This week has seen a couple of questionable calls from around football, including David Moyes’ defending of serial diver Ashley Young, but the standout bad decision came from Andre Marriner and his team at Stamford Bridge.
Marriner made the poor call, probably to win back his old enemy Jose Mourinho, by awarding Chelsea a penalty after Ramires’ awful dive. The decision in itself doesn’t warrant the title of Worst Call in itself but the timing, the effect on the match and the potential effect it could have on both Chelsea and West Brom’s seasons. The penalty denied the Baggies a vital win and left Chelsea with a point, which keeps them above the chasing pack and in real pursuit of first place.
Ramires cannot escape condemnation too. His simple run and hope was rewarded only after he forced his way into a West Brom defender and spread his arms out to signal being hit by the sniper squad. However, referees are becoming wiser to this and did Marriner expect Chelsea to not be diving about in order to reclaim a point and preserve their impressive home record under Mourinho?
So Mr. Marriner, where do you go from here? Well, to start off with, perhaps avoid any Chelsea fixtures. You clearly don’t have the best of judgment when it comes to big calls in their games, be it for or against. There could be a nice home for you at Old Trafford, home of controversial decisions for years now, although you’ll have to make sure they go the home side’s way or you’ll be out on the streets again, begging for a lowly match at Craven Cottage.
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