Howard Webb

[Micky]

Webb had a shocker. Will be the last big game he gets

 

Errr what...??? He and his team had a decent game, refereeing THE biggest game on the planet. The players made it a fractuous affair with constant fouling and calling for cards. He did very well to keep all the players on the field for as long as he did.

 

There is no bigger game than that that he has just officiated at - so you could well be right in a way - he won't get a bigger game.

[chrisobee]

That was simply an impossible game to referee, De Jong should definitely have gone in the 1st half, probably Van Bommel too. However, as Micky says the players and especially the Dutch were a disgrace. Webb was in an impossible situation, send off 2 Dutch players and be damned or try to give them the benefit of the doubt and keep it 11 v 11. In fact I do believe if he had had a mind too Webb could easily have sent 5 Dutch players which of course then means the game has to be abandoned as Holland have less than 7 players ( almost certain that is the rule still ). In fact send off 2/3 and suddenly Dutch players go off injured and they contrive to go down to 6. A dreadful advert for the game, I wouldn't be surprised if FIFA lay the blame at the door of the officials but that would be typical and totally wrong IMO. The players have a responsibilty to the game, themselves, everyone but many are too arrogant to realise. Cheating is what I'll remember this WC for, I rarely stick up for officials but as I said that was too much for anyone I venture to suggest.

[explorer saint]

Webb had a shocker so no chance of regaining any uk pride how he missed the sending of of de jong is a mystery to all, taxi for webb

[St Landrew]

I thought Webb and his assistants had a pretty good game. He tried to keep 22 players on the field and, unlike some other referees, didn't succumb to a strange need to even up the numbers once one player had been sent off. However, I can only speak of what I saw, because if you take the spectacle away, that was a pretty bloody boring game of football. I can appreciate skill as a football fan/purist, but when I see so many sideway and backward passes, I begin to wonder whether there's something better on Dave or Quest. Spain may be able to show everyone how possession football should be played, but if the rest of the world adopt it, then I'll stop watching. For their part, Holland must take their share of the blame for being so negative, and in the end it probably contributed to their own downfall. I don't think Johan Cruyff would have been impressed by them.

[Give it to Ron]

Webb had an impossible task to do and did the best he could under those circumstances. He did a really good job.

[OldNick]

If a player should be sent off why should the ref keep a player on? In most league games there would have been at least 2 sendings off in the first half.Are the rules different for the final. I recall when England played Holland in the Euros and a Holland player ahould have been sent off for a professional foul, he went on to score the winner that knocked us out, is that correct just to keep the game as a spectacle?

[Kingsbridge Saint]

He had a good game in almost impossible conditions - missed the dutch corner AND the foul on the Dutch youngster that led to the goal though.

[Doctoroncall]

What got me is after the first 15 minutes anyone could tell what the Dutch were up to, Webb should have had a quiet word with the Dutch captain about the aggressive tackles and getting a player set-off would not do them any favours. The Dutch brought it on themselves and by the time De Jong did his Karate stamp on Alonso, they couldn't have complained if he was sent off but Webb bottled it.

[angelman]

agree, the refs should do what they do in rugby and call over the captain (or rather both of them) and give them a stern talking to.

 

The game was poor, but I can't see how Webb can get the blame for ruining it. What would have been worse, what happened last night, or two or 3 sent off in the first half. If that had happened, the whinging that would be going on today would be even more. As usual FIFA haven't come out and backed up their official. There are a few mistakes in every game, and I don't think that the Dutch can blame the goal on not being given a corner. That was 100 yards away and there were 8 or 9 players between the Spanish and the goal. So that is a bit spurious.

[suewhistle]

..and still the Dutch coach had the cheek to criticise Webb. What would have happened if he had sent a couple of players off, which he'd have been justified in doing?

 

Basically he was on a hiding to nothing: the game was a real poison chalice given the approach of the Dutch.

 

If I were being cycnical I'd think that the Dutch were banking on it being the final to get away with it more than in some less important game.

Edited 12 July, 2010 by suewhistle
whatismore...

[Thedelldays]

If a player should be sent off why should the ref keep a player on? In most league games there would have been at least 2 sendings off in the first half.Are the rules different for the final. I recall when England played Holland in the Euros and a Holland player ahould have been sent off for a professional foul, he went on to score the winner that knocked us out, is that correct just to keep the game as a spectacle?

it would not have been 2 sendings off so early if it was a league game.....

when does that ever happen..?

 

plenty of teams (bolton) use bully boy tactics because the gulf between the two teams is massive...im sure we will experience this at times in the coming season

 

Webb did well to try and keep the game a spectacle....the holland players let themselves down..they are better than they were yesterday

 

 

instead of blaming Webb, why not blame Robben..he missed 2 glorious chances that would/could have won the game for them..

[OldNick]

it would not have been 2 sendings off so early if it was a league game.....

when does that ever happen..?

 

plenty of teams (bolton) use bully boy tactics because the gulf between the two teams is massive...im sure we will experience this at times in the coming season

 

Webb did well to try and keep the game a spectacle....the holland players let themselves down..they are better than they were yesterday

 

 

instead of blaming Webb, why not blame Robben..he missed 2 glorious chances that would/could have won the game for them..

Im not necessarily blaming Webb but pointing out that IMo he is not consistant.Big games he seems to follow different rules. The commentator mentioned that in the league dup he should have sent Vidic off for his professional foul but just booked him.I suggest that in normal league games he would have followed the book.

I don't get the , 'it will ruin the game' if a player is sent off. No if they had sent 1 of those Dutch players off in the first half, the game would not have been ruined by the Spanish being kicked out of the game. had Van Bommel De Jong or another scored the winner would have Webb done his job properly?

