Blues in Poll war
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CHELSEA and referee Graham Poll are at war after the club’s bad-tempered defeat at Tottenham. Blues star Ashley Cole rapped: “If you’re going to have a ref like that, you know it’s not worth playing the game. “You know you’re going to get a hard time.”
The Chelsea players blasted Poll’s performance and claim he warned two of them: “Your discipline is out of order and you need to be taught a lesson.”
They insist the statement came after he controversially disallowed a Didier Drogba ‘goal’ when Chelsea were already a goal up. There is a strong feeling within the champions’ camp that Poll was pursuing an agenda.
Cole added: “Poll also said to Frank Lampard early in the game ‘You need to get it in check and you need discipline’.” Chelsea finished Sunday’s 2-1 defeat with skipper John Terry sent off and a total of six yellow cards. They will now face an FA fine of £25,000 and a possible charge of ‘unsporting conduct’.
Fuming England full-back Cole reckons Poll was influenced by the Champions League clash in Barcelona last week and that he was out to make a point. The game in Spain saw Drogba rapped for going to ground too easily and boss Jose Mourinho criticised for his goal celebration after the Ivory Coast strikerÂ’s last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
Cole said: “What happened to us in Barcelona had an influence on the Spurs game, of course it did. “The referee has watched it and had an opinion and I think he’s just taken it on himself to prove a point to everyone.
“I’m not moaning but we really shouldn’t lose a game like that one at Tottenham.” To make matters worse for Chelsea, Poll is thought to have branded the team’s protests after Drogba’s disallowed ‘goal’ as harrassment in his match report.
As a result, the club could face a further FA charge and possible fine. Cole, too, could find himself in trouble with Soho Square for his comments.
What bad losers they are... blaming the referee, and now trying to put pressure on referees in their future matches... Poll was lenient not to give lampard a yellow in the first half... somemore they can say like that... Can't they just face it, spurs played well that's all! -
if not for the 2 goals i would say that chelsea played better.
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But spurs played above their game to be fair... and they did a lot of running in that game. give them credit, they didn't just give up after going one down. They played their hearts out...
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Does Chelsea thinks they are above the law now?
First Mourinho... then Terry... now A cole... They just keep having a go at the referee... Can't they just realise that in football, upsets happen?
Spurs played very well that night. Simple as that...
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the ref could be at fault as much as the players...
Ashley Cole could be paranoid, his conduct when at Arsenal shows how fragile his massive ego can be... because Wenger tried to keep Henry, he wants out
who knows? he could be taking a cue from his manager who talked BS about a ref until the ref got death threats and quit... what the manager heads towards is where the players will go....
thing is this.. wtf is wrong with the whole association? the 4th official can be put in front of screens, with wireless technology (see the idiotic wire taped to their faces now), replays are available immediately and the 4th official can tell the ref immediately what's happening..
the players too.. it's time they have more respect for the ref.. in almost all other sports, when the ref says anything, the players accept it.. and if it is wrong, only the captain is allowed to go to the ref to protest or talk to the ref about the decision made... while in football, the ref is intimidated by mobbing players...
it's time for a change.. let's see who blinks first.. -
poll had a bad game and made several decisions wrong esp the drogba goal and the sending off. these 2 factors could have changed the gameplay
but give credit to spurs cos they didnt seat back and go for the counter instead they took the game to chelsea and took full advantage of lennon
using berbatov to hold up play and keep terry buzy and allowing keane the free role was the masterstroke.
finally sell off boularouze or wadever his name is. chelsea conceded 3 goals in 2 games bcos of him which is very unlike of chelsea. -
Not even a fine for Chelsea
Chelsea will escape a fine from the Football Association after collecting six bookings against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
The Premiership champions are already expecting disciplinary sanctions from UEFA after picking up six yellow cards in their Champions League clash with Barcelona last week.
But they will not face any further punishment from the FA over the number of yellow cards they received against Spurs.
Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack, Paulo Ferreira and Claude Makelele were all handed yellow cards by referee Graham Poll and skipper John Terry was sent off for two bookable offences in the second half.
But Terrys red card counts as one offence and as a result the Blues will not receive an automatic fine.
Not that a fine really would have done much damage to Roman Abramovichs mega-rich Chelsea empire -
Arsenal see off Everton
Everton 0-1 Arsenal
Emmanuel Adebayors 85th-minute header put Arsenal in the last eight of the Carling Cup after Everton played most of the game with 10 men.
Referee Graham Poll, who has been criticised for his handling of Sundays game between Chelsea and Spurs, sent off James McFadden after 18 minutes.
McFadden was dismissed for dissent after saying something to Poll when he waved away an Everton penalty appeal.
Adebayor met a corner in space to send a second-string Gunners side through
Everton fans howled "cheat" at Poll as he walked off the pitch.
Poll has now handed out two red cards in the space of four days, after he controversially sent off Chelsea defender John Terry during Spurs 2-1 win over the champions on Sunday.
The referee issued three yellow cards to Arsenal players and ignored a number of penalty appeals from Everton, notably involving Andrew Johnson.
Poll sent off McFadden after Johnson fell in the box under pressure from three defenders.
After Poll waved away Evertons penalty appeals McFadden clearly said far too much for the liking of Poll, who dismissed the Scottish winger.
