Poll believes players culpable for ‘decline’ in refereeing standards

Refereeing decisions and the inconsistency of officiating has been under particular scrutiny this season.

Poll admits some top-flight refereeing has been patchy during this campaign.

However, the former World Cup referee believes players must take more accountability for the decisions referees are making.

“I think this season if you look at it and be brutally honest, it hasn’t been as good as we want to be,” Poll said.

“It has not been as good as you expect it to be and it hasn’t been as good as we need it to be, but there are a number of reasons behind that and some of that has to fall with the players, I am afraid.

“Their actions are not helping referees, there is a lot of pressure being put on referees and there is surrounding of referees.

“You’re seeing players simulating, diving to win penalties and going down too easily. You’re seeing players going down holding their face when they’ve not been touched there to try and get an opponent sent off. All these acts of gamesmanship really don’t help referees at all.

“You go back 20 years and when a player went down you knew something had happened.

“Now he goes over and you think ‘was there contact, was there enough contact, was he diving, is it a sending-off?’

“There are many, many thoughts that go through a referee’s mind rather than purely whether it is or isn’t a foul. So it hasn’t been a great season, but there are a lot of reasons why.”

Andre Villas-Boas and Sir Alex Ferguson both lambasted the performance of the match officials during the 3-3 draw between Chelsea and Manchester United on Sunday, with the former blasting referee Howard Webb for giving United a second penalty for a dubious foul by Branislav Ivanovic on Danny Welbeck in the box.

Poll, who was speaking at the launch of the Carlsberg Pub Cup Green Card initiative, believes Webb got two of the four key decisions right at Stamford Bridge and reiterated his stance players can only blame themselves for some of the decisions.

Poll also believes Luis Suarez’s kick into the stomach of Scott Parker during Liverpool’s goalless draw with Tottenham on Monday night should have earned him more than the yellow card he received from referee Michael Oliver.

“As soon as it happened at full speed, I thought it was a red card,” he said.

“He is not near the ball. He nudged the opponent first so knows he is there and then swings the boot.

“I am afraid the fact he connects with him in a very strong way, to my mind it is a red card.”