Table if Referees had got their calls right

[KunDB]

Hypothetical Tableif Referees decisions had been called right by them

Confirms City Fans like me suspicion we have not been getting anywhere near a fair deal by Referees.

                 P   W   D   L   Pts
Leicester   29   14   12   3   54
Arsenal       29   16   5   8   53
CITY           28   16   5   7   53
Spurs   29   13   12   4   51
WHam      29   14   9   6   51

Actual Table with dodgy referee decisions
            P   W   D   L   Pts
Leicester   29   17   9   3   60
Spurs   29   15   10   4   55
Arsenal   29   15   7   7   52
CITY           28   15   5   8   50
WHam    29   13   10   6   49

Analysis by sports writer Harry Pratt on his Hypothetical Premier League (HPL) website

Story Link Here

[Rowley Birkin QC]

So dubious refereeing has deprived us of 3 points? It's not much of a conspiracy is it?

Based on that evidence, the only significant thing the refs have been guilty of is being too generous to Leicester (and to a lesser extent - Spurs)

[KunDB]

Well RB QC you may have a point. That is an independent assessment, I am anything but an independent assessor and I think there is a referee agenda against us. More specifically against Rahemm and surprisingly Sergio, who have been denied some clear penalties this season imho. For an example compare some of the decisions they have received denying them a penalty to the decision to award Benteke's a last second penalty for a desperation dive from a mere hairbreath touch.

But I know I am seriously biased.

[Lekos]

So dubious refereeing has deprived us of 3 points? It's not much of a conspiracy is it?

[KunDB]

Useful contribution

[gavin]

I can think of several pens we should have had. Not sure about conspiracies but certain clubs definitely get more favourable decisions though the situation has improved since a Scottish ref bullying twot retired.

[Lekos]

Useful contribution

Level with yours pal, I just used a thousand less characters.

[Ludo]

In fairness to Zabba it's not his league table, he's simply sharing a link that, although hypothetical, makes interesting reading.

[Swiss]

It's also taking into account where we've had dodgy decisions go our way

[KunDB]

Level with yours pal, I just used a thousand less characters.

Really useful contribution

[KunDB]

For those interested while it is not science the assessment shows we would be just 1 point off Leicester with a game in hand. For RBQC conspiracies have more than one aspect. Decisions denied to us and decisions given to others, I think the adjusted table shows this very clearly.

[nimrod]

Maybe if the charming man wasnt so charming

[Ludo]

 While I don't think there's necessarily a conspiracy against us I do think there's sometimes a subconscious bias. Some off the penalty decisions we haven't got defy logic.

[KunDB]

I think it is more than subconscious referees meet regularly and talk, they are no different from fans and managers and executives in that regard. They have targeted, imo, Raheem and Sergio as divers and therefore they are getting no penalty decisions, even the blatant ones.

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I agree Sterling has a problem with refs (the penalty we didn't get at the end of the Everton game for example - that's a point we lost, assuming we'd scored the pen) but it is to some extent a self inflicted problem. He has a reputation for going down too easily.

[KunDB]

I would add that stats showed we were, per referee decisions, the least fouled against team and how often are Segio and Merlin scythed down with no foul given (it is just unbelievable).

[Rowley Birkin QC]

I think you're on to something a little more tangible there. There have been a fair few games, both this season and last, were I've thought  refs have seemed reluctant to protect our most dangerous players from repeat challenges where ankles get tapped or a foot left in.

Any defender can mistime the odd tackle without malice, but when Silva has been clattered to the ground for the third or fourth time in about 20 minutes without so much as a stem talking to for the offender(s), never mind a card - I'm usually about ready to rip someone's head off.