The Incompetence of Officials

THIS season, the standard of officials has dropped dramatically. Games are won and lost in the split second that a blatant offside is not flagged, or penalties for virtually nothing are awarded.

Chelsea collected three points last night in a 2-1 victory over Premier League leaders Manchester United and, although referee Martin Atkinson got the penalty decision spot on, Blues defender (and scorer of the first goal) David Luiz should have been dismissed for a second bookable offence after upending Wayne Rooney off the ball.

I criticised referee Mark Clattenburg for his decision not to send off Rooney after the England striker savagely elbowed Wigan Athletic midfielder James McCarthy at the weekend, so I think it is only fair to tar everyone with the same brush.

Although there was no malice in Luiz's challenge, there was certainly intent, as there was in an earlier altercation with Mexican Javier Hernandez. We saw Nemanja Vidic sent off for two bookable offences that were no where near as bad as what Chelsea's £21.3m Portuguese defender committed.

"When I saw who the referee was I feared the worst," said Red Devils' manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who has had previous run-ins with Atkinson. Just last season he awarded a dubious free-kick in this encounter, which lead to Chelsea skipper John Terry nodding home the only goal.

"That's three years in a row now. It's hard to take," added the furious Scot.

Now, as a Manchester City fan, watching United lose last night gave me a great sense of pleasure, but as a football fan, watching some of the incompetent decisions being made took a bit of gloss off the occasion. I would suggest demoting Atkinson for his performance, but that would only mean some poor Championship clubs being lumbered with his horrific errors.

But the FA do not seem to work that way. Remember the curious case of Stuart Attwell? His unbelievable decision to award Reading with a goal at Watford when the ball had gone out of play and hooked back in by Royals player Noel Hunt on September 20 2008. Yet, the man who graduated from Staffordshire University in 2004 was awarded with promotion to the Premier League. Marvellous.

But, that is not the most shocking decision we have seen. Attwell is merely the tip of the dung heap. Does the name Robert Shoebridge spring to mind? It should do if your are a Crystal Palace fan. His decision to award a goal kick when Freddie Sears shot bounced out of the net after hitting the stanchion at Bristol City on August 15 2009 is one of the worst decisions in refereeing history, and all he got was a two week suspension.

And do not even get me started on Graham Poll after his horrendous display at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. It is amazing how one man can humiliate a nation even more than the terrible performance of the national team.

The list goes on, so surely the element of human error is enough evidence for FIFA President Sepp Blatter to introduce some sort of technology into the game that gives officials the help they so desperately need. Especially after the farce at the 2010 World Cup where Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda controversially ruled that Frank Lampard's shot had not crossed the line in the last 16 tie with Germany.

UEFA are experimenting with two officials at either end of the pitch to give extra support, but again, these officials are susceptible to errors.

We have seen the effect of technology in cricket, tennis and rugby, so why is football still living in the dark ages when so much is at stake for a club that is on the wrong side of an atrocious officiating decision?

If any technology is introduced, it would be better than the sorry state we are in now.

The Future's Bright

LOOKING at the Npower League One table, it is hard not to feel a sense of joy for Brighton and Hove Albion, unless you are a die hard Crystal Palace fan, of course. But it just goes to show what can be gained by giving a young manager the chance to make an impact.

Gustavo Augusto Poyet Domínguez, or 'Gus' as he is better known to us, made his name in England when Ruud Gullit snapped up the Uruguayan in 1997 on a free transfer from Real Zaragoza, where the mercurial midfielder had netted 63 goals in 239 league appearances.

Poyet had a good track record of success before joining the Stamford Bridge outfit having won the Copa del Rey in 1994, then helping Zaragoza beat Arsenal in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in a year later.

His line of honours would not stop there after his move to the capital as he again won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1998 along with the European Super Cup, before lifting one of the greatest prizes in English football, the FA Cup in 2000.

Unfortunately for Poyet, the arrival of Claudio Ranieri at Chelsea meant that the one-time Copa America winner was surplus to requirements and Tottenham Hotspur gladly snapped up the deadly play maker for £2.2m.

He retired from football in 2004 after his time at White Hart Lane was blighted by injury, with a reoccurring cruciate knee ligament problem that saw much of his time at Stamford Bridge spent on the sidelines.

In 2006, Poyet was reunited with former Chelsea teammate Dennis Wise as his assistant at Swindon Town before the pair moved to Leeds United where Poyet was to make his name as a coach, despite being unable to lead the Elland Road side to the Championship.

The next season, Poyet was appointed as Juande Ramos' number two as he returned to White Hart Lane where he picked up his first trophy as a coach with Spurs beating Chelsea, of all teams, 2-1 in the Carling Cup.

It was in on November 10 2009 that the Uruguayan was made Seagulls manager after Russell Slade made a poor start to the campaign. Poyet helped steer the struggling club clear of relegation, finishing in a respectable 13th place.

And so began his first full season, and what a way to start it with seven consecutive wins, which saw Albion top the league - and the Seagulls are still there, one point clear of second place Bournmouth with three games in hand. A fine job by Poyet.

It shows what is to be gained by giving young managers a chance. We all saw Paul Ince do a fantastic job at MK Dons, leading them to promotion in his first season, and also to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. However, it seemed that the Blackburn Rovers job, as many predicted, was a step too far for a rookie manager and Ince was sacked on December 16 2008.

Another fine example of the value of youth is none other than Eddie Howe, who led Bournmouth to promotion from League Two in his first full season, having saved the Cherries from relegation the previous season - much like Poyet at Brighton.

Now, Howe's managerial skills have been acknowledged by Burnley who are currently battling for the Play-Offs in the Championship - what a year this could be for the 33-year-old.

Surely it will not be long before more managerial gems are unearthed, like Poyet, Ince, Howe and even John Sheridan at League Two leaders Chesterfield.

Young managers should always be given a chance, perhaps not at the top level of English football where the pressure to succeed is far greater, but in the lower leagues where the margin for error is not as extreme and the learning curve is more valuable.

The future is bright for young managers, they need to be given the chance.