Slightly to one side of the thread but does anyone have a view on Marriner - IMO a ref that doesn't have the balls to make the big decisions in the face of fergies wrath . . as at stoke:
See extract from a daily mail article below titled 'Do referees favour the big teams?'. I think the answers yes and that we'll be playing against 12 men tomorrow.
Do they allow reputations to affect them? Does Sir Alex Ferguson still have influence over match officials?
Watching Gary Neville playing yesterday can only leave you answering the three questions with a resounding YES.
You will not see a clearer yellow-card challenge than the one by Neville on Matthew Etherington in the 42nd minute of Manchester United’s game at Stoke.
Neville had already been cautioned for an earlier foul on the same opponent and he knew he’d got his challenge horribly wrong — his body language told everyone present and those on TV — and yet referee Andre Marriner chose not to dismiss Neville; an incredible decision which left Marriner in an impossible situation.
Minutes later Rory Delap hacked Nani down and Marriner appeared to feel unable to caution.
Ferguson went on the attack at half-time, berating Marriner as he left the field. Then he did referee’s job for him by replacing Neville at the start of the second half.
Read more: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1323378/GRAHAM-POLL-Andre-Marriners-big-mistake-saved-Gary-Neville.html#ixzz1Df0wIqth" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z1Df0wIqth</a>
