Welcome - because three out of four ain't good

Well here I go. The latest round of the a-league has forced my hand into creating my own football soapbox. I'll try and keep my rants down on here, and occasionally focus on the good side of football. I may even digress into current affairs at some stage and you will all complain (wow that is presumptious of me, assuming that someone is actually going to read this!). Please also go easy on my spelling i've never been a big fan of proof reading unless i'm gettign paid. So enjoy everyone!

I need to vent. But basically the Jets don’t deserve my normally unwavering support today. What I am going to vent about is the FFA’s inability to criticise their own staff for terrible performances. If I turned up at work and made as many mistakes as our ‘top’, I use the word lightly, referees I wouldn’t have to worry about coming in anymore. I’d be asking Caltex for my job back, even then I’d be struggling to hold down a starting spot!

So how am I not just being biased?

Friday night, victory vs mariners. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever said in my life, but the Mariners were robbed by a poor decision from a linesman. The guy could see Matt Simon was offside but there was no way he could’ve seen Dylan Mcalister as between Simon and the victory defence he would’ve been un sighted. So this idiot waves his flag around and the Central coast get denied a goal which could’ve drastically changed the game. The referee in this instance also should’ve been quicker to stamp some authority on the game, his take on keeping the cards in the pocket was in stark contrast to the other two referees which will follow. Not only does it upset the flow of the game when people are allowed to foul continually but it becomes dangerous for the players themselves. Maybe the FFA need to review their OH&S standards because if my work environment contained people who deliberated tried to hurt me and Thiess did nothing about it I would leave, and sue!

Saturday night, Adelaide vs Sydney. Now here I will admit I did not watch the game, however I have seen the highlights and read the reports. Terry McFlynn was denied treatment for what turns out to be an ACL injury (painful I’m led to believe) and is then rumoured to be carded for abusing the referee. I can only think that the referee has the whole diving saga on his mind and thought that he took a dive because otherwise why would he deny him treatment. Its not like Sydney were wasting time from a lead or anything!

Sunday afternoon, Jets vs Pheonix. Joel Griffiths is an idiot, totally. However Breeze saw Karl Dodd’s retaliation and did nothing about it! Maybe a yellow for retaliation would’ve been justified, in my opinion he should’ve actually got a red as well however. So lets say he gets a yellow, the yellow he did get in the 2nd half then becomes he’s second yellow and we’re back to 10 on 10. Mark Milligan is also an idiot for lunging studs over the ball. But as I said to Bob yesterday it was a bad tackle well executed. Definitely a yellow, not sure on whether it was a straight red. The Pheonix defence’s treatment of Elrich was appalling and should’ve been stopped. Ever time he ran at defenders with pace and knocked the ball through he was brought down. I can remember 5 such incidents. The referee must then say to the captain, the next person who takes elrich down will be carded regardless. To top it off, Karl Dodd should’ve received he’s third yellow for the penalty that Elrich then missed!

I’m also expecting someone who watched the QLD game to point out some other glaring error which would make it 4 out of 4. Please FFA start doing your house cleaning, you have to realise that airing dirty laundry about referees is no different to a match review panel retrospectively punishing a player.

Sigh. Happy Monday everyone. Stay tuned for more in the future....