poorly but have turned their fortunes around in recent weeks.  Tony Pulis had spent the majority of the season moaning about injustices from referees, but since Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole avoided punishment for handling the ball on the line earlier this month, the Potters have gone on a run of three wins out of three.

Stoke were one of three teams singled out by Fulham captain Danny Murphy as being dirty and some would say this is true with strong, hard tackling being present in the majority of Stoke games this season.

City on the other hand are one of the best passing teams in the division.  That was shown in Yaya Toure’s goal last weekend that saw City complete over 20 passes before the ball ended up in the net.  But City might struggle to put passes together this weekend as Stoke will get in their faces and stop them from playing the flowing football they usually do and because of this all eyes will be on the man in the middle.

Peter ‘Granddad’ Walton takes charge of this one and the reason I call him granddad is because the guy is 51 years old and for that should totally be respected.  He is still a Premier League official on merit rather than the FA trying to prove they are not ageist.

I still rate him highly although I will agree he hasn’t quite been at his best yet this season.  Peter knows the rules inside out but I don’t think he understands the game like some of the younger guys.  This isn’t a fault of his, it’s just that the game has changed alot since he has been refereeing where as the younger guys the game has been very similar and hasn’t changed a lot.

I believe a younger official would have been a better choice for this game as it has the tendenancy to be quite spicy with two red cards in the last three league meetings.

Walton has refereed Stoke already this season, their 2-1 defeat to Bolton but he hasn’t refereed City since March.  Some of you might also remember that Peter Walton was the referee when Ryan Shawcross broke Aaron Ramsey’s leg.

This will be a tough game for him to take control and I think there will be lots of cards, mostly will be shown in Stoke’s direction.  Stoke are really good at home and with City being hit and miss I can see The Potter’s edging this one.

My Prediction:

Stoke 1-0 Man City

Yellow cards: 6, Red cards: 1, Penalties: 0

West Ham United vs. Wigan Athletic (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: ?

Well for some reason the PGMOL haven’t announced who will be refereeing this game, however having looked at the appointments for all the leagues I believe the only person who will referee this game is Mark Halsey.

This is because he is 4th official at Tottenham on Sunday and it would be extremely unlikely to send Halsey, who lives in Bolton, all the way down to London just to be 4th official. However if he is refereeing at Upton Park on Saturday then he could easily just stay over and do the boards at White Hart Lane.

If Halsey is in charge of this game, it’ll be his first match at Upton Park since March 2009 having spent the majority of last season on the sidelines after being diagnosed with cancer.

This match has a history of being feisty with two red cards shown in one game two seasons ago.  Stuart Attwell was in charge that day and I was in the crowd as an honorary West Ham fan I believe that if on that night a more experienced official had been in charge then the number of cards would have been dramatically reduced.

So if Halsey is in charge of this one then it is a good thing because of the refereeing experience he has under his belt.

Mark hasn’t refereed West Ham since 2009 which I said earlier but he has officiated Wigan this season.  He took charge of their 4-0 home defeat to Blackpool on the opening day of the season.

I think this one will be a classic relegation six pointer, very scrappy and tackles flying in but I think the number of cards will be low only because Halsey is in charge and his man management expertise will prevent him from needing to show a lot of yellows.

My Prediction:

West Ham 1-1 Wigan

Yellow cards: 4 Red cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Wolves vs. Sunderland (10am ET/3pm GMT)

Referee: Mike Jones

This should be an interesting encounter as Mick McCarthy takes on his former employers.  Wolves have had a shaky start to the season and find themselves languishing in the relegation zone.  Sunderland however have become a revitalised team since their derby day demolition at the hands of Newcastle with impressive results against Chelsea and Everton.

Wolves, along with Stoke and Blackburn have been accused of being dirty.  Their behaviour against Joey Barton I thought was disgusting how they targeted him because of his fiery temper to try and get him sent off.  Karl Henry especially is the worst culprit after breaking Bobby Zamora’s leg when Wolves played Fulham and his horrendous tackle on Wigan’s Jordi Gomez that saw Henry deservedly sent off.  It’s a real shame however for the neutral that Henry is out now for up to four months because him against Lee Cattermole would have been an interesting battle.

Sunderland last season had more red cards than anyone else which isn’t a surprise with players like Phil Bardsley and Lee Cattermole in the team.  In my opinion both are just as equally as dirt as Karl Henry and that is proven with Cattermole having already been sent off twice in the opening 14 games.

With both sides being extremely hard tacklers and teams who commit a lot of fouls this match needs a tough referee who isn’t afraid to dish out the cards.  Mike Jones has gotten the appointment which I think could only have been bettered if Martin Atkinson was in charge this is because Atkinson has been the strictest referee this season.

Mike has been the most improved referee since he joined the Premier League list three seasons ago.  He has had some good appointments so far this season including Villa vs. Everton and Arsenal vs. West Ham.  He has shown only red card this season that was to Ian Evatt of Blackpool against Arsenal.  I think his red card tally will at least double this weekend if not treble.

