endof Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 It was a very poor decision and I would agree with the sentiment that had it been the other way round our player would have probably been sent off. But I think on the day, much as it grieves me to say it. I think Man U were the better side. Yes we would have had a much better chance against 10 men but we did not capitalise at VP. Dowd was shite and a referee favoured Man U, so what's new! My overall sense was that Villa looked overawed by the whole occasion. Got to agree with that,they looked shakey at the back from the start ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Never liked the word removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ricardomeister Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I have checked my sky plus and Lawrenson, Hanson, Shearer, Southgate and Gray all said red card. Radio 5 even said that Taggart has admitted that Vidic should have gone. It looks like Dowd and Vidic are the only ones who thought it didn't deserve a red. I bet Dowd gets away with it too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Bet you Ferguson will not have anything to say about it, had the same happened to him, the FA headquarters would have come crashing down! Phil Dowd is a disgrace, the more I see the incident, the more laughable it gets, as for Vidic, you SERBIAN prat you may have been between the goal but he went past you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurtsimonw Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 as for Vidic, you SERBIAN prat you may have been between the goal but he went past you! His reasoning for it to not be a red card is quite laughable really isn't it. It doesn't even make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 I have checked my sky plus and Lawrenson, Hanson, Shearer, Southgate and Gray all said red card. Radio 5 even said that Taggart has admitted that Vidic should have gone. It looks like Dowd and Vidic are the only ones who thought it didn't deserve a red. I bet Dowd gets away with it too! As did Alan Parry, Andy Gray, Dwight Yorke and Jamie Redknapp on the coverage I saw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Graham Poll is supporting the refs, okay the rules are this if Gabby went ahead of Vidic and he was fouled then he'd have been off but becase he was between the goal and still stops a goalscoring opportunity, he doesn't get sent off! They both equal the same as would be logic and now the FA are trying to cover this injustice! Well I don't buy this crap, united should have given Dowd a medal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaAndLoyal Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 The ref had little to do with this. The simple fact is that we were not good enough, MON has taken us as far as he can. for todays game it was the be all and end all of game changing moments. 10 players for 85 minutes and a goal down. it effects everything man utd had planned including subs, formation and tactics. to say the ref was little to do with the defeat is just as bizarre as the decisions 'red phil' was making. this. Their best central defender getting sent off would have changed the entire complexity of the game, added to the fact that Milner stuck away the penalty so it would have been a double blow early on. Presumably United would have then sacrificed an attacker or a midfielder to fill the gap so that would have meant they were carrying a weaker attacking threat ALL game whilst being 1-0 down and having a weaker defence playing. Eventually however they would have had to have really pushed for an equaliser/winner which would have left big gaps for us to exploit on the counter attack. Yes we lost, and this is not sour grapes because I am proud to be Villa today and already looking forward to playing Small Heath in the FA Cup Semi- BUT it should not be underestimated what a huge decision that was and it could well have given us that edge we needed today. The psycological blow of losing a player in such a crucial position so early on in a Cup Final would have been massive. And it was a red card, stone-wall. Vidic was the last man, and he fouled Gabby deep inside the box in a fairly central position. The fact that Vidic was back alongside Gabby when he made the challenge has no bearing on anything, he was still last man and it was a disgraceful decision, but not wholly unexpected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfcgoodie Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Next time Phil Dowd is involved in a Villa game, i expect a riot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villan83 Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 What made it worse is he booked Collins for a foul on Owen, even though Owen was still 30 yards form goal. In normal circumstance I couldn't have understood the booking but if he felt Vidic didn't deserve anything for his foul then he needs to be consistent. He has had a right shocker there. However we can't lose sight of the fact that we didn't really get to grips with the game after United equalised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDuck Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 The fact that Vidic was back alongside Gabby when he made the challenge has no bearing on anything, he was still last man and it was a disgraceful decision, but not wholly unexpected. The only reason Vidic was back alongside Gabby was cos he was tugging at his shirt! As you say, sadly not wholly unexpected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellyoakvilla Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Jobsworth /end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brummybloke Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Jobsworth /end but that would imply he was correct and sticking to the letter of the law. he wasnt, he was clearly paid off because you cant give the penalty and not send him off in those circs so how else can you account for they way he behaved today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morkery Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Jobsworth /end how else can you account for they way he behaved today? Because he is a fat word removed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runetune Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Worst decision I've seen by a ref in a very, very long time! I don't know one neutral who I've spoken with who doesn't agree either. He should be banned from any major events referring now and while it can't change the result - I'm still proud of the Villa for what they have achieved, and for what the fans were like. Incredible atmosphere - we will get there eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Another ref - I think Jeff Winter - has been on R5 saying that because Gabby's direction at the moment of the foul was not directly towards goal but slightly to one side, there's scope for not giving a red. And that stuff about last man etc doesn't come into the rule. So we was defending it on the technicality of the rule rather than what most people understand the rule to be aimed at. He also said that refs will apply common sense and be mindful of the occasion, which means that the ref will give himself time to think and look for a reason not to send someone off, which is a strange one because he is saying that different standards of rules apply for different matches, which I would have thought goes against the whole ethos of the game. Though he did say it should have been at least a yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Comments from Fergusson previously about Dowd And in March 2009, Dowd dismissed both Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney in the 2-0 defeat at Fulham. Fergie said then: "It's Phil Dowd so what do you expect?" Dowd has a history of making major cock ups and continued yesterday. He is not fit to referee a professional match based on yesterday and previous cock ups. The only people from fans, players, managers, ex-players, ex-managers alike who have defended his abortion of a performance yesterday are ex-refs (both of which quoted here are / were proven inept), Vidic and surprise surprise Fergusson. When some of the most arrogant and obnoxious fans in the world (racist, homophobic, violent) - Man Utd - are even embarrass by his bias it shows a lot of what happened and ultimately what is wrong now with UK football Phil Dowd - you are a cheat !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billy_loes Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Did everyone see him do the joke chatty chatty laugh with Owen? Dowd reffed the 4-4 game with chelski a while back - the mans incompetent to say the least. Why do the fa continue let refereeing standards to decline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona10 Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Another ref - I think Jeff Winter - has been on R5 saying that because Gabby's direction at the moment of the foul was not directly towards goal but slightly to one side, there's scope for not giving a red. And that stuff about last man etc doesn't come into the rule. So we was defending it on the technicality of the rule rather than what most people understand the rule to be aimed at. He also said that refs will apply common sense and be mindful of the occasion, which means that the ref will give himself time to think and look for a reason not to send someone off, which is a strange one because he is saying that different standards of rules apply for different matches, which I would have thought goes against the whole ethos of the game. Though he did say it should have been at least a yellow. I'm sorry but what a load of old bollocks by the referee's commitee, why don't they just come out and say they **** up instead of trying to change the law. I was behind the goal, Gabby had touched the ball towards goal and was going to be in exactly the same position as Gareth Barry so whats the difference. Referees make out there hard done to but they make it more difficult for themselves when they try and make new laws. Phil Dowd won't lose any sleep though as he's made Fergie happy, as for Winter, by the way wasn't Owen miles away from the goal but when Collins took him out, he gets shown a yellow. Thats what was more frustrating for more Villa fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilS Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Gabby did have to change direction, mainly due to Vidic grabbing his shirt, but he still had a large view of the goal to aim at, until Vidic pulled him over his leg. They are trying to make it sound like he was heading for the corner flag. I don't understand how anyone can even consider defending this decision. It was outrageous, and Phil Dowd should never be allowed to referee a top game ever again! 85 Minutes against 10 men with a goal headstart. Even my pesimisitic self would fancy our chances with that. I feel robbed, that once again when one of the so called big 4 need a break it magically appears for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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