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INTERVIEW WITH TOP MANCHESTER UNITED FAN SITE, THE REPUBLIK OF MANCUNIA 17-11-09
Here is a transcript of an interview I did with top United blog, The Republik of Mancunia.
Of late, I have almost certainly incurred the wrath of Manchester United
fans with my articles and media comments about Sir Alex Ferguson.
This has brought about accusations that I am anti-Man United. This is most
definitely not the case.
I have often spoken of my respect for the
achievements of SAF but this does not give him the right to make the
comments he did about my former colleague, Alan Wiley.
To move on, here are my answers to some questions posed by United fans...
Article Continues Below...
Q. Do you think video refereeing should be the future - if so, in which
circumstances should referees be allowed to see replays?
A. Personally, I believe
in goal line technology but all other matters should be left to the match
referee.
Football is not like other sports in that there are not so many natural
breaks in play when video analysis could take place. Constant stoppages would
kill the flow of the game.
Q. Do you think there should be retrospective punishment for diving,
like David Ngog's dive which stole the extra two points from Birmingham on
Monday?
A. I most certainly do. This, along with subsequent suspensions for guilty
players, would act as a massive deterrent for future games.
Q. People often say that decisions even themselves out over the course
of the season. Given that Chelsea's goal against us should/could have been
ruled out on three counts (Fletcher didn't foul Ashley Cole, Drogba
pulled Brown to the floor, Drogba was in an offside position and could be said
to be interfering with play given his proximity to the keeper) and United
were denied a penalty, whilst Rooney was wrongly ruled offside when he was
played on by Ashley Cole when Rooney would have been one on one with the
keeper, do you think there's any way that match deciding decisions in games
against your closest rivals can even themselves out?
United v Chelsea is an
example of a six pointer so my opinion is that the only way decisions of that
magnitude even themselves out would be if we were given a match deciding decision
against Chelsea at Old Trafford this season. What do you think?
A. I think if you look at last season's results, it was not
United's results against the others in the "Big Four" that won them the
League. In fact, quite the contrary.
Even SAF admitted that had
United taken their chances, they would have won comfortably.
In any
game, and most certainly over a season, player mistakes have much more
effect on the result of a game than any refereeing decision.
Q. What's the worst decision you've ever made in a match?
A. I was fortunate. Whilst obviously I made many honest mistakes, I never made such a massive clanger that lived with me throughout my career.
I once turned down a couple of penalty
appeals when Fulham's Boa Morte was challenged by Sol Campbell. On watching MotD, I saw
I was wrong on both counts.
Regarding United, I don't recall a massive mistake,
but I am sure that you will tell me differently!!!
Q. Do referees watch replays of any mistakes they've made at half time?
A. No,
you don't have time, but there is always someone who tells you that you may have
got something wrong. SAF springs to mind!!!
Q. Do you think that all referees are capable of stopping themselves from being human
and letting anything effect the decisions they make on the pitch?
(For example, the press regularly quote how many penalties Mike Riley has
given United - only one of which, a Nicky Butt pen, is at all debatable. The
others were all stonewall. In last year's FA Cup semi-final, Danny
Welbeck was clearly brought down by Jagielka but a pen wasn't given by Riley.
Both Moyes and Jagielka agreed that it should have been a penalty.)
A. SAF is the king
of the mind games and I am sure that at times he has benefitted from it. Conversely, sometimes it may have worked against him. Who knows how sub-consciously the mind works.
In a moment of indecision, a player's reputation, or something that
you have been made aware of, might just put a little doubt in your mind. This I
think is a distinct possibility.
Q. What was the best United game you ever reffed?
A. It had to be the game at
White Hart Lane when United were 3-0 down at half time yet still won 5-3.
Q. What is your favourite United related story/experience?
A. Obviously my final
game when United beat Millwall in the FA Cup Final was emotionally significant to
me.
At the final whistle, SAF shook my hand and obviously at that point there was
no bad blood, despite our previous disagreements.
There are many more tales in my
autobiography, which is available via my website. It is a good gift idea with Christmas approaching. Ha ha!!!
Q. How did Dennis Wise escape a sending off in the FA Cup final?
With 20 minutes played, he cynically fouled Ronaldo, making no effort
for the ball (see here). Then he shoved Ronaldo in the face (see here).
Before half time,
he repeatedly fouled Scholesy in the area, dragging him to the ground at
one point.
Then, as the players left the pitch, he shoved Gary Neville in the
back, right in front of you (see here).
None of these were bookable offences? Or did you make a mistake in not giving
him two yellow cards (if not a red card for shoving Ronaldo in the face?!)
A. Reading all that, perhaps he should have been hung rather than sent
off!! I was happy with the way I handled the game. No one needed to be sent off, and I
managed to keep 22 players on the pitch with only one yellow card. This was my
style and, in the main, people, especially the players, appreciated it.
Q. Who is your favourite current player in the League?
A. You are going to love
this one but, as usual, ask me a question and I will give you an honest answer.
Steven Gerrard. Mind you, Wayne Rooney is getting better and better. Probably my
all-time favourite, other than Boro players, is Gianfranco Zola. He was a great player and is
also a gentleman.
Q. Which team would you like to see win the League this season and
which team do you think will win it?
A. This season I hope that Arsenal win it. Everyone wrote them off but they play great football.
Realistically, it will
probably be between Chelsea and United. My preference would be for United. It's a
Northern thing.
Q. What do you think of Sir Alex Ferguson?
A. As a Rangers man, I am in full
agreement with him.
As a manager he is excellent. He has built and re-built
great sides. Any fan, if they are honest, would have wanted him as their manager.
However, he has helped to turn United from a team that for many years after Munich
were loved and admired by many, into a team that everyone hates. Much is through
jealousy but also his attitude and behaviour hardly warms him to others in say
the way Sir Bobby Robson did.
He is a bully and a very bad loser. He has fallen
out with his own players, as well as refs and other managers.
But the bottom line
is that he is a winner. You can't knock him for that.
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