HATCHET MAN: Don't shoot the ref Brucie - he didn't kick any opponents and players only act under or

05 March 2009 10:17
It is about time players and managers started taking responsibility for their actions. After Wigan and West Ham tore strips off each other last night, Steve Bruce complained that he had ended up talking in post-match interviews about the referee for the umpteenth time this season. Given that the official in charge was Stuart Attwell, that is no surprise. The over-promoted referee got most of the big decisions wrong and clearly didn't have much control of the game. But if Scott Parker hadn't been charging about, launching himself into terrible challenges (his awful tackle on Michael Brown was worth a dismissal on its own) and losing his temper, Lucas Neill had shown more caution in his approach and Lee Cattermole hadn't been so dangerously aggressive, Bruce may not have had to talk about the referee at all. It cannot always be the officials' fault. If players behaved better on the pitch and mangers came up with strategies with more focus on brain rather than brawn the referee would not get as many chances to get things wrong.

Source: Daily_Mail