Irons/Chelsea ref announced

I’m not among those conspiracy theorists who see the choice of referee for a game as particularly good or bad news.

However, I’ll make an exception in the case of Mike Dean who I have often found to be well over fussy,  perhaps more than a little filled with his own importance and on several occasions just wrong.

Dean has been announced as the man in the middle for the game against Chelsea and we have had a mixed time recently when he has been involved as the main match official.

He took control of three of our games last season and they ended in a win – over Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup – a draw with the same opposition in the league and a defeat away at Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have won the last five games in which Dean has refereed their games and lost just two of the last 20 plus games when he’s been in control.

That may have more to do with Chelsea’s form than any decisions of his as the Blues look for their sixth win and the Irons their second.