Why isn't there a zero?
After every Spurs first team competitive game, I invite you to mark the players, team, manager and the officials upon their performances. I usually manage to incorporate some of the comments offered within my Premier League Review articles, and this week, I feel it only right to reflect some of the (repeatable) comments about referee Martin Atkinson after our defeat against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final.
On such disastrous occasions, the question that is asked most often is "Why isn't there a zero?" regarding the option to grade a performance between 1 and 10. The answer is that the process I use to collect grades only allows 10 scoring options. Maybe I should adjust the parameters for times like this! Mind you, Mr Atkinson did collect one mark of 10/10, but that was for "truly being a total c**t!"
Mr. Atkinson (who acts as goal-line refereeing assistant in tonight's Champions League semi-final) earnt the grand total of 1.6/10, matching the previous worst ever mark achieved by Chris Foy after our Stoke game in December. 69% of voters gave the referee the minimum mark of 1/10, which clearly would have been worse, had the option existed. To be honest, I find it amazing that 31% voted higher, which only goes to show either that there are a lot of very reasonable people out there, or that Mr. Atkinson has a big family!
You can view all the results here, but you won't have access to the comments, some of which are included below:-
"Any chance of camera review and replay this century?"
"We never get the dodgy decisions, not that i want to win that way.. But always its Man Utd & Chelsea who benefit..."
"Simply embarrassing"
"Right, where do I start? He gave Drogba an early yellow card. Well done there. But, it's an FA Cup semi final and he's not there to guess whether the ball has crossed the line, he's there to know it has. If he doesn't know it has then it's not a goal. So he's inept and shouldn't get any game of note ever again."
"He changed the game with his glaring mistake - who knows what might have happened?"
"Cost Spurs at a crucial stage of the game. Yes, they may have lost 4-1 anyway, but on the flip side, Spurs may have got an early equaliser and gone on to win. Add in the so called 'goal over the line' at their place last season and Adebayor's perfectly good goal at The Lane this season which was ruled out and J. Terry's 'various' arm out pens that have not been given to Spurs down the years, I sense a catalogue of injustices against our lot from them down the years. Will these even out??!!!"
"Think of a swear word"
"Worst refereeing decision of all time."
"....and the winner for the Chris Foy award for the second worse ref ever goes to......"
In other news, Scott Parker "who played with the heart of a lion" was voted your Spurs man of the match (6.7/10), but there were plenty of negative reactions to Harry Redknapp, the central defence, and an ineffective Jermain Defoe. Several also wondered why we did not play our first choice keeper in such an important game, but I personally doubt that Brad Friedel would have reached Lampard's free kick.
On the one hand, I am sorry to re-ignite some horrible memories of Sunday's game, but on the other, I invite and receive so many comments, I do feel obliged to report them when I can. Thanks to those who took part in the post-match survey.
Top of page | Index to 2011-12 Matches & Reports