Last season saw the only two previous meetings between these two teams in the Premier League take place.  Both were refereed by Lee Mason.  One had two red cards; the other had two penalties so I think that this one will have a few controversial moments.  I just hope Mike handles the game well like he has all season.

My Prediction:

Wolves 1-1 Sunderland

Yellow cards:  8 Red cards: 2 Penalties: 1

Sunday

Newcastle United vs. Chelsea (8:30am ET/1.30pm GMT)

Referee: Andre Marriner

Super Sunday sees the league leaders travel to Newcastle to face a team that have already beaten them this season.  The Magpies beat Chelsea 4-3 in an exciting Carling Cup tie earlier this month but haven’t beaten Chelsea in the last six attempts in the league.

Carlo Ancelotti has been in the news this week having expressed his desire to leave Chelsea at the end of the season; however the Italian has denied the claims.  Chelsea have been on a poor run of form recently winning only one of their last four league games.  A run that has seen them lose their eight point advantage over closest title rivals Manchester United with both teams currently on 28 points.

Newcastle finally seem to have found the right man for the manager’s job in Chris Hughton having guided The Magpies from the Championship into a good strong Premier League side, but like Chelsea, they have only won one of their last four league games.

As I previously said they have already beaten Chelsea this season and have also defeated Arsenal and fierce local rivals Sunderland this season.  Chelsea like to play football and don’t like it when teams get in their face and rough them up.  This is precisely what Newcastle must do if they are to get anything out of the game.  They need to take a leaf out of Sunderland’s book who beat the Blues 3-0 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.  On that day the Black Cat’s midfield got in the faces of the likes of Malouda and Drogba which prevented them from playing.

The match needs a referee who understands that the game is going to be physical.  He shouldn’t look to book early as this will potentially ruin the game for the spectators and the people watching on SKY at home.  Andre Marriner has proved already this season that he would rather talk to players than show them cards as is obvious with him allowing Gary Neville to stay on the pitch against Stoke.  The United captain already on a yellow, committed a bookable offence but Marriner opted to talk to him rather than send him off which proved to be effective as he didn’t commit another foul before being substituted.

Andre has refereed Chelsea previously this season, their 1-0 defeat at Manchester City and has refereed Newcastle twice, once in the league (1-0 win against Everton) and their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in the League Cup.

Marriner has a very shown an average of three yellow cards per game and I think he will have to put his hand in his pocket during this one, however I don’t think he’ll show as many cards as other referees would which is why he is a good appointment to this game.

My Prediction:

Newcastle 0-2 Chelsea

Yellow cards: 3 Red cards: 0 Penalties: 0

Tottenham vs. Liverpool (11am ET/4.00pm GMT)

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Well like Villa vs. Arsenal, this is one of the games of the weekend.  Two big teams fighting for top four aspirations go head to head in the Super Sunday tea time game at White Hart Lane.  Tottenham are currently sitting 6^th on 22 points, only three behind Manchester City who are 4^th.

Liverpool started poorly when Roy Hodgson took over in the summer, but are slowly starting to improve and that shows with only one defeat since their Merseyside derby loss to Everton in mid October.  Their current run of form has seen them catapult from out of the relegation zone and into 9^th only three points behind their opponents Tottenham.

Matches between these two usually produce good quality football and lots of goal with only one goal less draw in the last thirteen matches between them.

The two encounters last season saw either side win one match each.  Tottenham won 2-1 at White Hart Lane and Liverpool won 2-0 at Anfield.  In both of those games Liverpool were awarded a penalty and in total there were 11 yellow cards.

This match has the potential to be a classic especially if Gareth Bale and Rafael Van Der Vaart are both fit and Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are available for Liverpool.

With such a high standard of playing ability on show means that the match needs to have someone in charge who will protect the welfare of those outstanding players and Martin Atkinson is the right man to do this.

Atkinson in my opinion is probably the strictest referee in the Premier League which means he is not afraid to caution players if it is necessary.  Some will say he favours the bigger teams especially after sending off two Wigan players against Manchester United last weekend but this is not the case.

He treats all teams equally no matter who they are and who they are playing.  Atkinson has shown seven red cards in total so far this season which is significantly more than any of the other officials.  Six of those seven red cards were shown in matches involving the top four.

One was to a Liverpool player, Joe Cole against Arsenal on the opening weekend of the season.  Since then he has refereed Liverpool one other time, their 1-0 win over Bolton at the Reebok.  He has refereed Tottenham only once so far this season, their 1-0 defeat to London rivals West Ham.

With penalties being awarded in both matches between these two last season, and Spurs being given a large number of spot kicks so far this campaign, I can definitely see one being given in this match, however with the quality on show I don’t think there will be a huge amount of cards shown.

Tottenham go into this one on the back of a famous win over local rivals Arsenal last weekend and because of this I can’t see anything other than a home win.

