I just think there is far too much pressure on refs already. They should be enablers, but the game is turning them into gun-toting sheriffs charged with cleaning up the whole wild west.
Clubs should have codes of on-field sporting conduct by which their own players are expected to abide - but none do. Managers are under enormous pressure for their jobs too. You can hardly blame them for trying to close games down when 1-0 in front. Managing the game by perhaps deploying a couple of midfield defenders very quickly becomes committing petty fouls, cheating at every opportunity all over the pitch to destroy the opposition's rhythm and to waste time. But once you've created a culture in which results are all that matters ....... you do pay the price. Look at Darren Moore at West Brom, long-time loyal servant, almost achieved the miracle of saving them last season, sacked this time round with them in fourth place in the Championship and West Brom is one of the nicer clubs around.
Obviously refs have a role to play in cleaning up the game, but unless we can first of all imbibe the notion that football is game and fkuc Bill Shankly, there isn't much hope of stopping players behaving as if they are involved in a miniature war in which anything is fair if you can get away with it.
Clubs should have codes of on-field sporting conduct by which their own players are expected to abide - but none do. Managers are under enormous pressure for their jobs too. You can hardly blame them for trying to close games down when 1-0 in front. Managing the game by perhaps deploying a couple of midfield defenders very quickly becomes committing petty fouls, cheating at every opportunity all over the pitch to destroy the opposition's rhythm and to waste time. But once you've created a culture in which results are all that matters ....... you do pay the price. Look at Darren Moore at West Brom, long-time loyal servant, almost achieved the miracle of saving them last season, sacked this time round with them in fourth place in the Championship and West Brom is one of the nicer clubs around.
Obviously refs have a role to play in cleaning up the game, but unless we can first of all imbibe the notion that football is game and fkuc Bill Shankly, there isn't much hope of stopping players behaving as if they are involved in a miniature war in which anything is fair if you can get away with it.