Stoke v Arsenal 01 March 2014 – The Match Officials

Referee – Mike Jones

Assistants – M Scholes and A Holmes

Fourth Official – A Taylor

 

Well here’s a surprise, Mike Jones as referee, his seventh game of the season at this level and a first timer for Arsenal this year.  Not completely new to Arsenal though as we had him at the Emirates last year for our games v W Brom on 08 December 2012 and Norwich on 13 April, both decent wins for Arsenal, more on those games later.

 

Mr Scholes has done three previous games this year, home wins against Norwich (4-1) and Hull 2-0) and away when we won at Newcastle (0-1), is something.  He was with Mr Marriner for the Hull game and with with Mr Probert for Newcastle 1-0 and Norwich.

 

Mr Holmes has appeared in two Arsenal games at the Emirates this year, both ending 2-0 to the Arsenal.  In November he was with Mr Clattenberg when we beat Southampton and on 18th January he was with Mr Probert when we beat Fulham.

 

Michael (Mike) Jones was born in 1968, served 11 years in the Football League before being added to the Select list in 2008.  His first Premier League Game was Hull v Wigan in August 2008 and he has been in the top flight ever since.

 

What light do the referee reviews for the past two seasons shed on his competence?

 

2011/12

 

Goal decisions 92% correct, Offsides 87%, Fouls 76%, Penalties 62%, Red Cards 30%, Yellow cards 57% right, so slightly above average in most categories (even red cards at 30% correct or 70% incorrect – that’s how bad the league average was). A distinct home bias almost double the average.  He gave us the two penalties we had all year in the FA Cup game where we were at home to Villa (home crowd pressure?)

 

How were his bias numbers against individual teams?

So no real surprise there Mr Jones faithfully following the PGMOL line with a profound anti Arsenal bias.

 

So to 2012/13 – do the numbers change?

 

There were two Arsenal games to review in detail

 

Match Review: Michael Jones – Arsenal Vs West Bromwich Albion (2 – 0) [08/12/2012]

–   69% overall, bias against 52/48 and 2 wrong Important Decision (second yellow, red card, penalty or Goal).  Key incidents were :-

 

• Min 19 – First wrong call should have been a foul to W Brom, foul by Sagna nothing given
• Min 24 – Cazorla dived in the penalty area was wrongly awarded a penalty Wrong Important Decision he should have been booked for simulation
• Min 25 – Arteta scores a goal from the penalty spot (1-0) Wrong Important Decision, as penalty should not have been awarded goal shouldn’t count
• Min 39 – Sagna wrongly called for foul, got the ball cleanly
• Min 46 – Arteta penalised for being fouled by Gera
• Min 49 – Mert penalised for winning the ball cleanly
• Min 52 – Cazorla tripped outside penalty area, nothing given
• Min 52 – Olsson and Giroud both rightly booked for arguing
• Min 57 – Brunt rightly booked for dissent
• Min 62 – Penalty given against Chris Brunt for a foul on the Ox – rightly this time
• Min 63 – Arteta scores from the penalty spot (2-0)
• Min 65 – Mert rightly booked for dissent
• Min 77 – Reid receives yellow card for foul

 

A game which we won more comfortably than we should have.  Two penalties given to Arsenal – unheard of in recent years, the first of which was a poor decision.  Santi dived and should have been booked rather than getting the spot kick.  The second decision Mr Jones got absolutely spot on.  Mr Jones was consistent throughout in booking players for dissent which was good refereeing.  It was also the single game of the season with the least overall bias once the weighting of the individual decisions was taken into account so from that aspect as well a good performance.  The first half bias was in favour of Arsenal thanks to the wrongly awarded penalty and goal, the second was well in favour of W Brom but he still had the balls to call the second penalty.

 

Match Review: Michael Jones – Arsenal Vs Norwich City (3 – 1) [13/04/2013] – 60% overall, bias against 73/27 and 4 wrong Important Decisions.   Key incidents were :-

 

• Min 11 – Johnson makes a sliding tackle from behind.  Free kick given but should also have been a yellow card
• Min 15 – Ramsey clearly pushed in back when he tried to head the ball, nothing given
• Min 29 – Holt pulls Vermaelen back when he tries to turn away, nothing given
• Min 33 – Sagna rightly gets a yellow card for foul
• Min 39 – Martin commits needless foul as ball is running out of play, free kick given but this one warranted a yellow card as it was worse than the Sagna foul a few minutes earlier
• Minute 44 – Snodgrass throws his body in front of Wilshere, free kick given but another Norwich player who should by now be booked
• Minute 46 – Turner elbows Ramsey in the face just before a corner is taken – should have been a straight red card, he was given a yellow card only – Wrong Important Decision
• Minute 53 – Shout for handball penalty – correct non decision, defender had arms in front of his body and made no move towards ball
• Min 54 – Gibbs is punished for a foul when the Norwich player deliberately tripped himself up to win the free kick.  Norwich player should have been booked for a dive
• Min 55 – Michael Turner scores a goal (0-1) directly from the free kick awarded for the dive.  As the foul wasn’t the kick was wrong and so was the goal Wrong Important Decision
• Min 60 – Podolski wrongly called offside, he was level
• Min 64 – Snodgrass brings down Walcott who had gone past him, nothing given.  This foul was in the penalty area and should have resulted in a spot kick.  Wrong Important Decision
• Min 65 – Norwich keeper again wasting time (he had been doing this all game) should be a booking by now
• Min 82 – Penalty rightly given to Arsenal, Kamara foul on Giroud
• Min 82 – Bunn rightly gets yellow card for dissent
• Min 84 – Arteta scores from the penalty spot (1-1)
• Min 87 – Giroud scores a goal (2-1)
• Min 90+1 – Walcott scores a goal (3-1) but he was offside when Giroud headed the ball to him and so the goal shouldn’t have counted.  Wrong Important Decision
• Min 90+2 – Snodgrass rightly gets a yellow card for a foul.  He should have been booked in minute 44 and therefore sent off.

 

A game where Mr Jones had a bit of a nightmare.  He permitted Norwich players far too much leeway in fouling Arsenal and failed to issue a red card to Turner for an elbow to Ramsey’s face.  He also fell for a Norwich dive in a dangerous area giving Turner the opportunity to score, which he took.  Late in the game he again awarded a penalty to Arsenal which enabled Arteta to equalise the score, perhaps he was mindful of the Snodgrass foul on Walcott which he didn’t give at the time and thought “OK this time I have to give it”.  Giroud settled the game three minutes later.  Walcott’s goal in injury time shouldn’t have counted as he was offside when he got the ball

 

There were no reviews of Stoke games last year

 

So what can we expect.

1. He is basically a home referee so we need to make sure we don’t give him the opportunity to award free kicks in dangerous positions.

2. In the two games he did last year at the Emirates he awarded Arsenal three penalties although he missed one as well. I wouldn’t bet on a repeat unless it is really blatant as we are the away team but I am reasonably confident that he is capable and has the balls to call one if needed.

3.  He seems strong in awarding yellow cards for dissent so the team need to accept his decisions on the field even when they are wrong.

 

I’ll be happy with three points and delighted if we come away with no more injuries.

 

COYG