My Prediction:

Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool

Yellow cards: 2 Red cards: 0, Penalties: 1

Millwall currently sit in the 9th spot in the table on 19 points and behind Reading on goal difference.  Despite having just two league wins since August, Millwall is in the thick of the race for a playoff spot.  Welshman Steve Morrison leads the club in scoring with five goals, but the defense has leaked 13 goals this season.

Nottingham Forest has taken full points from their last two matches, both at home to also sit at 19 points and a +3 goal difference.  They have scored fewer goals than Millwall and generally have drawn too many matches to sit any higher in the table.

Sean O'Driscoll - Doncaster Manager

The fourth and final club on 19 points is Doncaster Rovers with a goal difference of +1.  They have scored more goals than the other three teams on 19 points, but have also given up considerably more goals.  With only five points from a possible 21, the club will be looking to strengthen the back four if they have serious intentions of fighting for a playoff spot.

The first of three clubs with 18 and sitting in the 12th spot is Derby County.  The Rams have taken 13 of the last available 18 points to move up a few spots in the table.  Their goal difference is considerably better than the clubs around them in the table as well.

Sitting in 13th, also with 18 points and a goal difference of +1 is Portsmouth.  Yes, they still exist, which is the best news you could write about a club that has been to hell and back over the last few years.  They are out of administration, have taken 16 of the last 18 points, and can actually field a full bench for the first time this season after a few key signings, including a healthy Hermann Hreidarsson.  Steve Cotterill has the team playing well despite the difficulties off the field as well as a terrible pre-season and start to the season.

Ipswich Town is the third club on 18 points and even on goal difference to sit 14th in the table.  Only one win in their last five matches has seen Ipswich Town drop a few spots in the table.

Coming off of back to back wins away from home, Scunthorpe United sit on 17 points with a goal difference of even.  This has seen the club up a few spots to 15th in the table.

First up?  Queens Park Rangers.  Neil Warnock has led QPR to the top of the table with 29 points and a goal difference of 21.  Last weekend’s come-from-behind draw at Bristol City showed great spirit and the club has to be considered a favorite for promotion.

Even with QPR on points but behind in goal difference is Cardiff City.  The high flying Welsh team is looking to roar into the Premier League next season led by recent loan signee and hometown product Craig Bellamy.  Manager Dave Jones has his team looking strong after an impressive 4-0 win away to Leeds United.

Sitting third in the table is the other Welsh side playing in the league, Swansea City.  With 23 points, but only a +5 goal difference, Swansea City has been inconsistent so far.  They have put consecutive league wins together only once this season.

Also sitting in the playoff position at fourth is last year’s League One Champions Norwich City.  Having spent only one year outside of the top two flights of English football in the last 50 years, Norwich City made wholesale changes to club management which saw them bounce right back and have them right in the mix for promotion to the Premier League.  They are even with Swansea City on points with 23 and only one behind in goal difference.

At fifth is Watford on 21 points and +7 goal difference.  A club with pedigree going back almost 130 years, and even playing in the UEFA Cup in 1983, Watford has struggled to stay at the highest level, having been promoted to the Premier League and bounced right back the following season twice in the last ten years. Watford’s fine run of form came to an end at home in a 2-0 loss to Scunthorpe United.  Watford will look to get back on track away to Derby County this weekend.

Coventry City is currently holding the final promotion playoff spot even with Watford on points but with only a  +4 goal difference.   A 3-0 defeat of visitors Barnsley this past Saturday saw Coventry City climb into the sixth spot, although it took the entire 90 minutes to put away a struggling Barnsley side.

Burnley is just one point off of a playoff spot, relinquishing that spot due to a 4-0 defeat at home to Reading.  With a trip this weekend to top of the table QPR, Burnley must be looking for at least a point, as there are several teams right behind them in the table.

The team immediately behind them in the table, and our final club for this first article is Reading.  They are the first of four clubs with 19 points and lead that pack due to their +7 goal difference.  The aforementioned 4-0 win on the road at Burnley propelled them to shouting distance of a playoff spot.  Hosting Doncaster this weekend, another of the clubs on 19 points, could help clear up the logjam a little.

Your comments are welcome and encouraged.  I read about these clubs, watch highlights when I can, and occasionally get to see the actual matches, but your opinions count at least as much as mine.  What do you think about these eight clubs?

After three matches, jumping to conclusions about how the season will play out seems a bit hasty. We can’t possibly know after three short weeks what’s going to happen in the next eight months, right? Wrong. Here are five conclusions I’m ready to jump to:

• This is the last season you’ll see Fernando Torres in a Liverpool shirt

The season surely hasn’t been the start Roy Hodgson dreamt of. It’s tough to say what has been the most excruciating part of Hodgson’s first three weeks in charge. It could be Joe Cole’s less than stellar red-card and botched penalty debut week. Or perhaps it was the way Pepe Reina let those two points bang off his hands and into the Reds goal at Anfield? The 3-0 pounding at Eastlands? No, it surely has to be Javier Mascherano’s insistence on getting out, and getting out now. I think Masch could read the writing on the wall, and although he may not have handled the situation gracefully (according to Hodgson), I can’t blame him for wanting to bail on this sinking ship.

