?
Gerard Houllier proved in his post-match press conference on Saturday what a class act he really is - and just how much influence a Barclays Premier League manager holds.
Sian Massey was supposed to grab the headlines but, thankfully, she had an uneventful afternoon - as did virtually all the top-flight officials this weekend.?
There were no glaring errors and hardly any penalty appeals for Match of the Day or Sky Sports pundits torant over.
There was only one sending off: Aston Villa's Jean Makoun for his reckless challenge on Blackpool's DJ Campbell. It was a poor tackle and deservedthe red card given the instructions offered to referees with regard to two-footed tackles.
Delivering his card: Howard Webb sent off Jean Makoun after he fouled DJ Campbell
? ??More from Graham Poll...?Graham Poll: Nolan and Diaby should have seen red but penalty was baffling06/02/11?Graham Poll: Retired United defender Neville was a pain in the a***!06/02/11?Graham Poll: Martinez and Pulis were wrong... Fabregas and Dempsey are no cheats24/01/11?Graham Poll: Outdated Sky duo Keys and Gray are a smug and sorry mess23/01/11?Graham Poll: Rooney should have gone off with Rafael at Tottenham17/01/11?Graham Poll: My assessment of Attwell as the he returns to Premier League17/01/11?Graham Poll: Liverpool star Maxi Rodriguez 'clever' to win vital penalty17/01/11?GRAHAM POLL: Theo Walcott's dive exposes our flaws with the laws10/01/11?VIEW FULL ARCHIVEWorld Cup final referee Howard Webb had no hesitation in showing Makoun the red card and he was absolutely correct to do so.
However, given that Makoun kept the tackle low and didn't cause any injury to Campbell, there are plenty of top-flight managers who would have taken issue with the decision.
By not doing so, Houllier took any potential controversy away from Webb and he should be applauded for this. All too often a manager will highlight a particular incident and harp on about it after the match in an effort to deflect from either a bad challenge by one of his players, or perhaps a poor team performance.
People often ask me why the big teams appear to win more decisions than opponents and while I would never accept that any referee goes into a game with the intention of favouring any team - big or small - there is a level of sub-conscious self protection which some allow to affect decision-making.
A referee will enter the field of play knowing that if a questionable penalty is awarded against, say, Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea, then their manager will disagree once the full whistle is blown. The damning headlines are then inevitable.
If however, that same penalty decision is made in favour of one of the big four, then there is not the same level of scrutiny.
Cool: Gerard Houllier refused to complain about the incident at Blackpool
The same thing happens with referee committees at the top level - especially FIFA, where a major power losing will prompt a far more thorough look at the officiating than if the result goes the other way.
Despite some people thinking that referees like to be noticed and enjoy seeing their pictures in the paper that is just not true. So given this it should not be a surprise that fewer penalties are awarded against the top sides as that sub-conscious self protection kicks in.
That's why I admire Houllier's honest support of our No 1 referee Webb. I just hope his example is one the League Managers Association cite to all their men.?
?Good week for... Roberto Martinez?Bad week for... Radoslaw Majewski?
The Wigan boss, who often bemoans his team's luck with refereeing decisions, benefited from an offside equaliser that gained his team a vital point at Anfield.
The Nottingham Forest midfielder was rightly sent off for a dreadful challenge at Loftus Road on Sunday. Some dismissals can be debated but not this one.
? ?Blackpool 1 Aston Villa 1: Massey back to show that she knows bestWatch all the Premier League goals every week on our brilliant video player
?Explore more:People: Sian Massey, Gerard Houllier, Roberto Martinez
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail