Chelsea FC fans are an indignant bunch at the moment. I bet every other club’s supporters just wishes ours would just shut up. But do we have a right to be belligerent about our perceived hardships? Or is our beloved Jose Mourinho just the boy who cried wolf?
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Have Chelsea FC been the victims of bad officiating this season, or it is all just smoke and mirrors by a clever manager who understands how to manipulate his surroundings? Most intelligent neutrals may concede that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I’m a Chelsea fan, but I’ll try to do this diplomatically. The idea that there is a campaign is silly, but lets look at big calls that were missed on both sides. It just does not seem fair this season.
Burnley vs Chelsea FC (August 2014)
Burnley Offenses
– Diego Costa was in on goal, the goalkeeper tripped him, should have been a red card and a penalty but instead Costa was booked for simulation.
Chelsea FC vs Arsenal (October 2014)
Chelsea offenses
-Gary Cahill studs up 2 foot challenge (NO CARD GIVEN)
Arsenal Offenses
-Wenger leaves his technical area and pushes Mourinho (NO RETROSPECTIVE ACTION)
-Alexis Sanchez swings at Ivanovic (NO CARD/ RETROSPECTIVE ACTION)
-Danny Welbeck studs up 2 foot challenge on Fabregas (NO CARD GIVEN)
-Callum Chambers could have also been given two yellow cards in that game but only got one
Manchester United vs Chelsea FC (October 2014)
Man United Offenses
Smalling and Phil Jones manhandling Terry and Ivanovic on multiple corners, even throwing them to the ground in one instance (NO PENALTIES GIVEN)
Chelsea Offenses
Ivanovic getting a second yellow on a borderline call in the dying seconds and United equalized when Chelsea were down to 10 men
Liverpool vs Chelsea (November 2014)
Chelsea Offenses
Cahill handball in the box towards the end of the game (NO PENALTY GIVEN)
**BUT AFTER THIS IT APPEARS TO BE VERY SLANTED AGAINST CHELSEA
Southampton vs Chelsea FC (December 2014)
Southampton Offenses
Fabregas gets tripped in the box and is booked for simulation
Tottenham vs Chelsea FC (January 2015)
Tottenham Offenses
With Chelsea leading 1-0 Vertonghen, whilst laying on the ground in his penalty box, touches the ball with his hand. Could have decided a match if Chelsea goes up 2-0 (NO PENALTY GIVEN)
FA CUP SEMIFINAL vs Liverpool (2nd Leg)
Liverpool Offenses
Skrtl trips Costa in the box (NO PENALTY GIVEN)
-Henderson and Skrtl elbowed Costa in the head on many occasions. Jordan Henderson even allegedly tried to fight Costa in the tunnel after the first leg at Anfield (NO CARDS OR RETROSPECTIVE PUNISHMENT)
Chelsea Offenses
Costa stamps on Can (RETROSPECTIVE 3 MATCH BAN)
Chelsea FC vs Everton (Feb 2015)
Everton Offenses
Naismith handball in the box (NO PENALTY GIVEN)
And you already know what happened this weekend against Burnley which may have been the worst of the bunch. On top of that, our biggest direct rivals Man City have been given 7 penalties this season compared to Chelsea’s 2. Wayne Rooney dives against Preston North End and nobody cares.
Mourinho, because of his persona, and Chelsea by association, seem to be living in a self fulfilling prophecy of blown calls and therefore controversy. Mourinho says that referees are blowing calls and costing him results, and then the referees blow calls and cost him results. All the other teams appear to be living in a state of equilibrium, they get a call one week, they don’t get it the next.
Credit: Flickr user CFCUnofficial https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial/16484956596/
Furthermore, on Sunday Jan Vertonghen shoved a West Ham player to the ground in similar fashion to Matic and was not punished at all. Chelsea FC are baffled at this lack of consistency.
Chelsea are still huge favorites to win the EPL and it will be crushing as a supporter if they don’t claim the crown.
If you want to make the case that the Blues could and should still win games with blown calls going against them, that’s fair and you can justify that line of reasoning seeing as how they have one of the highest payrolls in world football – BUT THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE TO. They should not have to play against the refs as well.
Their lead over Man City would be double digits if they even got HALF of the calls that they deserved. And the key word in that sentence is ‘deserved’. It’ s justice when a clear penalty is rightfully given, so it has to be injustice when a clear penalty is not given, and for 1 team in particular to be the brunt of several injustices, over a very short window of time, should be unacceptable in the so called best domestic league in world futbol.
Screw it, We’re still top of the league.
Photos by @cfcunoffical. On Twitter and at CFCUnofficial.com