It’s the worst cliche in football but it is the only one we can use after the drama of Old Trafford today: “We were robbed.”
ClaretandHugh chief analyst Leroy Rosenior had said in his preview of the game the Hammers would win if there were no dodgy refereeing decisions – sadly there were and both cost us a place in the semi-final draw on our own.
Dimitri Payet’s magnificent free kick which gave us the lead was a goal worthy to win any game – Manchester United’s equaliser was a horrendous blot on the game’s landscape.
And on top of all that Marcus Rojo clearly fouled Dimi ahead of the opening goal and everybody agreed – including TV ref Howard Webb – that a penalty should have been given.
Then as the Hammers headed to what would have been a great victory, Martial hooked in from close range but only after Bastian Schweinsteiger had flattened Darren Randolph in the build-up giving him no chance of making any sort of save.
Okay it was all-action stuff but referees are paid enormous sums to get things such as those right and Martin Atkinson failed miserably when the chips were down.
However, maybe we should have had everything tied up much earlier when the ineffective Emenike fired wide in a one-on-one with De Gea and Andy Carroll saw a couple of efforts fly over the top.
United were far better than they had been at Liverpool but the Irons were more than their match for most of the game and will fancy themselves big time in the replay. So they should.
United are fragile away from home and in what will be the last ever FA Cup game under the Boleyn lights – with players coming back – we have to be favourites.
Today we showed real resilience, power, strength and flair and didn’t get our just desserts. I’m toally convinced on what I saw today it will be an entirely different story at Fortress Boleyn.
Any free kick won within 30 yards of goal,is the same as a penalty to Payet.A
The challenge before the goal was a disgrace. Anyone in the ground could see it.
I have read on sites people say that to be fair they didn’t notice the challenge on Randolph till the replays.Well thats fair enough but we ain’t on the pitch.The officials are paid to notice things like that.Are you trying to tell me none of the officials saw it.Bullsh]t,just a blind eye turned at Old Trafford just for a change!
Martin Atkinson is a notorious “homer”. The foul on Randolph was so obviouse that it turns out the only one that didn`t see it was him. He should watch tonight and be ashamed. The ref has been true to form and bottled it again . Why can`t he grow a pair and stop being a homer?
I’ve never seen the point of Howard Webb giving his opinion on various incidents – the Ref’s made the decision and it makes no difference what Howard Webb thinks!
All Ref’s make an occasional ricket – some more than others but that’s just part of the game!
Was ment to be,with them not going very far in The Europe we need to have replays so we get a better last game at home,
It’s not just the ref the Lino could also see and probably the other Lino had a better view from up the pitch,
We should have put the game to bed AC and Emineke are not our 20 goal a season CF
Sak has got to start we look a better team with him in,
We deserved more but it’s another big game at home for the fans and the old ground,
Maybe a honest ref next game and I apologise to the Pundits you are so good at your jobs what do I know
******* don`t keep making excuses for them, if i made the **** ups at they make i wouldn`t have a job. why was Randolph already in the back of the net. Surely the ref has got to think about it. Also where was the linesman?
Why is it they are allowed to make a ricket in life and Fukc up so many dreams,if you don’t do your job right you are out on your ear,
Every week now there are probably 12 rickets in the premier,the 4 official normally can’t tell the time if a top 6 team are behind ( us not included ) they add on 6-7-8 minutes extra time for nothing,if it’s others it’s 1/2 minutes,
There should be a appeal system against Refs
We need a school for young refs to produce a good standard there is enough money in the game,
Not directed at you Bubs but Michael what are yuo thinking of? We have been robbed. How can you not be angry? Im ****** furious. Don`t make excuses for incompetent *****
I know mate I was also answering that fine gentleman,,
Why would anyone come on a Westham site and stand up for someone who just nearly ****** up our season,
There is a reason these people ref,normally because they can’t play the game but love it and want to be part of it,but because they were never any good at playing it is why they make Rickets,it was probably that the ref had looked at past history of the player and thought he would never have done that he is a clean player unlike Mata
Our game is full of *****
It was the officials turning a blind eye.I saw a guy on another site come up with a great point.You can bet your bottom dollar if it had been Carroll on De Gea the ref or assitant would have seen it.Simple,Old Trafford,Man.Utd goal in the 83rd minute it wasn’t going to be disallowed.No way.Infuriating for sure.
