A result at Burnley was essential and a spirited performance from the lads resulted in us coming away with a vital point despite what was another questionable refereeing performance. According to Andy Thorn the goal that wasn’t given should have been and this has been backed by Trippier, the man who supposedly kept the ball out.
There were also two really poor challenges from Burnley players which went completely unpunished. The first what has been described as a karate kick to the mid drift of Jordan Clarke (above) and a second which has left Cyrus Christie injured and potentially out of the vital game against Millwall.
It has been in general another season of poor refereeing performances. There has been so many games that I have sat and watched in disbelief and left baffled by some of the refereeing decisions that I have witnessed. Worst of all is when the officials give big decisions like red cards, penalties and even goals when it is clear to see from their facial expression and initial reaction that they actually are not sure. To give a decision like that which has the potential to completely change the game when they are not 100% sure is disgraceful.
In my opinion referees could almost referee games solely based on player reactions. The goal that wasn’t on Sunday evening in the FA Cup semi final is the perfect example of this, in that so many of the players were just going to carry on with the game and the confusion on many of their faces when they were unsure as to what the referee had actually given. One decision that has also stayed in my mind this season is that of the red card given to Julio Arca for his stoppage time challenge on Sammy Clingan when Middlesbrough came to the Ricoh in late January. The challenge was clearly a foul but initial reaction was that the red card was harsh and then when Clingan got up almost instantly and actually said to the referee don’t send him off, for me it is ridiculous that he was sent off. I personally don’t understand how a referee can have a different view to the player that actually got tackled. Referees do have tough jobs though and are in clear need of help when it comes to the big decisions and lets just hope that technology is brought in to help them sooner rather than later.
We are now down to the last 3 games of the season and with Coventry four points from safety the next two home games are vital and surely six points are a must. This is realistic to hope for as Millwall who are now safe have nothing left to play for and Doncaster are the same as they have now been relegated to League One.
Other team’s fixtures are just as important though and there are 3 teams that we could potentially catch, Bristol City, Barnsley and Forest. Forest though probably are going to be ok as I can see them getting atleast one more result in the last 3 games. Barnsley on the other hand are right in the mix as long as they lose away to Hull on Tuesday night. Their next game sees them take on Bristol which is the game that should keep Coventry’s survival hopes alive at least until the last day of the season. We are going to need an unbelievable performance on the final day though as we have the toughest fixture by far, away at Southampton who look like they are going to need a result in order to be promoted. There are a lot of if’s and but’s left to decide and despite a lot of Coventry fans scepticisms we are still very much in the fight to stay up.
There was also a story that came out last week about SISU who because of the relegation battle that Coventry find themselves in have been out of the headlines for a while. However it has came to light that SISU have failed to make a rent payment on the Ricoh Arena and again this has potential further implications for the club. It is still clear to see that SISU are running out of money and are trying to get out of spending every penny they can. It also confirms the poor relationship which is clearly had between SISU and ACL the owners of the Ricoh. Personally I don’t know the ins and the outs over the ownership of the Ricoh Arena but it clearly has many other functions and forms of income other than accommodating Coventry City football club. On that basis it would be reasonable to suggest that the Ricoh could continue to function without the Skyblues playing there and we have to ask the question what would happen to the club if this isn’t resolved and we get kicked out of the Ricoh.
With everything that has gone on off the field this season it pains me to say this but we as Coventry fans probably do have bigger things to worry about than relegation to league one. However because we as fans have no control over the goings on off the field, lets concentrate on backing the boys for the last 3 games and continue giving them the amazing support that we have all season. Then let’s hope we have something to celebrate come the end of the season even if that celebration may end up being short lived.
PUSB!!
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