The more I think about the referee’s conduct for Robben’s antics on Tuesday, the more despicable

[Monty91]

I realise it was. I have little issue with Robben for diving, but I expect the referee to deal with it professionally, and his response totally vindicated Wenger’s pre-match comments about him being an amateurish c**t from a pointless country.

The first was as blatant a dive as you will ever see and the referee’s “get up� gesture (meant to indicate his appeals are falling on deaf ears) was ridiculous. Quite simply, if it was not a foul, it was a dive, and therefore a yellow card.

The second one was less clear cut. There was some contact but quite obviously Robben could have stayed on his feet. A penalty or not? There is an argument for both, but having already committed an outrageous dive there is surely an argument that Robben did not deserve the benefit of the doubt. It is almost as if the ref gave the pelanty because he had not given him one for diving in the first half!

So we are left with a situation where Robben dives twice in a match – one blatant, one not so - and escapes with no caution and a pelanty for his team.

Disgusting.

[Classic Jorge]

The problem is with the referees buying it or not. As you say, the ref gesturing for him to get up is basically him ignoring the rules of the game.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

The bald Dutch pig screams as he throws himself to the floor. Just how little self-respect must you have to do that?

[Monty91]

Robben's job is to win matches for his team, the ref's is to referee matches competently and professionally

[Ashberto]

not be sure if it was a dive. I don't agree with the binary interpretation which says it's either a foul + penalty, or a dive + yellow. Obviously Robben is a cancer-deserving cùnt, and I don't think he should be absolved all responsibility.

If someone breaks into your house and nicks your stuff do you blame the police for not being there to stop him while letting him off with "yeah, fair blag mate"?

[Classic Jorge]

The ref bought two, didn't buy one.

And, on the police thing, for that analogy to work you'd have to have a copper outside your house whilst the burglars repeatedly came and went with various possessions of yours.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

Surely a ref must judge every incident in complete isolation and absolutely not with reference to any previous incidents.

[Monty91]

but without being fouled.

[Monty91]

to the temptation of acting with unauthorised discretion, they do so with common sense.

[Ears are alight]

[Monty91]

because, errr, it's a foul.

[Ears are alight]

him the referee in the first place :hehe:

[Monty91]

what he might have done earlier in the match.

[Ears are alight]

appropriate.

[Ears are alight]

[Classic Jorge]

Or possibly "scream louder and I'll give you the next won"

[Monty91]

[Monty91]

[Ears are alight]

it means - get up, it's not a foul.

[Monty91]

[Pokster]

no stop being a moaning prick

[Ears are alight]

judges if they use all the information to hand, which would include seeing how easily some players seek to go down.

On the incidents in question, I think a :yellowcard: for Robben early on might indeed have kept him on his feet later. As it happens, it wasn't as though they actually needed to score, was it?

[Ears are alight]

giving him a free kick or penalty is telling him he's not been fouled.

In itself the "get up" gesture is maybe more for the crowd than the player, to show he saw what they might have thought they'd seen and in his judgement there was nothing to give.

It's nice to see such an appreciative member of the crowd seeking to interpret it. You must be great to go to the theatre with.

[Classic Jorge]

Yet nearly every referee seems to let past incidents effect their judgements.

We've all seen the 'oooh he's already been booked' look from the ref when he goes to book someone, the liverpool FA Cup game being the most recent example.

[Monty91]

[redgunamo]

Or the other way about, I suppose.

[redgunamo]

by officials when they get together at their regular refs' enclaves.