Torres took the opposite tack in the late summer, pledging his loyalty to the club and vowing to win trophies. I respect that loyalty, but I don’t expect Fernando to be singing the same tune come January, when Liverpool sits in the middle of the table with virtually no shot at the Champions League. They’ve left too many holes in the squad for too long, starting last year with the exit of Xabi Alonso and now with the departure of Mascherano. There are some new faces around to try to fill in some of the gaps, but I don’t think these pieces have what it takes to get Liverpool in title contention and keep their star striker happy. If he’s fit in January – that’s a capital IF – I expect Torres to start making some transfer noise and begin his campaign to move on from Liverpool, regardless of the ownership situation.

With more money spent on their bench than most squad’s starting eleven, I think the Citizens have finally amassed the talent necessary to get to that next level and claim one of the EPL’s Champions League spots. Yes, I saw the mess at Sunderland and the virtual theft of a point at Spurs courtesy of a Joe Hart clinic in big time goal keeping. I also saw them dismantle Liverpool, and what impressed me was not that they beat them but how, that was never a contest. I just think this squad has too many quality pieces to miss out on the top four.

For me, the biggest addition has to be James Milner. His creativity, motor and scoring ability bring to the team a bit of anti-Robinho-ness (a new term, I hope you like it) and a touch of grittiness that they lacked before. Hart’s goalkeeping has been spectacular, one goal allowed in three games, and a penalty at that. He’s the real deal. Perhaps the biggest transfer win for City is that they did not have to work out a deal for the exit of Shay Given. Keeping him on their bench means that Arsenal doesn’t have him, which means they’re stuck with the unfortunate duo of Manuel Almunia and Lukasz Fabianski. Which leads me to my next thought…..

• Arsenal’s neglect of acquiring a solid keeper takes them out of title contention

Chelsea and Man United seem to be the consensus no. 1 and 2 teams, but Arsenal’s net minding situation should be very unsettling for the Gunners. The race for the third and fourth will come down to Arsenal, Tottenham and Man City. I think City is better than Arsenal, and I expect them to prove that as the season progresses. Tottenham swooping for Rafael Van der Vaart gives them a boost, and Gareth Bale is emerging as a true force in the Premier League.

There are a few too many big question marks around Arsenal right now. The biggest one is at the back, in goal. The one place you can’t afford to be weak is where Arsenal is the weakest. I’m a bit surprised there was no move for Given, Mark Schwarzer, or anyone for that matter.

Another question is Cesc Fabregas. Is his Barcelona dream really just going to be put on the backburner, or is he going to yearn for the Camp Nou and start making some noise come January? Lastly, the fitness of Arsenal is a cause for concern. Robin Van Persie is out again, and Nicklas Bendtner apparently shelved for an extended period of time, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on The Walcott to continue his scoring streak. With all these questions, I expect Arsenal to be in a dogfight all season, but instead of fighting for the top spot, they’ll be fighting to stay in the top four.

• Recently promoted Blackpool and Newcastle will stick around another year

Both Newcastle and Blackpool come out of the first three weeks with four points to their name. While it may not be a total shocker for Newcastle, I don’t think too many people thought Blackpool would be off to this kind of start. A thrashing of Wigan, and a hard fought draw against Fulham have me believing that this Orange shirted squad is not going to just give up points week after week. The 6-0 loss to Arsenal surprises nobody, but I give them a bit of extra slack since they had 10 men for 60 minutes.

Newcastle looks a bit more impressive. Andy Carroll’s goal scoring form seems to prove that he can handle the big stage, and Newcastle is playing like they are more likely to be hanging around the middle of the table than fighting to avoid relegation. Both of these squads will likely drop some points to the big boys, but I don’t expect them to be in the relegation zone come May.

• Chelsea is going to break their goal scoring record and repeat as EPL Champs

It took until late September last year for Chelsea to hit the 14 goal mark. They have 14 through three games, and with the relative ease of their upcoming schedule, I think they’ll have poured in at least 20 goals by the time they roll into Manchester City for their first real test of the year.

Ashley Cole is up to his usual tricks, spending most of his time making runs and creating scoring chances, while Florent Malouda has been one of the most impressive players in the young season. Chelsea’s left side is going to continue to give everyone fits, and they’re just going to keep lighting up goalies Michael Essien’s box-to-box mad man style is back and helping make a questionable central defense look a bit stronger. And then there’s Didier Drogba, who seems just as happy creating an abundance of opportunities for everyone else as scoring himself.

Chelsea just has more of the look of a champion than Manchester United, they have not looked even a bit shaky thus far, and you can’t say the same for United. A 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage was disappointing, but Berbatov looks like he’s (finally) ready to live up to his expectations. With Rooney having not even reached his peak goal scoring form and Rio Ferdinand nearly back to fitness, I expect it to be a two horse race for the title. Right now, Chelsea looks poised to win that race, and I think they’ll crack 115 goals easily.

