I think the quality of refereeing in our last two games has worried us all. I would hope that the refereeing of the away match in Barcelona - according to UEFA the highest profile CL match of the season with the single exception of the final - will have alarmed everyone everywhere. I'm not accusing the French ref of being biased or corrupt, but he was certainly incompetent to a degree which forces us to ask why on earth he was ever selected for a game where his inability would inevitably be highlighted in front of a huge TV audience.
We've had "issues" with Lee Mason for some time but on Saturday he continued a trend begun in Barcelona - a clear foul on a City player culminating in City being reduced to ten men. On Wednesday I was forced to ask what decisions the ref actually got right, and Mason forces me to ask the same question of his performance. He made a complete mess of the Kompany "incident", he then made, if anything, an even bigger "mistake" in deciding that Elmohamady's assault on Silva - outrageously high, all studs planted stiff legged on David's shin, with not even the vaguest intention of playing the ball - was worth only a yellow. Is this the latest UEFA directive? Crippling an opponent for life is less serious than depriving one of a goal scoring opportunity! Then a Hull player goes down under a non-existent challenge from the 'keeper to try and win a penalty. No yellow card for him, but Joe Hart's anger is on the same level as Elmohamady's offence. Yellow for both!