Michael Oliver, legitimate criticism and nonsensical conspiracy theories.

What sort of world do we live in when Scotland Yard is called in over a disagreement over a game of football? It’s a sport, however passionately followed. There are those currently online who cross the line from legitimate criticism of Michael Oliver for his mistake on Saturday to shameful abuse. They lose the argument when they stoop so low.

Ref Michael Oliver. Photo: David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images.

England’s leading referee alongside Anthony Taylor, Oliver has received death threats to himself and his family for deeming Myles Lewis-Skelly’s cynical trip on Wolves’ Matt Doherty as serious foul play. The error was compounded by VAR Darren England not intervening. Scotland Yard and Northumbria Police are investigating the threats.

Officials like Oliver are trained to deal with abuse and have access to psychologists to help them through difficult periods. But a ref’s family must feel vulnerable. Oliver’s ex-wife, Lucy, endured this after Michael sent off Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon in 2018. She received offensive texts and abuse was shouted through the letterbox of their home. PGMOL rightly robustly condemns the abuse Michael now receives.

It should also consider the possibility that Oliver did make a mistake. Apart from Mike Dean, it’s hard to find anyone who believes it was a sending-off. The referees’ chief, Howard Webb, needed to make a quick statement himself, appearing on TV on Sunday, and addressing the controversy.

It’s pointless waiting until he and Michael Owen are paired up and “mic’d up” in the studio in a week or so. When a fire is raging, you don’t wait. Webb, a good communicator, could have made the case for the defence. He could have gone through the laws to explain why it could possibly be considered a red card offence, that Lewis-Skelly’s foot could have been deemed high in Oliver’s opinion. He could also have emphasised Oliver’s calibre as an official.

Instead, the only people being scrambled are Scotland Yard and Northumbria Police plus those conspiracy theorists peddling nonsense about refereeing agendas. Since the MLS red, I’ve spoken to Arsenal fans, sensible, mature adults with brains and responsibilities, and they are utterly convinced that Oliver has it in for them.

Most fanbases have an individual referee, often more than one, that they feel loathes their club. That’s the obsessive, perspective-shredding nature of following a team. Passion is great but not if it spills over into death threats, not if Scotland Yard and Northumbria Police, who presumably have many calls on their time, have to try to track down those making death threats (and social media companies could help more).

Because someone will get hurt. Try then encouraging young refs in grass-roots to stick with a hobby that could become a profession, especially when some are already dealing with stroppy players, coaches, parents and spectators. Because the elite game needs more talent rising up. That’s a long-term problem for English football. In the short-term, what happens when PGMOL considers sending Oliver to oversee an Arsenal game next? We know what the reaction will be. The whole issue needs tackling and calming by Webb quickly.

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Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye being booked for imitating a seagull after scoring was not even the most bizarre seagull-related incident during a Brighton game. A few years back, a news reporter was despatched to a Millwall-Brighton game to do a piece on claims of right-wing chants. He confirmed he heard “Sieg Heil”. On closer listening it turned out to be Brighton fans chanting “seagulls”.

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“I see selfish players, I see players that don’t want to help each other and don’t put their heart in. Fight for what (with) this spirit, this attitude? They fight for seventh, eighth, 10th. I’m not used to this position. If they want to continue this way, they can change the manager, a lot of managers, but the situation cannot change. Believe me.”

So said Antonio Conte in a withering nine-minute appraisal of Tottenham’s problems after his team threw away a lead to draw 3-3 at St Mary’s in 2023. It proved a valedictory verdict. Conte disappeared back to Italy, and never managed Spurs again. Conte is currently in charge of Napoli, three points clear at the top of Serie A. Spurs are 15^th in the Premier League.

A better manager than Conte’s successor, Ange Postecoglou, could organise the current side better, even with their injury issues. But there are deeper issues at Spurs than Postecoglou’s limitations. The culture’s wrong. The club lacks a winning mentality. They’ve not won a trophy since 2008 or a league title, that nine-month test of mental and physical resilience, since 1961.

Conte’s point was about the ownership, about recruitment, but ultimately he called out the players (and maybe that’s all tied in together if the board doesn’t recruit players with the right mentality). “The problem is desire,” Conte continued. “They have to show desire, and heart in every moment. We have to play for the badge.”

Most damningly, Conte felt it was an institutional failing. Spurs are “used to it…they don’t want to play under pressure. I want to see the fire in their eyes, fire in their heart. Not only in the training session, but into the pitch. I’m not seeing this.” Some of the current players have that fire. Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray obviously care. Some play through pain. But not enough. Conte was right. The culture needs to change more than the manager.

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It’s rather fitting that Everton’s right-back role against Brighton was filled so expertly by someone from St Coleman’s Boxing Club. Seamus is revered at Goodison but is sadly too often injured. David Moyes played the tall, imposing centre-back Jake O’Brien there and he did a superb job keeping Kaoru Mitoma quiet. O’Brien’s quick, strong, times tackles well and uses the ball sensibly.

“Boy 2 Irish title winner makes Irish International debut” declared Irish Boxing News last June when O’Brien won his first cap with the Republic. He could have been preparing for the Paris Olympics back then. O’Brien was an accomplished boxer growing up, training at St Coleman’s in East Cork, and won the National Boy 2 Irish title at 42kg. Brighton players clearly didn’t know O’Brien’s history when a couple confronted him.

O’Brien was signed from Lyon for £16m last summer. Now given a chance by David Moyes, the 23-year-old is looking a heavyweight piece of recruitment by Kevin Thelwell.

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It’s a sign of a fanbase quickly taking a new player to their heart when videos are compiled of his contribution on his debut: a stretched foot to nick a ball here, a cultured foot to feed a ball into a team-mate there, a clever run in behind not always ready by team-mates. Such content is already being shared amongst Manchester City supporters of Omar Marmoush. When Kevin De Bruyne is fit, playing balls in behind, Marmoush is going to be even more of a hit amongst City fans.

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Bournemouth’s latest hat-trick man, Dango Outtara, rightly took the headlines for his 89 productive minutes against Nottingham Forest. His chance-taking on Saturday didn’t come about by chance. The 22-year-old from Burkina Faso also deserves praise for all the hours he’s been putting in during training to improve his decision-making and finishing. He's a well-paid professional, and of course he should work hard on his abilities, but his practice is clearly helping him perfect his technique. His manager, Andoni Iraola, similarly deserves huge credit for his coaching, encouragement and deployment in a 4-2-3-1 system that provides so much creative and energetic close support to Outtara. David Brooks, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo are a hard-working trio behind him. Tyler Adams provided the assist for Outtara’s second. Players like Outtara with a hunger to learn, and a skilled, inspiring teacher like Iraola, are proving a devastating combination at the Vitality.

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The Manchester United-Marcus Rashford separation needs to happen as soon as possible. It’s been inevitable for a few months now. It’s increasingly demeaning for both sides. United’s head coach, Ruben Amorim, has called out Rashford for a lack of effort in training and that does not reflect well on the player. This is partly about attitude, and tactics with Rashford not fitting Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 approach, but it’s also primarily about money. United need to cut costs and Rashford’s on substantial sums. If he really does cling to this dream of getting back in the England squad, Rashford needs to accept a cut to his salary, get playing elsewhere and remind all the many doubters there is still a good player there.

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Enjoy the week!