Yes, This Man Is Going To The World Cup™: Howard Webb.

What sort of sound does he make when he brings his index fingers together in front of his chest and then violently separates them?

I’m not denying that it was a handball (outside the box, mind you). But how about Mr. Webb’s refusal to book Stevie G for his pathetic diving?

He goes to W’cup and that ref who made a brilliant backheel to give the advantage doesn’t.

Sigh.

I was going to say something, but looks like redgoon beat me to it. I found it funny that Rafa was asked a question about the handball outside the box, and he said it was a clear penalty after seeing the replay?!?!?

The problem is that the referee is standing on the other side of the wall and is waiting to see what will happen next.

This happened to Scotland against Brazil in the 1998 World Cup. A Scottish free kick hit a wall with Dunga handling it on the other side and the referee missed the call.

Until you put a second referee standing directly in front of the wall, behind the ball (or to the side slightly), it will never be caught except by the TV cameras.

Refereeing is a difficult job…If you’ve seen the documentary “Kill the Referee” about Refs of Euro 2008, it shows you a lot of what they go through.

which ref from England would you rather see at the WC?

Howard Webb is a good referee. At least he’s better than anyone who blogs about how he’s not very good.

“Until you put a second referee standing directly in front of the wall, behind the ball (or to the side slightly), it will never be caught except by the TV cameras.” – Jeremy Brahm | February 11th, 2010 at 11:22 am

Webb wasn’t behind the wall (see this video around minute 7)
http://arsenalist.com/2010/02/10/arsenal-vs-liverpool-highlights-diaby-gives-gunners-lead/

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard thinks the Reds should have had a last-gasp penalty in the 1-0 defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday.

“It’s a penalty. The ref told our wall in the first half ‘if anyone raises his hands, I’m going to give a penalty’,” Gerrard told BBC Radio Merseyside.

“But for some crazy reason he hasn’t given the decision. He said to me he never saw it.”

If it’s true that he didn’t see that then he is not fit to be a referee let alone a World Cup ref.

Why is so easy for everyone to ignore the fact that Stevie G dived to get that free kick anyways? The way I see it, no matter if the handball was intentional or not, he got what he deserved.

Omar, the free kick was for the foul on Kuyt… watch where he blows the whistle.

Omar, could you rewatch the video. The free kick was not given for “foul” on Gerrard. Immediately after Gerrard’s “dive” there was another foul which led to the free-kick (and you can see Webb indicating that the player was pushed).

Fair enough, sscouser. However the foul on Kuyt would not have mattered, had Stevie G been rightfully booked for his dive before that. We can agree that Howard Webb missed the call. However Liverpool has nothing to complain about.

“However the foul on Kuyt would not have mattered, had Stevie G been rightfully booked for his dive before that.” – Colman O’Meara | February 11th, 2010 at 1:37 pm

That wasn’t the only missed call. In the first half there were also some missed calls. Is it also safe to that if the ref had made right calls in the first half then the result would have been different?

sscouser you should try being a referee and then complain about missing calls. I am pretty sure you would miss calls on a U10 game let alone an EPL game.

An ad hominem argument, also known as argumentum ad hominem (Latin: “argument toward the person” or “argument against the person”) is an argument which links the validity of a premise to an irrelevant characteristic or belief of the person advocating the premise.

People who have never kicked a ball should never blame a player if he misses?

haaa, sour grapes all around. always turn out like this, whenever a call is not given in a crucial moment or so.

football is round. so is howard webb’s head.

you sometimes get the call, you sometimes dont. even if he does give a closer free kick, it’s still not a certain goal.

liverpool lost, deal with it. howard webb, meanwhile, like every other referee in the world, do make mistakes . deal with it as well.

Not surprised this hypocritical, distored, one-sided view of the game is written by Chris.

IT WAS NEVER A PENALTY! Cesc was NOT standing in the penalty box — unless there was a new rule established for Liverpool that handballs NOT in the penalty box suddenly become penalties???

And how utterly predictable of you, Chris, NOT to notice Webb’s REFUSAL to book Gerrard and Kuyt for their blatant diving. Gerrard has repeatedly dived throughout the season yet I see hysteria or villification of him in the British media. Certainly this site never mentions it.

How TOTALLY predictable of you, Chris, to COMPLETELY ignore the fact that the free kick given to Liverpool in the dying mins. of the game was UNDESERVED. It came from a BLATANT DIVE. SO JUSTICE WAS DONE — it was an undeserved free kick and it was never a penalty.

I guess dives from French and Arsenal players are the ONLY ones that merit attention from you.

So Cesc was “a pain in the ass?” throughout the game? Did you even WATCH the f—–g game??????? Your obvious biases totally overlooked the completely obnoxious behavior of Liverpool throughout the game. Apparently you missed all the other “pain in the ass” conduct from the Liverpool players, the multiple blatant diving that Webb REFUSED to book (while booking Bendtner for his dive), the deliberate elbow that injured Nasri, the CONSTANT surrounding of Webb demanding a penalty, a booking, etc., etc.

Which team repeatedly surrounded the ref demanding he make calls for them, Chris? Which one?

You should stop writing about Arsenal or France because you can’t hide your inherent biases, and you can’t watch these games with any kind of objectivity whatsoever.

That said, Coward Webb is an incompetent ass.

Dustin: “Howard Webb is a good referee. At least he’s better than anyone who blogs about how he’s not very good”

LOL! Don’t agree about Webb but great comment! Don’t take this blog seriously, this is all about Chris’ blatant biases, not anything objective at all.

Any objective view of the game would take into account Webb’s REFUSAL to book Liverpool for diving (more than once), while booking Arsenal for diving (once only), Webb’s laughable decision to grant that free kick at the end which was a crap decision based on a dive.

Gerrard has repeatedly dived all season long and there is no media outrage, certainly no blog from Chris fulminating about it.

CORRECTION: “yet I see hysteria or villification of him in the British media”

Of course I meant “yet I see NO hysteria or villification of him in the British media”

Hey if they’re having fun I get to have fun in calling sscouser and chris idiots.

:D Dustin, what wrong did I do? “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

Completely with Sandrahn on this — I’m not sure what Chris’s Arsenal/France-related childhood trauma is, but seriously, Chris, mate, go work it out with a therapist instead of constantly writing these classless anti-Arsenal, anti-France posts.

I have to agree with Sandrahn and Martin, i love to read the stuff that chris writes about Roma, but the anti Arsenal/France articles just make him seem bitter and ignorant.

I don’t mean to be rude, but anyone who thinks I’m anti-Arsenal, that I suggested a penalty (among other things) or that I walk through my days anti-France has some serious paranoia to work through.

I quite like Arsenal as English teams go.

Chris …. Don’t give it a second thought.

Sandrahn sees French haters everywhere…. It’s actually quite amusing.

You could pick a fault with any premier league referee sent to the world cup they all miss things or decide not to give them when with the hindsight of tv and slow motion replays they are obvious fouls.

That said Webb must have been the only person in the ground that day that didnt see it hit his hand, just because it wasnt a free kick doesnt mean the resulting handball shouldnt be given.

I see all the liverpool fans are moaning about webb now? Didn’t say anything when he gave a legal goal offside in the spurs match or a stonewall pen in the same game!! I don’t thing any refs from the epl are good enough for the world cup. Webb certainly isn’t

Rob and your fellow Man Useless fans should be the last people to complain about officiation