Mike Dean

The amazing thing about the sending off was that replays seemed to show Mike Dean looking directly at the incident in real time. Only when VAR got involved did he over rule his initial decision to take no action. I wonder how much peer pressure referees feel during the VAR review, I.E, I must have missed something, even if I can't see it, as VAR has prompted me. Shame Mitrovic wasn't playing the game 30 years ago, when players that got hit stayed hit. Wouldn't be throwing himself around so easy now I feel. Also worth noting that those allegedly issuing the death threats might have been among those hanging an effigy of David Beckham outside an Upton Park pub, so its not like they don't have form for this type of thing.

 

I agree in a way. They're human and make mistakes, we all do. And players certainly make a lot of them so its logical that the refs will too.

But on the other side there are some mistakes that I just can't stand. It's those when a referee knows someone is breaking the rules but turns a blind eye to it, the kicking the ball away or staking 10 yards from a throw in etc. Those aren't mistakes as such, they're just not caring. But yes for the genuine mistakes where he missed a foul etc, that happens

With Mike Dean though I think it's different because he hasn't just got something wrong in real time, he's looked at a video over and over and over from many angles and cone to the conclusion that something which is clearly not a foul is a red card. That's just indefensible really. And to make matters worse, if he doesn't referee a single extra game this season he will have earned just under a quarter of a million pound. His contract is widely reported to be £200,000 BASE plus English premier League refs get £1500 per match which for him so far is another £25500. Obscene amounts really

But you are right, everyone makes mistakes.

 

Agree with what you say regarding officials making mistakes. However, elite league referees are full time professional positions-not doing second jobs. Their standards should be higher.

 

Yes, my point though is that they’ve worked their way up part time.
And even when they get there, what are they paid compared to the elite professional footballers?