One, if mot two Watford players should have seen red.

There was nowt wrong with the goal.

I've seen penalties given for less.

I'm not sure their players deserved red, and the penalty was 50-50. 

What do you want Pearce to say in his post-match interviews?

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Predicting false dawns since August '07.

Personally I'd like him simply to say he is unhappy that some of the decisions went against us, but thats football. Thats enough for me. If he genuinely believes the ref got everything right then fair enough, but I very much doubt that is the case for every game we play. What I don't want to hear is him applauding the ref for not giving us decisions that were, at my most generous, 50-50's. I don't want him to suggest one of our players took a tumble unless it is patently obvious that is what happened. I want SP to be honest and forthright, but I don't want to hear this particular bullshit. He is the exact opposite of Taggart trying to defend the ladyboy for diving. I find both equally embarrassing.

He'd lose no honour by calmly putting his point accross. He'd still command the respect of the majority if he did as such, and might even gain some from those who thinks he's playing the wrong game.

No one on this thread has demanded he start ranting and raving. It doesn't have to be a choice between two extremes. We still want him to act with dignity, but we also want him to tell it like it is, which he isn't doing at the minute.

If there was nothing to gain from pointing out the refs errors then no one would do it. Do you honestly think SP has stumbled accross some ingenious way of influencing referees in future matches? Of course not. He's just trying to be different in much the same way as he played James up front against Boro and didn't put a sub keeper on the bench a couple of times last season. I personally wish he'd just do the job properly. I like him, but I have my reservations.

Btw, next time you disagree with something someone says, show a little more class.

But, Jack101 says the assistant referee changed his mind on Monday night. Thats weakness is it not?

We are dealing with individuals here, not robots. Every ref is different. The best referees are the ones who aren't talked about during or after a game. Every ref knows that. If a ref knows he can make a mistake against City and not be talked about after the game then it makes those 50-50 decisions a lot easier to call.

I've heard Pearce express disappointment that a decision didn't go our way on more than one occasion this season, but he always qualifies it with a statement such as "That's his decision and we have to accept it".  He often does give credit to the officials, as he did to the ref with the penalty decision on monday, and for me that is exactly the right way to handle the issue of referees when dealing with the media.  I hate hearing managers whining about decisions that didn't go their way, it always makes me think less of the manager in question.  More power to Pearce for refusing to be drawn into that petty bitching, and long may he continue.

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Predicting false dawns since August '07.

Was just playing devils advocate with that one.

[qoute]I've heard Pearce express disappointment that a decision didn't go our way on more than one occasion this season, but he always qualifies it with a statement such as "That's his decision and we have to accept it".  He often does give credit to the officials, as he did to the ref with the penalty decision on monday, and for me that is exactly the right way to handle the issue of referees when dealing with the media.  I hate hearing managers whining about decisions that didn't go their way, it always makes me think less of the manager in question.  More power to Pearce for refusing to be drawn into that petty bitching, and long may he continue.[/quote]

Well, I certainly prefer SP's style to that of most managers. I certainly wouldn't want him to use the ref as an excuse for what was our own inability to impose our game on Watford. Just wish he wouldn't go so far the other way, thats all.

Predicting false dawns since August '07.

Bah Humbug! Barber (06/12/2006)

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I know what you mean BU, but for the minute I quite like his style.  My position may change at any given moment though.  As has been said, lets see how the ref does on saturday.

Maybe not, it is Graham Poll after all, and there is no legislating for what he might do!!

Keeper of the heretic's fork of doom.