So what do you think? Am I jumping the gun on these?

Recently relegated Portsmouth’s troubles are not over.  Far from it.  They may have just begun.  As someone who has followed the whole sordid affair since the first signs of trouble in the summer of 2008, I can tell you it’s difficult to type that sentence.  The fire sale that began with Sulley Muntari in July of 2008 has not stopped.

The starting eleven from the 2009-10 season opener versus Fulham consisted of the following:  James, Distin, Kaboul, Belhadj, Kranjcar, Mullins, Wilson, Diop, Mokoena, Utaka, and Piquionne.  Kanu and Nugent came on as subs.  Of those players the following are gone:  James, Distin, Kaboul, Belhadj, Kranjcar, Diop, and Piquionne.  Mullins and Wilson say they would be happy to stay, but with other clubs rumored to want them, and Pompey in need of cash, they probably won’t be around much longer.  Mokoena has said he wants out, but is not exactly in high demand.  Utaka could stay, but is expensive.  Kanu and Nugent both traveled with the club for their North American tour.  Nugent would like to stay, and probably will.  Kanu, however, is out of contract, is asking for too much money, and the best guess of his age is late 30s.  The starting eleven for the FA Cup final was very different than the start of the season.  The only men to feature in both starting lineups were James, Mokoena, Diop, Piquionne, and Mullins.  Of those five players, only two could possibly play on August 7th for the opening of the Championship season.  It’s possible that none of them will play.

Now the depressing part:  Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs has appealed the Company Voluntary Agreement which keeps Portsmouth FC in administration until the hearing.  The hearing has been expedited, but until that hearing is resolved, new ownership cannot take charge and do anything to strengthen the squad.  While there are rumors of ownership interest, Pompey supporters have heard too many rumors over the two years to listen to any of them.  The club has been allowed to sign a few players because every club has to have 20 players under contract to start the season.  No one has delusions that this club will get off to anything resembling a good start.  If the hearing does not occur before August 7th, and it is not currently scheduled but they have promised to expedite it, then the club will most likely start the season with a points deduction as much as 17 points.

While the team has not embarrassed themselves on their North American tour, it is obvious that they will struggle.  They lost to Club America 2-1 after taking 42 hours to get from Portsmouth to San Diego.  They then beat the Ventura County Fusion 2-1 and Edmonton FC on penalty kicks to claim a trophy.  Both of those clubs would be the equivalent of Havant & Waterlooville, another club they beat 2-1 before leaving for San Diego.  They play MLS bottom side DC United on Saturday evening at RFK stadium in the nation’s capital.

The club needs some positive news.  Bringing in a few players will help new manager Steve Cotterill add some fresh blood and convince everyone they have a chance of avoiding relegation.  I don’t envy him that task.

UPDATE: Note from The Gaffer… I’d like to apologize to the Philadelphia Union fans regarding the incorrect insinuation that the fans were chanting the F bomb, when they were actually not.

Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Union hosted Manchester United at Lincoln Financial Field in Pennsylvania. I am a Manchester United fan, and ever since my first trip to Old Trafford last November, I am making it a point to see them live at least twice a year any way I can. Luckily for me, they decided to tour North America this summer.

I live in North Carolina, and drove about 10 hours to get to Philadelphia. It was my first time there, but I came out with a very negative opinion of Philadelphia fans, all because of the Philadelphia Union supporters section.

Much like any other soccer team, the Philadelphia Union supporters section sit behind the goal. When I was there, they were wearing light blue jerseys. I remember thinking it was quite nice that the Philadelphia Union had a section filled with dedicated supporters who were there to cheer on their team.

And then they opened their mouths.

When Tomasz Kuszczak took his first goal kick, and every subsequent one after that, the Philadelphia Union supporters section (mind you, only the ones with the blue jerseys) would yell “You suck, a**hole!” It was amusing at first, but during periods of possession by Manchester United, the fans started to yell “F**k you!” in unison. This being my first time in Philadelphia, I did not think I would experience such an ignorant group of fans, who instead of creating a clever song, or chant, resorted to profanity, insults, and generally embarrassed themselves by showing the world just how crass and unimaginative American fans can be. Being American myself, I was embarrassed for them, and I also wanted to apologize if there were any foreign fans having to experience such behavior.

I would also like to point out we sat next to a very nice Irish man, and also a Scottish man, and they were very much into the game, but they never directed a single insult at a Union player.

I wanted to post this because I have seen that there have been match analysis already on the website, but I don’t think anyone has written in who was live at the game. But it is safe to say that Philadelphia Union supporters only know a few words. “f**k” “you” “a**hole” “suck” and “beer.” What a “great” way to welcome one of the biggest clubs in the universe, with ignorance. I apologize on behalf of real fans who do not need to resort to vulgar comments just to get our points across.

During the last several weeks I have noticed that several pro England articles have appeared on EPL Talk and other sites especially concerning the USA vs. England match, and the articles seem to imply a feeling of arrogance, and nonchalance.

