Untold Ref Review: Tottenham Hotspur 1 – 3 Manchester United « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade
Today’s referee is Martin Atkinson – Well it has been a while since Atkinson has done a United game if my memory serves me right.
| MATCH REVIEW DETAILS – Martin Atkinson (2012-03-04) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | ||||||
| Min | Type | Foul from | On | C/NC | Comment | Weight |
| 2 | OTHER | Jones | Ekoto | NC | Jones comes in frontal and blocks the ball but then kicks Ekoto with the other leg. Not given | 1 |
| 8 | OTHER | Sandro | Scholes | NC | Tackle from behind not given | 1 |
| 8 | YELLOW | Sandro | NC | Late challenge from behind without possibilty to play the ball, should be a caution always | 2 | |
| 10 | OTHER | Nani | Ekoto | C | Assumed correct, not shown | 1 |
| 25 | OTHER | Young | Walker | NC | Kick on the ankle at the corner flag not given | 1 |
| 27 | OTHER | Jones | Saha | C | Trip from behind | 1 |
| 27 | YELLOW | Jones | C | Just outside the penalty area, he ran after him for a while and then tripped him, a promising attack | 2 | |
| 37 | OTHER | Adebayor | C | Handball | 1 | |
| 37 | GOAL | Tottenham | C | The ball hit Adebayor in his mid rif but then he pushed the ball with his arm in his path and scored a goal. The ref disallowed it for handball. Correct decision as he moved his hand to the ball | 3 | |
| 37 | YELLOW | Adebayor | NC | When you score after a handball you should be penalised with a yellow card | 2 | |
| 38 | OTHER | Rooney | King | NC | Jumps in his back, not given | 1 |
| 40 | OTHER | Adebayor | C | handball, with both arms even | 1 | |
| 42 | OTHER | Rooney | Sandro | C | Trip | 1 |
| 43 | OTHER | Adebayor | Jones | C | push in the back | 1 |
| 44 | OTHER | Sandro | Young | C | Caught him on his boot | 1 |
| 44 | YELLOW | Sandro | C | a bit late so can be given | 2 | |
| 45 | GOAL | MU | C | Correct goal | 3 | |
| Period 2 | ||||||
| Min | Type | Foul from | On | C/NC | Comment | Weight |
| 48 | OTHER | Ekoto | Rooney | C | High foot | 1 |
| 49 | OTHER | Jones | Adebayor | C | Leaning on him | 1 |
| 52 | OTHER | Scholes | Modric | C | Kick from behind | 1 |
| 53 | OTHER | C | Jones runs against Modric and goes down holding his head, the ref stops play | 1 | ||
| 54 | OTHER | Livermore | Jones | NC | High foot | 1 |
| 55 | OTHER | Adebayor | Scholes | C | Trip | 1 |
| 58 | OTHER | Evra | Modric | C | Trip | 1 |
| 59 | PENALTY | Ferdinand | Adebayor | C | No replay shown so I will stick with the ref who gave nothing | 3 |
| 60 | GOAL | MU | C | Correct goal | 3 | |
| 64 | OTHER | Young | Walker | C | Pull | 1 |
| 69 | GOAL | MU | C | Correct goal | 3 | |
| 71 | OTHER | Sandro | Rooney | C | Trip | 1 |
| 72 | OTHER | Adebayor | Evra | C | Trip | 1 |
| 74 | OTHER | Adebayor | Evans | C | Came in with the arm leading | 1 |
| 75 | OTHER | Rooney | Saha | C | push in the back | 1 |
| 76 | OTHER | King | Welbeck | C | Trip | 1 |
| 87 | GOAL | Tottenham | C | Correct goal | 3 | |
| 88 | OTHER | Evans | Rose | C | Trip | 1 |
| 88 | YELLOW | Evans | C | stopping a promising attack | 2 | |
| 92 | OFFSIDE | C | 1 | |||
| 93 | OTHER | Evans | Adebayor | C | push in the back | 1 |
All in all a rather fair game from the ref. He missed a few things early on in the game but then gradually got better.
A talking point was the disallowed goal from Adebayor. The ball hit him on his midrif but then he moved his left arm to the ball and pushed it on so the ref was correct in ruling this goal out.
