Bad-reporting
So Hleb managed to get away with a girly slap on Saturday, apparently, since not being at the game it got no coverage that I saw. Poxy MOTD didn’t show it and I don’t think Sky covered it in the final word. So along with Rooney and Gerrard being accused of diving and providing no analysisled what they are, certain teams players can give it the ladies kung-fu as well and not get hauled up for it.
[UPDATE] While the FA have charged Hleb with violent conduct they do need to iron out the inconsistencies of the policy about reviewing game footage, especially being able to increase a penalty even if a yellow card was given.[/UPDATE]
The TV coverage has an important duty here, to show what happens, especially if the ref misses it. Particularly the BBC who are probably never going to get live Premiere League football again anyhow, so why not show this and report these incidents? Ferguson doesn’t talk to MOTD anyhow, so why not point out when Rooney dives or goes off on one at the ref and say that its wrong? Shearer was a bit fond of mouthing off in his day so I suspect he won’t say anything, but no one else? I don’t care who dives, slaps, kicks or punches, they should be held up to account for this. The quality of the punditry is appalling on the program anyhow but to ignore or tacitly condone these events is just wrong.
The FA also has a duty to change the rules to enable retroactive punishments for this sort of thing. I don’t particularly want TV replays to get in the way of the game, but the fourth official, or maybe a fifth one, should be reviewing the game footage and reporting on that. They are supposed to be there backing the ref up. All the fourth official seems to do now is mince around with the extra time board and occasionally tell a manger to get back into the technical area.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:19 am
so the arse finally get a player up on a FA charge. Funny that it only happens when their season is over and there’s nothing to play for…..