Many people are already handing out the spots to make it to the group stage, England first and the USA second, like we are getting the table scraps. But I believe that this game is of much more importance to the English fans than they are giving us credit for. I do believe, however, that England fans at this point will be the most disappointed with a negative result for the Three Lions. England had an incredible qualifying run but still need to get one monkey off their backs. That monkey is the fact that England traditionally crash and burn at the World Cup.

The truth of the matter is that a USA victory would be catastrophic to England. The Three Lions are being tipped to win the World Cup (by their own fans). How are they going to do that if the lowly Yanks beat them? Team USA is more than capable of giving England a good run for their money, and it is very possible that they can win. As evident by the latest round of World Cup friendlies, England was not able to score their goals alone, while the USA played a very good game against Turkey. The England vs. Japan game reminded me of Manchester United’s season (I am an avid Man United fan; n fact, I went to England for one day just to see the Red Devils at Old Trafford).

It would behoove English fans to stop handing out the top places in their group and acting like the match has already been won. Karma is a beautiful thing and it would be a shame if the Three Lions finished second or worse in their group, wouldn’t it?

Respect should be given to any and all opponents because anyone can win at the end of the day.

As the 2009-10 season comes to a close, let us take a moment to honor a manager who set himself apart from his peers, achieving a rare and historic feat that deserves to be recognized.

Yes, congratulations are in order for Brian Laws, who managed to get TWO teams relegated this season.

Laws started the campaign with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.  In December, on the heels of three straight home losses that saw the Owls fall into to the league’s bottom three, Laws left the club by “mutual consent.”  The team’s record stood at a dismal 4-11-6.

Despite his “resignation” from Wednesday, Laws was surprisingly named manager of Burnley in January. The Premier League side selected their former player over a host of other (some could say better) candidates after Owen Coyle left for greener pastures at Bolton.

To say Laws picked up right where he left off at Wednesday would be an understatement.  In 17 league matches at the helm, Laws posted an unsightly record of 2-1-14.  In addition, he lost his only non-Premier League match to Championship side Reading in the FA Cup.

Burnley’s Championship pedigree was confirmed in embarrassing fashion on April 3^rd, when they conceded three times inside of the first eight minutes at home to Manchester City on their way to a 6-1 defeat.  Several fans were seen heading for the exits after the first ten minutes.

After the defeat, Burnley midfielder Joey Gudjonsson offered up this gem:

“He lost the dressing room long ago. I think all the players have lost faith in him, the performances say all that has to be said.”

Burnley were officially relegated from the Premier League on April 25^th, after the Turf Moor faithful endured another home shellacking, this time a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

If Laws were to somehow stay on at Burnley’s head man next season, he won’t have the opportunity to square off against his former side, because, like his new club, his old club is also heading down.  Sheffield Wednesday and their new gaffer Alan Irvine were unable to avoid the axe and will be playing their football in League 1 next season.

Laws’ achievement is certainly historical, but amazingly, it does have some precedent.  And in three consecutive seasons no less.

In the 1985-86 season, Ron Saunders left Birmingham City to take over fellow First Division strugglers West Bromwich Albion.  Both teams were relegated at season’s end.

The following year, Billy McNeill started the season with Manchester City, but departed early doors to take the helm at Aston Villa.  Neither team could avoid the drop from the First Division.

The very next season, Dave Bassett turned the trick as well, leaving Watford of the First Division in midseason to take over Sheffield United of the Second Division, with both clubs heading south at season’s end.

If Burnley had any sense, they’d add Laws’ name to another dubious group: managers who have been sacked by two teams in the same season.

Portsmouth’s well documented, if not bizarre, troubles over the last few years have given few Pompey supporters reason for optimism.

It’s a lot more likely that drinking has risen drastically on the South Coast. From the high of winning the FA Cup, to the gradual, at first, selling off of players, to Redknapp leaving again, to Gaydamak announcing he would no longer fund the club, to first one, then two Arab billionaires without any money, to a Hong Kong businessman who seized the club for non-payment of debt, yet still claims the debt, to a winding up order, to administration, yet not really administration because the points have not been deducted, to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs challenging the voluntary administration, to another possible winding up order. I’ll need a couple of beers just to diagram that sentence, much less make sense of it all.

When I do have those beers, though, I will make sure to raise a glass to Avram Grant. Yes, I said Avram Grant. Mr. Lugubrious. The Undertaker. The Man Who Never Smiles. In this, the season of our discontent, Avram Grant has stood out as a beacon, a knight in shining armor, the right man for the job.

Admit it: when he was appointed, you laughed. You mocked his scowl. You pointed out that he was a mere figurehead along for the ride in his stint at Chelsea. You gave him no credit for getting Chelsea to the Champions League Final, one slipped John Terry penalty kick away from being champions of Europe. You gave him no credit for getting Chelsea to the last match day with a chance to win the Premier League. You would probably be right in those assessments, but should those judgments be applied to him at Portsmouth?

