Full season figures - 22 penalties awarded in fifty seven competitive games. That's a penalty awarded every 2.59 games or every 233 minutes.
Before the covid enforced break 14 were awarded, after it 8. Fourteen games were played by them after the restart, which means their penalties awarded rate goes from one every 3.07 games before the break, to a ridiculous one every 1.75 games afterwards, or one every 157.5 minutes.
What impact did these 22 penalties have? Regardless of whether they actually were correctly given or not, lets have a quick look:
Chelsea (H) - Won 4-0, Rashford scored the second from the spot, no effect
Wolves (A) - Martial opens the scoring but Mr DibDab misses from the spot, Wolves come back to draw. No effect.
Palace (H) Even a Rashford miss can't save them from a 2-1 defeat, no effect
Leicester (H) - A Rashford conversion takes all 3 points for the scumbags. 3 pts gained
Partizan (A) - Another Rashford conversation and another 1-0 win. 3 pts in Europa League
Norwich (A) - Despite missing two penalties, still win 3-1. No effect.
Chelsea (A) - Another Rashford converstion beats Cheslea 2-1 in the cup. Utd into the QFs
Tottenham (H) - Rashford again and another 2-1 win, this time just after the restart after Alli has equalised. 2 points gained
God's Own (A) - As above, Rashford, 2-1, bastards. 2 pts gained.
AZ (H) - Mata gests the 3rd of 4 form the spot. No effect.
Norwich (H) - Rashford with the 2nd of 4 from the spot. No effect, but now been awarded penalties against Norwich H and A.
Tranmere (A)- Last of 6 is from the spot, no effect.
Watford (H) - Enter Bruno Penandes. First in a 3-0 win. No effect technically, but the pen was awarded just before half time and arguably changed the game considerably, especially as Watford had a goal controversially ruled out which would have brought it back to 1-1.
Brugge (H) - Just four days later and Bruno is at it again. The first of four. Again technically no effect but it was the first goal.
Spurs (A) - Bruno saves United from defeat with a penalty with just 10 mins to go in their first game back after the restart. Also, VAR decided to overturn a 97 min penalty for Utd, which was awarded by Moss. 2 points gained.
Bournemouth (H) - A 5-2 win, the penalty takes it to 2-1 after they fell behind early on. Again, technically no effect but undoubtedly changes the game. Bournemouth also got their own pen in this one.
Villa (A) - Five days later and Bruno is at it again from the spot, the first of 3 in a 3-0 win. No effect but it was the first goal that game.
Chelsea (N) - Even a Bruno pen on 85 mins can't save them from elimination in the cup, 3-1.
Leicester (A) - A 71st min pen from Bruno opens the scoring. Technically it should be no effect but they scored the second on 98 mins after Leicester had been reduced to 10 men, so i'm having this as 2pts gained.
Copenhagen (N) - Only goal of the game on 95 minutes when they looked on the ropes. Progressed to EL semi final.
Sevilla (N) - A Bruno pen after 9mins is cancelled out by two Sevilla goals to eliminate them finally 2-1. Justice is done.
So, overall, and purely looking at the results rather than the legitimacy of the penalties, we can say they enjoyed an additional 7 points minimum due to converting penalties this season, progressed to the QF of the league cup, had a cushion at the top of their EL group and then were basically escorted into the semi finals by the officials.
Those 7 points in the league lifted them from battling it out with Arsenal and Sheffield United for 8th, to 3rd. It is also a fact that ther rate of penaties awarded increased hugely after the break, when CL qualification became a real possibility.
Now, lets have a look at who awarded them doemstically (too few matches in Europe really).
S Attwell - One penalty awarded in the one Utd game he officiated in.
M Atkinson - 3 awarded to United in 4
M Dean - 2 in 7
J Moss - 3 in 6
L Mason- 1 in 2
A Taylor - 3 in 6
P Tierney - 3 in 6
Opposed to the referres who officiated but didn't't award United a penalty:
M Oliver - 0 in 1
C Kavanagh - 0 in 3
K Friend - 0 in 4
A Marriner - 0 in 2
C Pawson - 0 in 3
G Scott - 0 in 1
D Coote - 0 in 0
There were also 3 referres who officiated at least 10 times this season but were not awarded a united game - S Hooper, A Madley and P Banks.
So, of the pool of referees used for United games, 14 individuals across 46 domestic games, just 5 individuals were awarded 29 of those games - 63% of all domestic United games went to Taylor, Atkinson, Tierney, Dean or Moss. Personally, i'd say that was questionable off the bat. But then, in these 29 matches, these 5 referees awarded 14 penalties to the scumbags, almost bang on the money for one every two games. In contrast, United only conceded 3 penalties domestically this season. It's almost as if a consious decision was made to steer more games towards 5 specific referees after the restart.
They are now the team with most penalties awarded in the Premier League for the past two seasons, given that many of those appear to have been questionable they've got to be odds on to make it three in a row. Especially if the fudging five continue to be awarded the majority of their games.
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