[Lord Duckhunter]

I thought Webb was pretty poor yesterday, but what really got my goat was the BBC pundits obsession with the Spainish and constant slagging of the Dutch. Had they sat back and let Spain play, they'd have lost 3 or 4 nil. It's the WC Final and they had to get amongst them. Apart from the kung Fu kick the tackles weren't that bad and had Webb stuck to the letter of the law, then Iniesta should have been off as well. I saw 3 occasions when he waved an imaginery card at Webb (which is an ungentlemanly conduct booking). The free kick that hit the wall was clearly a corner and that was a major mistake. Robbin should have hit the deck, when Puyol clearly impeded him. Which is exactly what Iniesta did when Heitinga gave him the briefest of touches and he went down in a heap. Both sides cheated and spoilt a show picece and Webb never really got control of the game.

[chrisobee]

I thought Webb was pretty poor yesterday, but what really got my goat was the BBC pundits obsession with the Spainish and constant slagging of the Dutch. Had they sat back and let Spain play, they'd have lost 3 or 4 nil. It's the WC Final and they had to get amongst them. Apart from the kung Fu kick the tackles weren't that bad and had Webb stuck to the letter of the law, then Iniesta should have been off as well. I saw 3 occasions when he waved an imaginery card at Webb (which is an ungentlemanly conduct booking). The free kick that hit the wall was clearly a corner and that was a major mistake. Robbin should have hit the deck, when Puyol clearly impeded him. Which is exactly what Iniesta did when Heitinga gave him the briefest of touches and he went down in a heap. Both sides cheated and spoilt a show picece and Webb never really got control of the game.

 

Not sure what game you were watching to be honest, not the one that appeared on my TV screen it seems. I defy any referee to have stood a chance in that game, simply impossible and the people to blame are clearly the players, primarily the Dutch but Spain weren't blameless. Only real piece of sportsmanship which seems largely to have gone unmentioned was Robin Van Persie playing a corner to the Spanish goalkeeper after the Dutch returned the ball somewhat waywardly but Casillas made a mess of trying to collect it. Could actually have ended up in the net, what on earth would have happened then ? So credit to Van Persie for that but very few other Dutch players set any kind of example, it really was a shameful exhibition and in my opinion FIFA should for once do the right thing and speak out against the Dutch behaviour rather than say nothing or come out at some point and at the very least acknowledge Webb was in a hopeless position. It really could have ended in a real farce with the Dutch maybe down to 7 players, the amazing things are firstly they didn't and secondly that the game didn't really explode.

[Wade Garrett]

The Dutch were an absolute disgrace to the game of football last night. The Swiss beat Spain by playing a bit of football, it is a sad indictment on that tosser of a Dutch coach, and his dirty son-in-law (Van Bommel) that they had to resort to the ugliest type of football, when they've actually got decent players who can play the game.

 

If I was Blatter I'd be slagging them off to all and sundry, and banning them from the next World Cup. They reduced the biggest match on the planet to a Sunday morning pub kickabout.

 

Dirk Kuyt is a knob as well to come out and blame Webb for their defeat. Have a look in the mirror you clogger.

[Wade Garrett]

If all the Dutch have got to moan about is a corner that they should have got, then the Webb hysteria really is an over-reaction by a load of cry-babies in clogs.

 

I f*cking hate those Dutch c*nts.

[sadoldgit]

I feel sorry for Webb. What a lot of t*ssers. The only way they will learn is to be sent off but you can't blame him for wanting to keep players on the pitch. Torres must be the worst player in a World Cup to pick up a winner medal. Will we remember the Dutch for Total Football now are Total Thuggery? Apart from the odd game a poor WC. How do you win it with one decent striker?

[chrisobee]

Well Sepp Blatter has actually surprised me by coming out and blaming the players :

 

" Until the final we could say this tournament saw fair play............ it was a very hard task that the refereeing trio had on the field. They were not helped by the players (who) should never forget the basics of discipline and respect."

 

Johan Cruff has also accused the Dutch of playing "anti football" though the Dutch team led by the moronic Arjen Robben continue to slate him. Personally I'd ban the worst offenders for a very long time !

At least Howard Webb's Mum still loves him calling the Dutch behaviour "diabolical" .

[GenevaSaint]

Im not necessarily blaming Webb but pointing out that IMo he is not consistant.Big games he seems to follow different rules.

 

Where do you draw the line though Nick? In the premier league we see offences every week that in parks football you'd be sent off for. Calling the ref a **** seems to be acceptable in the "professional" game. That's even the same in the Wessex league.

[Thedelldays]

how can they still blame webb...if anything he was too leanient...ffs

 

robben should look at himself..2 one-on-ones missed

[OldNick]

Where do you draw the line though Nick? In the premier league we see offences every week that in parks football you'd be sent off for. Calling the ref a **** seems to be acceptable in the "professional" game. That's even the same in the Wessex league.

 

well i didnt call the ref a #### in the Forum game and was still sent off, Lol. Webb would have appreciated my in depth knowledge I was imparting to the ref on the night

[Durleyfos]

Am I right in thinking teams get a punishment from the FA if they go over a certain bumber of bookings in a game?

 

If so, then the same should apply to international matches.

[chrisobee]

Am I right in thinking teams get a punishment from the FA if they go over a certain bumber of bookings in a game?

 

If so, then the same should apply to international matches.

 

That was the case I know, whether it still applies I don't know. I'd guess yes. However, in this case regardless of any specific rules FIFA really need to take some action though I'd be inclined to look at the players and give bans to the worst offenders though I then guess the large clubs whose players are involved will start throwing their weight around.