"It evens itself out over the season"

[TBM]

So when will this happen with us?

Seems everything goes against us and then Wigan grab a late winner despite a blatant handball

There's gonna be a lot of evening up over the next 8 games

[TBM]

Against us

Ba handball vs Newcastle
Torres offside vs Chelsea
Penalty not given vs Utd, Villa
Foul on Shorey vs Man City

Feel free to add for/against

[Big Ern]

Also like to add blatant penalties not given against Wigan away. After Ba's handball, worst decision against us all season.

If things do even themselves out, I expect a Watford esque phantom goal every game from now until the end of the season.

[1871royals]

Penatly - Everton Away - Distin handball

[creative_username_1]

Why would you expect random events to be evenly distributed over 38 games

[Albert Spangler]

Foul on Shorey vs Man City

WUM

[parky]

Ba's handball has been evened out.

[AJ_urz9]

Alfie penalty not given vs Stoke

[gazzer, loyal royal]

Torres offside
Ba handball
Penalties not given against Wigan, Southampton, man city, man united and villa.

It's very subjective but we've lost all those games by one goal. Its probably cost us 5 points, but the points against villa and Wigan would be so crucial. Ultimately it may have cost Brian his job

[P!ssed Off]

For us:
Gorkss's blatant foul in the penalty area against Everton at home

[P!ssed Off]

Alfie penalty not given vs Stoke

That was very debatable. If it had been given against us we would be complaining about it in this very thread.

[TBM]

Why would you expect random events to be evenly distributed over 38 games

Cos that's what the "experts" tell us

[P!ssed Off]

Tbh it was this sort of moaning about injustice that put me off McDermott this season. In post-match interviews he would often point to blatant injustice (when in reality most were debatable ref. decisions), rather than address the fact that we had under performed and been outplayed.

[creative_username_1]

Why would you expect random events to be evenly distributed over 38 games

Cos that's what the "experts" tell us

experts in what?

[Man Friday]

Tbh it was this sort of moaning about injustice that put me off McDermott this season. In post-match interviews he would often point to blatant injustice (when in reality most were debatable ref. decisions), rather than address the fact that we had under performed and been outplayed.

Bollox. He didn't complain anywhere near enough about the decisions gone against us.
And it's just this sort of not moaning about injustices that will always mean referees will favour other sides because Reading won't give them any hassle. Ferguson, Wenger, Mancini etc all know this.
Smell the coffee.
You're happy with being 6-10 points down are you? (As long as we play our part in this little league and accept everything graciously.)

[P!ssed Off]

Tbh it was this sort of moaning about injustice that put me off McDermott this season. In post-match interviews he would often point to blatant injustice (when in reality most were debatable ref. decisions), rather than address the fact that we had under performed and been outplayed.

Bollox. He didn't complain anywhere near enough about the decisions gone against us.
And it's just this sort of not moaning about injustices that will always mean referees will favour other sides because Reading won't give them any hassle. Ferguson, Wenger, Mancini etc all know this.
Smell the coffee.
You're happy with being 6-10 points down are you? (As long as we play our part in this little league and accept everything graciously.)

When a decision is indisputably wrong then he was justified in claiming injustice. Often though, in the case of the supposed foul in the box against ALF away at Stoke, he claimed we had been robbed when in actual fact whether it was a penalty was debatable and over the match we were just outplayed.

It became a habit whereby McDermott would seize upon any refereeing mistake throughout the game and use this in an attempt to justify our poor performance.

[creative_username_1]

You're happy with being 6-10 points down are you?

I love this on HNA. Someone guesses a figure based on feck all. A couple of people repeat it as if it was fact. It then becomes fact

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Problem with all this is to get the luck you firstly need the ball and secondly need to get it into dangerous areas - we haven't done that often enough and this is clutching at straws.

[Doolittle]

Caldwell's handball before Wigan's first goal against us was another.

Maybe decisions in little-v-little matches will even out eventually.

What I have found depressing this season, though, is the sheer extent of the referee bias towards the bigger teams. That definitely doesn't even out. What bothers me most is that it's become so predictable that it just seems to be an accepted part of the PL culture, apparently barely worthy of comment by independent pundits and journalists, still less of action by the FA.

I don't suppose the bias is premeditated, but it happens in practice, because most officials lack the bottle to ignore the reactions of big crowds and famous players, and give a correct decision in such situations (like Lee Mason yesterday). All too often this kills any chance of getting drama and spectacle in big-v-little matches.. as if the huge gulfs in financial clout in the PL weren't handicap enough already.

I hope we don't go down, but if we do, part of me will be glad to have a break from this aspect of the PL.

[bcubed]

Why would you expect random events to be evenly distributed over 38 games

A question I ask every time this gets brought up
There is no reason for it too - and it doesn't!