Do United Get Favourable Treatment From Refs at OT?

[ElectroClaret]

Not exactly a new debate, but Chris Sutton and Mike Dean had one in today's Mail.

Sutton claims that there's a "big club bias" when United play at Old Trafford and basically
there always has been, particularly on penalties, citing Saturdays game against Forest when Rashford "dropped down under minimal pressure".
Sutton reckons Forest wouldn't have got one with the same circumstances at the other end.

Mike Dean on the other hand says a theory that there's a conspiracy to favour United at home is
"absurd" and simply reckons that there was enough on the challenge on Rashford for the peno to be given. Says he loved reffing at OT and wasn't swayed one way or the other.
It was the 108th PL penalty given to United at home, while they've had 34 against them.

Genuine reason for concern, and MD is backing his former fellow refs?
Or a load of old pony?

Or isn't it just MU that gets the major decisions at home, or all the "big clubs"?

[dougcollins]

I just took that as a rhetorical question.

[bfcjg]

You missed" Why"from the front of the question.

[ElectroClaret]

You missed" Why"from the front of the question.

Yes, sorry about that.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

The reason why Utd players used to crowd the ref at OT was to pressure them into favouring Utd
It was a fergie trick and it worked a treat
The same then started happening at Arsenal, Chelsea etc

The rules have been changed over numerous things but they’re still not being enforced because the refs are either still feeling intimidated or genuinely favour certain teams over others and that’s why we still see huge inconsistencies in reffing standards every single week

[CoolClaret]

Absolutely. All teams get either conscious or subconscious bias either for or against.

There’s no other way to describe some of the penalty decisions that we’ve seen go against us in both boxes throughout our tenure in the PL.

Arsenal against us at the Turf multiple dives for a penalty is a notable example - Meslier for Leeds on Mee is another that sticks in mind.

Not only did we not get a penalty, we didn’t even get the goal that barnes scored because the ref deemed Mee to have fouled the keeper for simply standing his ground and getting double kneed in the back…. This was also on the back of a soft penalty in our box as well.

[AfloatinClaret]

Not just football but almost all sport nowadays is big business, with that money generally flowing via the TV companies, but orginating from the sponors/advertisers and they want to see the best return on their investment.
A close run EPL champions race or an FA cup Final played between tow big city clubs will always be far more valuable to those advertisers than one between a big-city club and noggy-pog town rovers. At the most simplistic level, if all of the noggy-pog town TV viewers switch-off/change channel in disgust, you lose fewer viewers that if the residents of that big city were to do so instead.
While downright cheating can't (or not too often?) be utilised to achieve that end, a favourable interpretation of the rules is of benefit to all those whose income is primarily derived from those advertiser's budgets; even the referees are nowadays well paid/full time professionals and that too is on the back of the TV money.
But bear in mind: While the Managers and players of noggy-pog rovers and the like might bitch and complain in the heat of the moment, not even they are going to make too big an issue of it, as their salaries too rely on that advertising revenue.

[Lip]

Is the Pope a Catholic!

[Stayingup]

I would say in answwer to the question : is the pope a catholic?

[evensteadiereddie]

Can't wait for the Noggy Pog Rovers v Noggy Pog Town derby.

[Casper2]

Always have and always will

[Casper2]

Is the Pope a Catholic!

Converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after seeing Mission to Burnley

[Taffy on the wing]

.......does a Bear **** in the woods?

[123EasyasBFC]

100% big team bias, premier league wants to protect its product, the only way the product continues to bring the money in it does is the big clubs or the ones with billionaire owners, it’s funny Aston Villa are only where they are now because goal line technology wasn’t turned on first game of project restart

[bfcjg]

If Mike Dean admits VAR can be manipulated to help a mate, it's fair to assume that decisions can be manipulated to help a bank balance or curry favour in some other way.

[Woodleyclaret]

Always

[bobinho]

Under normal circumstances, I'd suggest it's absolute codswallop because it's `crazy chris`.... On this particular occasion, he's bang on the money.

Some of the `mistakes` that are made every week SHOULD be sorted very quickly if the muppets that operate VAR actually wanted to get the decisions right instead of just backing their mates bad decisions.

[1968claret]

There are numerous decisions in football that are still very subjective, even with VAR.
How much contact is enough to make it a foul rather than a coming together?
How far away from the body does the hand need to be for it to be handball?
Would a defender have been able to cover so not denying a goal scoring opportunity?

In these instances, probably subconsciously, I do think the referees have and will always take the side of the 'bigger' team

[Pickles]

Yes.

[evensteadiereddie]

This is why it's essential for the crowd to hear the officials' reasoning and discussions in real time.
At the moment, there is no openness whatsoever re how a decision has been arrived at until after the game when, as we've seen, laughable errors aren't even sometimes acknowledged. Some are, of course, but it's too late.
We accept, as Burnley fans, getting more than our fair share of crap and costly decisions but an explanation, however flimsy, might ease the frustration.

[BurnleyFC]

Do sharks have waterproof heads?

[scouseclaret]

You missed" Why"from the front of the question.

…and you could drop “at OT” from the end.

[Claret Till I Die]

Is the Pope a Catholic!

When Burnley turned up was the only time you'd see the Pope in orange...

[Rick_Muller]

Villa’s third would have been offside at Old Trafford

[Foshiznik]

In Fergie's era, i would have suggested that their dominance and being in the opposition's box a hell of a lot more than the opponent is in theirs would be a good reason for the statistics, but that's a much weaker argument nowadays.

I think the top 4/6 now get the same favour, rather than one team in particular.