Arsenal sent on goalkeeper Mart Poom at the break for Manuel Almunia, the Spaniard still suffering from the kick he received early in the game as Armand Traore cleared under pressure from McFadden.
Poom was quickly into action, saving well from Johnsons hooked volley.
That was a rare Everton chance as the home side piled forward with Mathieu Flamini and the excellent Denilson prominent in the Arsenal midfield.
Arsenal finally got the ball into the net with five minutes to go, Adebayor hurling himself into the box to head home a Flamini corner.
Everton threw on striker Victor Anichebe for Lee Carsley in injury time, but they were unable to send the game into extra time. -
Latest Football News
November 10 2006
Hackett backs Poll after red card for McFadden
Referees chief Keith Hackett has insisted under-fire official Graham Poll was absolutely right to send off Evertons James McFadden in midweek. The Scottish forward claimed he was sent off in the Carling Cup defeat by Arsenal because Poll thought he called him a "f****** cheat" when he had in fact said "that was f****** s***".
Everton manager David Moyes was furious with the decision but Hackett, head of the Professional Game Match Officials, said that both outbursts warranted straight red cards and gave Poll his full backing to continue refereeing the top matches.
He said: "Both of those statements fulfilled the criteria of a red-card offence therefore the referee has on this occasion followed the rules. If one uttered those words to a policeman what do you think he would do? Were grown up about these things but theres a tolerance level and players have to be aware they have a responsibility to operate within the rules. Whatever way you look at the laws of association football, insulting language is not allowed on the field of play. If you are operating as professional player within this great game of ours you have to be aware of this responsibility. The principle is that insulting language in the laws of football, however you look at it, is a red-card offence."
It is the second time in a week Poll has endured the wrath of players and managers after he sent Chelseas John Terry off for two bookable offences at Tottenham. Terry claimed Poll changed the reason for the second yellow card, while Ashley Cole claimed the official had told Frank Lampard that Chelsea needed a lesson to improve their discipline - a claim fiercely denied by Poll. Hackett said Poll was one of the countrys leading officials and would continue to referee the top games.
He said: "We are talking about one of the top referees in England who features in the top games as well as less high-profile matches in the Premiership and Carling Cup. I feel he will remain strong as a referee and players have to be aware they have to play by the rules of football. He has just completed 300 Premier League games and is highly regarded in Europe. I want my top referee, who is performing well, to be available and he will be on duty between Manchester City versus Newcastle on Saturday."
Hackett said however Poll would not be a definite choice for the Manchester United against Chelsea match later this month. He added: "I and my team make that decision on the Monday before the game, based on a number of criteria including form. It is a big game but I cannot say at the moment whether or not Graham will be the referee." -
Jol gives Poll his backing
Tottenham boss Martin Jol has backed Graham Poll following the refereeÂ’s controversial performance at White Hart Lane last week. Poll was accused of deliberately targeting Premiership champions Chelsea during SpursÂ’ victory but Jol points to the Tring officialÂ’s previous record as one of the countryÂ’s top referees.
Poll made a high-profile blunder at the World Cup this year when he gave Croatia’s Josip Simunic two yellow cards without sending him off until he issued a third, but Jol still believes he is “one of the best”.
“He’s certainly one of the biggest personalities,” Jol said. “On performances in the past, if you judge him on that, he’s probably one of the best. In Europe they would judge him as one of the best. If you look at Graham Poll and if you only judge him, for example, on the three yellow cards in Germany, I would call that ’scoreboard journalism’ – if someone makes a mistake he’s bad. I don’t believe in that. It would be the same if he made a mistake next time and gave them (the opposition) a penalty. I wouldn’t change my mind.”
As well as PollÂ’s controversial performance on Sunday, Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew clashed on the touchline earlier in the day when the West Ham manager celebrated a goal in front of his Arsenal counterpart. Jol was celebrating TottenhamÂ’s win himself when the final whistle went at White Hart Lane and Spurs had beaten Chelsea in the league for the first time since 1990.
He admitted he should have stayed clear of Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, but added: “Mourinho was good. I was celebrating, I didn’t even realise he was in front of me, and still he was good to me. Pardew did the same with Wenger and he wasn’t. I was standing in front of him, I shouldn’t do that, but it was spontaneous. I think he’s a good man.” -
Chelsea have no grudge with Poll says Lampard
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard insists the Premiership champions have no axe to grind with referee Graham Poll.
The World Cup official was criticised by Blues boss Jose Mourinho and defender Ashley Cole after he sent off their captain John Terry in a defeat at Tottenham last weekend, but Lampard was adamant there is no bad blood from the Londoners towards Poll.
"I will say nothing the next time I see Graham Poll," Lampard told a newspaper.
"There isnt anything to say. We have to get back to playing football and there will be no need for me to say anything. Graham Poll came to the training ground pre-season and explained the new laws and we have no problem with him. A big decision went against us in the Spurs game and thats it. There is certainly no grudge on our part and Im sure there wont be on his."
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists the planned meeting between Mourinho and referees chief Keith Hackett after the Portuguese criticised Poll is "ludicrous", but Lampard claims communication with officials is key.
"Referees say that sometimes players talk to them in a bad way but now there are times when a referee talks to a player in a bad way," he added. "When those things start to happen then the relationship starts to break down. Its a two-way street."