Source: Daily_Mail
GRAHAM POLL: Wayne Rooney should have gone off with Rafael - I wish I'd sent him off in 2005
Mike Dean had no option but to show Rafael da Silva his second yellow card and dismiss him on Sunday at White Hart Lane - and the independent assessor would have been highly critical had he not done so. [LNB]Rafael has, rightly in my view, been charged by the FA with improper conduct for his outburst following his red card. The Brazilian has until 6pm on Tuesday to respond.[LNB]DATELINE: JANUARY 16, 2011 - WHITE HART LANE In your face: Rafael and Rooney (above) confront the referee, as Rooney did back in 2005 (below)[LNB] DATELINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2005 - HIGHBURYIn the tunnel after the 0-0 draw, Sir Alex Ferguson let Dean know he felt the dismissal was harsh and believed that Rafael's immaturity should have been taken into consideration. Really? Well, the laws of the game do not allow a referee to take a player's age into account and nor should they. [LNB]Manchester United and Ferguson should count themselves lucky that they finished the game with 10 men. If the law had been applied on Sunday as it is written - and I believe it should be - Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic should have been taking early baths along with the 20-year-old. [LNB]These ugly and clear displays of dissent highlighted that the FA's Respect programme has had little effect. [LNB]Rafael received his first yellow for a lunging tackle on Wilson Palacios. The same two players clashed again later and the Brazilian really should have received a second caution for his reaction in brandishing an imaginary card to ensure Palacios was booked. [LNB]Dean will reflect when reviewing the video that had he seen Rafael's gesture clearly, he would have sent him off with a second caution.[LNB] More from Graham Poll... Graham Poll: My assessment of Attwell as the he returns to Premier League17/01/11 Graham Poll: Liverpool star Maxi Rodriguez 'clever' to win vital penalty17/01/11 GRAHAM POLL: Theo Walcott's dive exposes our flaws with the laws10/01/11 Graham Poll: Webb was right to send off Gerrard but wrong to award penalty09/01/11 Graham Poll: Bowyer and Barton show that a leopard can't change its spots...03/01/11 Graham Poll: Neville and Johnson were lucky not to have seen red02/01/11 Graham Poll: Even I was shocked by Ponting's show of dissent27/12/10 Graham Poll: Defoe's sending off was harsh but it wasn't wrong 26/12/10 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Rafael was eventually given his marching orders after being caught out of position and made to chase Benoit Assou-Ekotto down the touchline. [LNB]In such cases the duty of care lies with the pursuer. So the contact made, however minimal, must be seen as unsporting, leaving Dean with no option but to send Rafael off. [LNB]Rooney's reaction was appalling: shouting in Dean's face and using foul language seen by all TV viewers. When you are in such a situation, having already sent one player off, you just try to calm things down. [LNB]During United's 4-2 win at Arsenal in February 2005, Rooney infamously swore at me 27 times in the first half alone. Yet I considered my performance in that match to be the finest in all of my 329 Premier League games. [LNB]Only now, having stepped away from refereeing, do I realise the damage I may have caused to the game in not sending Rooney off. [LNB]Dean was eventually forced to caution Rooney on Sunday as he persistently berated the official. But until the FA take charge of referees and tell them to apply the law, such scenes will not be punished correctly and will occur again and again. [LNB]Until I stopped refereeing, I could not see the harm in allowing such blatant dissent to escape punishment. If the FA really want us to believe that their Respect programme is alive and making a difference then they need to change the advice which select group referees receive. [LNB]Proof that when players' foul tirades are not dealt with strongly, those players will continue to abuse officials, came in the 85th minute at White Hart Lane on Sunday. The assistant referee who correctly indicated an infringement by Vidic was abused by him. [LNB]He, too, should have been dismissed but a referee cannot act if not advised correctly by his assistant. So United continue on their unbeaten run and will only miss Rafael for one match, while Rooney and Vidic are free to berate and belittle match officials.[LNB] Graham Poll: My assessment of Attwell as the he returns to Premier LeagueGraham Poll: Liverpool star Maxi Rodriguez 'clever' to win vital penaltyGraham Poll: Theo Walcott's dive exposes our flaws with the laws[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Wayne Rooney, Alex Ferguson, Graham Poll, Nemanja Vidic, Mike Dean