Another moment that could have gone against United was the penalty shout for a possible foul on Adebayor. No replays were shown at the time so I will stick with the ref on this one.
| COMPETENCY SUMMARY – Martin Atkinson (2012-03-04) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | Called | Total | Correct % |
| GOAL | 2 | 2 | 100.00 |
| OTHER | 7 | 11 | 63.64 |
| YELLOW | 2 | 4 | 50.00 |
| TOTAL | 11 | 17 | 64.71 |
| WEIGHTED | 17 | 25 | 68.00 |
| Period 2 | Called | Total | Correct % |
| GOAL | 3 | 3 | 100.00 |
| OFFSIDE | 1 | 1 | 100.00 |
| OTHER | 14 | 15 | 93.33 |
| PENALTY | 1 | 1 | 100.00 |
| YELLOW | 1 | 1 | 100.00 |
| TOTAL | 20 | 21 | 95.24 |
| WEIGHTED | 29 | 30 | 96.67 |
| Totals | Called | Total | Correct % |
| GOAL | 5 | 5 | 100.00 |
| OFFSIDE | 1 | 1 | 100.00 |
| OTHER | 21 | 26 | 80.77 |
| PENALTY | 1 | 1 | 100.00 |
| YELLOW | 3 | 5 | 60.00 |
| TOTAL | 31 | 38 | 81.58 |
| WEIGHTED | 46 | 55 | 83.64 |
A rather poor start from the ref but a very good finish of the game. His second half was almost perfect.
| BIAS SUMMARY – Martin Atkinson (2012-03-04) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Period 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | % | Manchester United | % | Total |
| Correct For | 4 | 36.36 | 7 | 63.64 | 11 |
| Correct For Weighted | 5 | 29.41 | 12 | 70.59 | 17 |
| Incorrect Against | 3 | 50.00 | 3 | 50.00 | 6 |
| Incorrect Against Weighted | 3 | 37.50 | 5 | 62.50 | 8 |
| Fouls Commited | 5 | 45.45 | 6 | 54.55 | 11 |
| Fouls Penalised | 4 | 80.00 | 3 | 50.00 | 7 |
| Period 2 | Tottenham Hotspur | % | Manchester United | % | Total |
| Correct For | 10 | 50.00 | 10 | 50.00 | 20 |
| Correct For Weighted | 13 | 44.83 | 16 | 55.17 | 29 |
| Incorrect Against | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 100.00 | 1 |
| Incorrect Against Weighted | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 100.00 | 1 |
| Fouls Commited | 8 | 53.33 | 7 | 46.67 | 15 |
| Fouls Penalised | 7 | 87.50 | 7 | 100.00 | 14 |
| Totals | Tottenham Hotspur | % | Manchester United | % | Total |
| Correct For | 14 | 45.16 | 17 | 54.84 | 31 |
| Correct For Weighted | 18 | 39.13 | 28 | 60.87 | 46 |
| Incorrect Against | 3 | 42.86 | 4 | 57.14 | 7 |
| Incorrect Against Weighted | 3 | 33.33 | 6 | 66.67 | 9 |
| Fouls Commited | 13 | 50.00 | 13 | 50.00 | 26 |
| Fouls Penalised | 11 | 84.62 | 10 | 76.92 | 21 |
The bias table is also very well split up between both teams.
After the controversy of last years game between Chelsea and Manchester united at Stamford Bridge it took Atkinson almost one year to get another United game. So he did what most human beings would do: rule out any controversial decision going against United. He didn’t hold the cards behind against United (a mild way of showing some protest?) but when it mattered he gave the advantage of the doubt to United. Not saying that he tilted the game but I think I could see some making sure nothing could be said after the game of doing something against United.
Because let’s face it a ref wants to do those kind of games. If you as a ref had the choice between doing Wigan – Stoke or Tottenham – Manchester United? What would you like to do most? The choice is obvious for any ref and so he took the road to those kind of games again and I think SAF and Mike Riley will allow him back in after this game. Not sure he will ever get Chelsea – United ever again in his live but after this game I think he will be given more important games again.