When Avram Grant charged on to the pitch at halftime of the home match against Sunderland and gave the referee an earful, and judging by his body language they weren’t sharing recipes for their favorite chicken salad, you saw where the players’ fighting spirit came from. This team has fought hard under Grant, as they did under Paul Hart. With so many off-field distractions to ward off, the players have had every excuse to not give full effort. They could have hung their heads in shame based on the actions of a few administrators and owners. Instead they pulled together and fought hard.

They have fought hard all season. They are not in a position to avoid relegation, having just entered administration on last Friday, yet went out and played hard at Burnley and came away with a 2-1 victory. The main celebration now is that they, like every other team in the Premier League, now have more wins than owners on the season. I believe some of the credit should go to the players, who are obviously playing hard for each other, as well as showcasing their talents for the rest of the league, knowing that they will all be sold this summer to pay off exorbitant debts. I believe most of the credit should go to Avram Grant.

Imagine having to walk into that dressing room and seeing a team of castoffs. Many of them are playing because one or two other players were sold for cash. They know that they are not the club’s first choice. To add to that misery, the players have been paid late on four occasions this season. Current rumors are that the club has to come up with seven million pounds to finish March. What do you say to those players to get them to go out and keep fighting? What do you say to someone who knows he won’t be there next year? What do you say when so many things are out of control, and out of your own control, that you don’t know what tomorrow will bring? Whatever is being said to them is working, and it’s coming from Avram Grant. He won’t get any votes for manager of the year. The manager of a team that finishes bottom of the table rarely gets mentioned in that category. He should be mentioned, though. Many of the world’s top flight managers would struggle with such problems.

Will Portsmouth still exist to finish the season? Probably, but I wouldn’t place money on that right now. Will they still exist to start life in the Championship? Probably, but the 20 point deduction coupled with selling off all of their players to pay debt will mean almost certain relegation to League One. Only one thing is certain in my mind: if Avram Grant is the manager, even if the team is a group of 16 year olds, they will be well organized and play hard.

It’s not just a Chinese saying. It’s really a curse, and Pompey supporters are agonizing over it. Last season ended, mercifully, with retaining our Premiership status and a new, supposedly billionaire Arab owner showing interest. He was supposed to be a doctor, a UN ambassador for children, fronting a group of billionaire investors, worth billions himself, all of which turned out to be untrue or changing, or not quite true, or something like that. British tabloids could be absolutely awful, but the club and the man himself could have saved us all a lot of trouble.

Sulaiman al-Fahim has passed due diligence, passed the Fit-and-Proper-Persons test, been named chairman of the club, and is reportedly days away from completing the transaction. Any day now. Soon, the club promises. By the end of the week. No really, this time we mean it.

Or not.

In the last year, due to lack of investment by Gaydamak, and al-Fahim’s inability to complete the sale, the club has sold Muntari, Diara, Defoe, Johnson, and Crouch. Sean Davis and Sol Campbell have been allowed to leave for free. That’s seven players from our best eleven. The rumors are that Krancjar, Distin, and James could soon follow, with the club saying as much recently. Without the sale of the club being finalized very soon, those players will have to be sold just to pay the wages of the staff and players. If you believe some rumors, many staff members have not been paid lately.

Administration could be on the immediate horizon. That means a 10-point reduction with a seriously degraded team from the one that lifted the FA Cup on May 17, 2008. What does the future hold? If the transaction is completed, and Sulaiman al-Fahim does have the money he claims he does, then administration will be avoided and the squad could be strengthened to the point that it will still have hope of avoiding relegation. Acquire a few players in the January transfer window, the club’s Premiership status could be secure for an eighth season.

If the sale does not go through and al-Fahim leaves the South Coast with his tail between his legs, then certain administration, relegation, and possibly even worse: the club ceasing to exist.

The most important question that needs to be asked is this: Why was the club allowed to be put in such a financially perilous situation? Why has Peter Storrie, the third highest paid executive in the English Football, been allowed to spend without any thought of the long-term consequences of outspending your income? Why has Harry Redknapp, who certainly deserves some of the blame for twice leaving us in a bad financial situation, taken all of the heat? He deserves some of it to be sure, but Peter Storrie draws up the contracts? Sets the budget?

Anybody got a miracle?

What a long, strange trip it’s been for Portsmouth supporters. Just a little over a year ago, Portsmouth Football Club lifted the FA Cup, qualified for Europe, and was enjoying its second straight season in the top half of the table. Harry Redknapp was forgiven for his brief trip to Southampton. Winning trophies will do that.

Last summer’s selling of Muntari to Inter Milan was a warning shot across the bow of what was to come. Redknapps’ departure in October for the supposed greener pastures of North London, the departure of several more big names, December’s confirmation of Gaydamak’s intent to sell, two more managers, and a narrow escape from relegation were to come. Frankly, the real reason we stayed up is that there were so many poor teams in the Premier League. We didn’t deserve to stay up, but somebody had to.