The officials of the FA can see it with their eyes so need to do something about it,
If our manager made a comment about it he would end up with a fine even a ban,
If Slav could see it then the 4th official could see it,also the 3rd Lino,why did he not stand with his flag above his head as they are trained to do,
No more I could go on for ever about blind people in black
The things that bugs me though is that in general goalies are untouchable.Now many times do players get given a foul against them for only bumping into a goalie at a corner.Randolph gets bundled into the net with no other players round them both & the officials don’t see it???? Do me a favour!!! Man.Utd at Old Tractors & the officials go blind.awful officiating to my mind.
Trafford,not Tractors,ha ha,bloody predictive text,lol
You and I know that nothing will be done bubs , this has been going on for decades !
We will have to do it again and hope the same thing doesn’t happen in the replay,
We have to score 2 or 3 goals at our place to counteract the decisions , we’ve always done itbefore , we need to regroup and go again. Sakho would have scored at least one of eminem misses , probably two ! Lol, the header and shot were poor , carol aand sakho need to lead the attack in the replay, Eminem was poor in my opinion today , but the crout had a score to settle and got away with it , he wasn’t looking for the ball he made a beeline for randy and blocked him , clear foul , cheating German **** .
Well done to carol , his effort was superp and even better he didn’t get injured , but as with lanzini they put another game to bed and getting fitter , they should be up to max in a coupleof weeks , which is about right for the replay ,
We are going to need everyone of then the way our games are building up,the good thing is it’s another game for them to,I hope they get 3 against Liverpoor, the more games for the the better for us in the league,
It’s another 3 hard games now and we need to put Chelski,Gooners and Leicester to the sword as well as the reply,
Big call but I think we can win all 4 and if we do we could be in 4th place and in the semi,
So it’s back to Sak leading the attack
Sorry John but Byram back at full back Antonio back on the right,
Bring Carroll on for the last 20/25 every game Moses and Valencia as well
Fukc the officials if we score enough goals they can’t cancel out all of them,
Double over Chelski and Gooners will feel great
Taking carol off with ten to go when we are leading 1 – 0 was a mistake in my opinion. That’s because I think Carroll is at his best at the end of a game when the game tends to go a bit longer with a team chasing the game. Carroll gives as much defensively as he does going forwards in these situations. The position Carroll had been protecting Randolph, heading set pieces clear up to that point. Enner came on for Andy but enner is a runner and doesn’t give you much defensively. We also had a number of corners at the end of the game. That’s the time when you want Carroll on the pitch for the set pieces. I’m sure dimi would have found him with one of those corners. This is why people say Carroll is a great impact sub coming on at the end of games.
Atkinson is a poor ref. He thinks he is great, he isn’t. I see him making all sorts of mistakes over and over and over again.He is with Dean and Moss, one of those who need to go. You can have a bad day, you can make the excuse that “you did not see it because view was blocked by other players”. That is not good enough in today’s game. This ref also has the horrible anxiety to be a part of the show. He absolutely needs to stand out, either by giving silly yellows or by making something else that will get people talking about him. His approach is the wrong one. The best refs are the ones you hardly comment anything about at the end of the match. And, as I said, it he is a repeat offender who does no favour to the English competition (nor the European for that matter).
Get him to take a refresher course and ref U-14s so that he understands that this is about the players (and the crowd who pay the admission ticket), not about him.
I think all this ref bashing as though they have an agenda other than to officate fairly is pure sh1t. I think they are human and can make mistakes.
Indeed sometimes I marvel at how many close calls they get right, especially offsides where they have to look at 2 places at the same time (the player kicking the ball and the potential off side player)…How do they do THAT??!
That’s why it is absolutely about time TV replays were brought in, like Rugby. I also think that managers should be allowed to appeal 1 decision per half, and can appeal another if they get the 1st right etc. That would expose continued poor referreeing.
Now that Blatter is splattered (hooray!), I understand his (corrupt?!! Ha!) replacement, Infantino, is all for TV decision replays. About bl00dy time!
What I couldn’t understand was why did none of our players appealled their goal – they must have seen Randy in the back of the net.