Football Special Report: Howard Webb and his ‘affection’ for Manchester United - Part 1
Manchester United defeated http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809 on Sunday in the third round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford with a very controversial penalty awarded by match referee Howard Webb. This was not the first time that Webb has done the Red Devils a favour.
Whenever, he officiates at Old Trafford something is bound to happen. Perhaps there is some soft corner for United in his heart or he just uncannily gave a controversial decision in their favour.
Whatever be the case, it can be judged by the referee’s last 10 visits to Old Trafford:
Man United 1 Man City 2, February 10, 2008
Manchester City won the match more comfortably than the score line suggests with United only managing to score their consolation goal in the injury time. It was a relatively easy day at work for the World Cup referee and the last time United failed to win
a game at home with Howard Webb officiating.
Man United 2 Arsenal 1, April 19, 2008
Five Arsenal players were booked during the course of the 90 minutes at Old Trafford. United scored their opening goal on the night from the spot when Howard Webb awarded them a penalty after http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/William-Gallas-c36874 handled the ball in the box.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Owen-Hargreaves-c28918 scored from a free kick to award United the win. But, it was the penalty decision that attracted criticism from all corners as the hand ball by Gallas appeared to be inadvertent.
Man United 3 http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 0, January 11, 2009
Just two days prior to this game at Old Trafford, Rafael Benitez asked Luiz Felipe Scolar to man mark United’s staff at the half time whistle so that they cannot reach the referee and influence him in any way. Howard Webb booked four Chelsea players in the
opening 30 minutes of the game before Nemenja Vidic opened the scoring heading home from a Ryan Giggs' corner.
Just before the opening goal was scored, a perfectly legitimate goal by United was disallowed by Webb after Rooney had taken a quick short corner that was not spotted by the referee.
Man United 2 Blackburn 1, February 21, 2009
Howard Webb disallowed another perfectly legitimate goal by Johnny Evans in the game and booked Ronaldo for diving in the box in an effort to get a penalty kick. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Rovers-c40385 complained that the Portuguese should have been sent off after he deliberately kicked
the ball out of play in frustration but Webb failed to act.
The game was devoid of any other controversy but Sam Allardyce was of the opinion that Ronaldo should have been sent off for his second bookable offence that the referee failed to notice.
Man United 5 Tottenham 2, April 24, 2009
A leading British newspaper described this match as one that decided the championship that season. United found themselves trailing by 2 goals to nil with only half an hour left on the clock when Howard Webb, from 35 yards away and terribly behind the play,
decided to award Manchester United a penalty that kick-started a United comeback.
Huerllho Gomez tipped http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Michael-Carrick-c25282 in the box and Webb blows the whistle pointing towards the spot from 35 yards out.
There was no way in h**l that Webb could have spotted the incident clearly from that far out. Spurs manager claimed after that match that it seemed like Webb had already made up his mind before the game to award United a penalty.
Redknapp said after the game that it was a decision that turned the match upside down and shifted the momentum in United’s favour. Yet it was a remarkable victory by United who went on to win the match 5-2 after trailing for more than an hour in the game.
Continued in Part 2...
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