Refs and the different standards they have

 I watched some of the Blackburn v Everton match and could not believe it when Arteta was not sent off for poking his finger in Gamst Pedersons eye.When I think back to the Benfica match and we had Babel sent off and he never even made contact with the Benfica player.All Babel did was put his hand up in front of the players face.Is it time the F.A. and the Referees Association took action against these Refs who constantly make bad decisions and consequently affect the result of a match.

This is a huge problem which has been discussed many times, it's the inconsistency of Referee's that rile fans, how can some players get away with poking/raising hands to another player and get away with it and exactly the same can happen in a different game and yet that player walks away scott free, it's wrong and it's a major problem which badly needs addressing.

The standard of refereeing this season has been appalling.

I have to be honest and say that I think the refs, by and large, do a fairly decent job.

Just imagine what it must be like for them. 22 cheating bas**rds appealing, diving, conning, trying to get a way with stuff throughout, mostly hostile fans booing and whistling every little thing.

Truly, the fact that they get most decisions correct is a miracle.

It always makes me laugh when a manager or a fan says something like "if I could see it from 60 yards away, how come he couldn't see it from 5?", not for one second imagining that the very facts within their statement could open the door to the possibility that their own long-distance view is the one that is incorrect.

And don't get me started on TV pundits....even after multiple replays showing how borderline a decision is they still see fit to hammer the poor ref.

No, for me the only issue with refs is based on how they are basically set up to fail by the "authorities"....diving and most of the other cheating could quite easily stamped out but the FA, Premier League, UEFA etc. are just not interested in backing the refs up. It is a bit like the way the courts don't back up our police....the police arrest 'em, the courts give 'em a slap on the wrist.

Anyway. enough said by me, except that I am just sick-to-death of hearing people moaning about refs. It is unfair and monumentally boring. (No offence to you posters whom I generally respect and enjoy...it is just the topic that bores me!)

When players are consistent, game in game out, making no mistakes, then - and only then - will I start to expect perfection from referees.  Can't be easy being on a pitch, when, often, all 22 players are lying & trying to con you.  Then the abuse from both sets of fans & the bench.