As soon as this past season finished, a new owner appeared on the horizon, and one with a slightly familiar name. Manchester City supporters will remember him for boasting to sign all of the world’s top talent. Sulaiman al-Fahim, minus the title of Doctor, was either leading a group to buy the club, or buying it himself, or buying it with other people’s money, or something. Due diligence took an interminable amount of time. That’s not entirely correct, though. When Gaydamak purchased the club, due diligence took even longer, but it was during the season. With little else to discuss this summer on the south coast, the length of the due diligence period felt like it lasted years. Being the first person to go through the league’s new Fit and Proper Persons Test threw further fuel on the fire. How long would it take? Would he pass? Will the league make an example of him and drag this out even further?

On Tuesday, July 21, the club announced the takeover was complete, Sulaiman al-Fahim was the new owner and chairman, and Paul Hart would be retained as manager and given a two year contract. Pompey supporters have mixed feelings about Paul Hart, given his dire, defensive tactics which kept us up last season. He has promised to play more attacking football, but given the depletion of the squad, will be hard pressed to accomplish that. Peter Storrie and Paul Hart both have promised several new acquisitions in the next few days, saying that they have been lined up for a while now awaiting the league’s approval of al-Fahim. The fire sale will stop, although Crouch is very likely to leave. Pompey will not splash the cash like Manchester City is currently doing. However, Sulaiman al-Fahim claims to have a long-term plan to grow the club which includes a new training ground, a new stadium, a larger youth academy, and larger transfer budgets. Here’s hoping he has a good plan.

By the way, does anyone have a kit we could borrow? Canterbury Europe goes into administration after making all of our shirts for the season, but we will have precious few to sell. My wife will be so disappointed that I may not be able to get ANOTHER Pompey shirt. Oh, and we need a kit sponsor too. Any takers?

First a little back story.

Pompey have been in financial trouble for quite some time, as has been documented by the media as well as the club. Harry Redknapp left the club in part because he foresaw major financial issues and had an opportunity to go to a club without those issues. Sasha Gaydamak, the current owner, announced that he would be selling the club in December, as his financial empire could no longer support running the club. Portsmouth has been playing at least a league above their place in the world for quite some time. With one of the smallest stadiums in the top flight, and even most Championship clubs have bigger a bigger stadium, the revenue generated for the club has not matched the revenue needed to remain competitive in the Premier League. Gaydamak has funded the purchases and salaries of the club for quite some time, but the bubble burst when the economy hit a snag last fall.

In steps Dr. Sulaiman al-Fahim. He is a real estate investor from the United Arab Emirates. Depending on your sources, he is one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the Arab world, or he is merely a broker and has no money of his own with which to buy the club. He was involved in Manchester City’s takeover, but merely as a broker. He was either dismissed from being involved in Manchester City, or, since his job was merely to broker the sale and the sale was complete, he went back to the UAE and resumed his real estate business. He is credited with saying many outlandish things during that process, including wanting to buy the best player in the world at every position. He has not said such outlandish things this time around. He also runs the largest children’s charity in the Middle East and was recently named a United Nations Children’s Ambassador.

So reports have him buying the club for himself using only his money. Other reports claim it is a consortium of Arabic and Asian investors which may or may not include Thaksin Shinawatra. He obviously would not pass the Fit and Proper Person’s Test as he has been convicted and lost his British Residency Permit. The Club, Dr. al-Fahim, and Shinawatra himself have all issued statements that he is not involved, yet the rumors persist.

Reports are claiming that the Due Diligence process is not proceeding very well. One reason they cite is that Manchester City was bought in what felt like about 20 minutes, and this process is taking weeks. Both the club and Dr. al-Fahim are consistently saying that this process will take time and won’t be finished until early July. Many tabloids are using this delay to point out that players will leave, that all of the good managers will be hired, that it will be too late to start building a club that will compete for a title. They are right, but I believe they are missing the point.

When Abramovich took over Chelsea, they were already a top club. Pompey is not. Getting them to the top of the table will take years. It will include hiring a big name manager who can attract talented players. It will include a new stadium that increases the revenue. As example, look at Liverpool and the lack of revenue a new stadium to replace Anfield and how that is hurting their ability to go out and purchase players to put them over the top. Each transfer window, the club must improve until, years from now, they find themselves in a position to consistently get into European competition, which will attract further talent, generate further revenue, and push them to the top of the table.

Why do the British tabloids act this way? Is it merely to sell newspapers, regardless of the veracity of their reports? Do they have an agenda against certain clubs? Do they not understand how to check facts? Do they not care about checking facts? Do they not see the consequences of their actions hurt their reputation? Do they not care about their reputation, only their bottom line? Why do the British people tolerate this? Is it just so entertaining? I can’t wait for this whole process to finish just so I don’t have to read about it anymore and we can get to more important items concerning the team and the stadium and the future.

My computer widget that searches the web and pulls all Portsmouth related articles for me to read has been pulling the same three articles for about two weeks, many of which are reported as shocking news, even though it’s old news. It makes me want to turn it off until the season starts.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering: Don’t even get me started on the American media, especially when it comes to sports.