Also if you looked at the way the ref was running the game, blowing up for absolutely everything and being an absolute stickler for the rules a sensible experinced team acknowledges this and doesn’t play to those 50-50 decisions. This is something that certain teams do really well Liverpool and Man U being prime examples and other teams do very badly, like Arsenal, and is probably a sign that those teams are more experienced.

Also for a ‘lucky team’ Liverpool were denied anyone of 4 penaltys yesterday with at least 2 of them being clearcut stonedead penaltys ok so in the end they didn’t need the goals so it wasn’t made into a big issue. I notice this lucky streak didn’t extend into the middle part of the season whan they were drawing every other game.

I’m still a firm believer that yes refs make mistakes (everyone does) but generally it balances out over a season. Maybe the refs do have subconcious biases who can say? but I do think in general the ones we have in Europe and running the top flight games (you should come down to non-league level and the ref is the oppositions captains brother-in-law from the next town over) are professional and fair and it gets to me when people lay into them because their team didn’t win.

I said there was a press “brouhaha” (what a great word for it btw!) over some controversial decisions. When a decision is picked on by the media and blown up into a full-blown “crisis in football” type story, it’s normally one of the big 3 (or Liverpool) who are disadvantaged by the decision in question. Coincidentally, those same clubs tend to get the benefit of more dodgy decisions than most over the course of a season.

All I’m saying is that refs get more flak (from the media) when they make a bad decision which affects one of those teams than when they make a bad decision which affects any other team. And that possibly this affects them on a sub-conscious level.

If you disagree that such media focus may affect refs, then fine, say so…and we’ll agree to disagree. If you seriously contend that all dodgy decisions are treated equally by the media/footballing authorities, I’ll know you’re wearing blinkers of some kind.

Does this mean refs are consciously biased? No.

Two other things.

1. I can’t imagine what gave you the impression I “believe everything the media says”. I don’t. The media are heavily influenced by which stories/spin they think will get them most readers/viewers.
In the case of football coverage, this causes something of a positive feedback loop…they run more stories and are more positive about the big 3 + Liverpool because they think that’s what will sell…readers/viewers get more info and more +ve info about those clubs so more people follow them…more people following those clubs generates more demand for news about them…repeat ad nauseum.

Of course this doesn’t mean I’m not gullible, just not in that particular area of life.

2. On occasion, I have reffed. Not in official competitions (I’m not qualified), but in works competitions, at my son’s school, the odd charity 5-a-side thing.
It obviously doesn’t compare in terms of pressure, importance, speed of the game, or any number of other factors, but I do know that it’s an incredibly hard thing to do at any level, so I have tremendous respect for anyone who chooses to put themself on the firing line so that we can have the game of football at all.

I still think that human nature means that where there is uncertainty, most people (refs included) will choose the easier path most of the time. To consciously give a decision the wrong way would be an incredibly hard path for any dedicated official, let alone those who rise to the top of the game.

So I can only think that if there is any bias, it is sub-conscious. Which is what I meant by “in the back of their mind”.

In summary, I was trying to counter both the suggestion that there is some kind of conspiracy of referees to support Liverpool and the suggestion that this site is run by those who are anti-liverpool.

Try refing your self, and see if it is easier “leaning to a certain direction”

Whose to say refs are biased. Could the clubs be?

I wouldn’t suggest that all, or even a majority, of English/European/whatever refs were biased or that there was a conspiracy.

BUT…

when you consider the media brouhaha that gets kicked up whenever a high-profile club is the recipient of a bad decision…
when you look at the way the officials involved seem to get hounded for days/weeks afterwards…
when you remember the unprecedented apology a certain official was forced into giving Liverpool earlier this season…

…you begin to wonder whether officials will have it in the back of their mind that their lives might be easier if they lean in a certain direction.

The fact is, Liverpool don’t need help from any officials (even if they do seem to get it more than most). When it comes down to it, when they really need to, you just know Liverpool will pull a result out of somewhere.

It’s all down to their pact with the devil - he’ll see you thru’ in this life, but I’m warning you, he’s going to want his pound of flesh in the next

Hmmm so which is it every referee in the country and in Europe biased towards Liverpool or this website run by a small group of friends being biased against them well it’s a very tough call