Kevin Friend

[PISTON]

I actually believe what you are saying is the truth and actually happened at the level you played.

The strictness of certain refs varies a lot more depending on the level you play.

However there is no way in a million years that a premier league manager changes his tactics depending who the ref is.

Unless you think they do,do you?

I played at the same level and very occasionally higher than this shower!!

Completely changing tactics is suppose is slightly different to altering the natural course of the game.
I can absolutely guarantee that sure fire starters haven't started because we suspected old scores would be settled.
I can absolutely guarantee the option to pressurise opponents closely is eliminated so a "back off" policy is enforced.
I can absolutely guarantee that certain players were removed from their usual roles/playing styles to somewhere the referee would find it harder to influence.

If you like certain players and/or the team played in "limp home" mode. It was enough if our skillsets were way above the opposition but sometimes in very close important games against top opposition the margins were finer and it was a lot harder.
We weren't happy when certain referees were given our games.

 

[HutchSafc]

I hate Kevin Friend. Usually im not that arsed about the ref but this **** definitely has it in for us.

 

[Voice of fair play]

The thread is about Kevin friend and Sunderland matches. We're not overjoyed at the thought of him due to his record against us.

I don't care if he's the best ref in the world for the other 95%, I care about his record against us. And it's not pretty.

If he is as good as you claim the rest of the time, then he's on a bloody 'unlucky' run with us...

TBF mate if you just said that in the first place,I could not argue with what you have just said.

However if you are honest you also said he was a shit and useless ref,that is why I responded to you,IMO you do not have enough knowledge of his performances to make that statement with any confidence.

At the risk of repeating myself the people who do have enough knowledge of all his performances have decided he is good enough to ref in one of the top leagues in the world,therefore common sense tells me he must be a very good ref to achieve that.

I hate Kevin Friend. Usually im not that arsed about the ref but this **** definitely has it in for us.

What possible reason/motive would he have it in for us? Can't understand why a person is hated for just giving a decision he honestly thinks is right at the time

I played at the same level and very occasionally higher than this shower!!

Completely changing tactics is suppose is slightly different to altering the natural course of the game.
I can absolutely guarantee that sure fire starters haven't started because we suspected old scores would be settled.
I can absolutely guarantee the option to pressurise opponents closely is eliminated so a "back off" policy is enforced.
I can absolutely guarantee that certain players were removed from their usual roles/playing styles to somewhere the referee would find it harder to influence.

If you like certain players and/or the team played in "limp home" mode. It was enough if our skillsets were way above the opposition but sometimes in very close important games against top opposition the margins were finer and it was a lot harder.
We weren't happy when certain referees were given our games.

I am sure you did play at quite a high level mate was not questioned that,however do you honestly think premier league managers change their tactics depending who the ref is.

 

[HutchSafc]

What possible reason/motive would he have it in for us?

I dinar. I dont like Frank Lampard but i couldnt tell you why just something about him.

 

[Voice of fair play]

I dinar. I dont like Frank Lampard but i couldnt tell you why just something about him.

Fair enough have always thought you are one of the more sensible posters on here anyway

 

[Redan_White]

It will be a subconscious bias that does exist, he won't set out to fuck us over intentionally, he will try and Ref the game in a fair professional manner. Somewhere in his mind though there is a bias that will influence his decisions. Deep in his psyche he will be hearing us the fans singing 'your not fit to referee', 'the referee's a wanker' and that split decision happens that he doesn't see clearly and he blows up. He then realises(or is informed by the 4th official) as the game goes on what has happened and he gets lenient but by then it is too late, the game changer has been and gone. He's done it a couple of times in my ailing memory.

 

[PISTON]

I am sure you did play at quite a high level mate was not questioned that,however do you honestly think premier league managers change their tactics depending who the ref is.

I wouldn't go as far as say they'd play with 5 strikers or 3 goalkeepers but to a much lesser degree they might be very wary about giving the referee "opportunities".
Those "opportunities" could be genuine mistakes or perceived to be deliberate.

For a professional team it doesn't matter if they're genuine or deliberate, it's quite clear that the chance of them happening with Kevin Friend in charge is greater. Therefore players are forced to alter their style as there is more risk of Kevin Friend getting it decisively wrong than the opposition getting it decisively right.
As a professional you have to pick the best percentage. It shows something is clearly wrong when the opposition is your safest option.

 

[HutchSafc]

Fair enough have always thought you are one of the more sensible posters on here anyway

Dont get me wrong you are most likely correct in saying Friend has nowt against us because he probably doesnt. Like you say why would he? But we just never seem to get anything from him and he annoys me. Most other refs I dont care for but theres definitely something about him.

 

[Voice of fair play]

Dont get me wrong you are most likely correct in saying Friend has nowt against us because he probably doesnt. Like you say why would he? But we just never seem to get anything from him and he annoys me. Most other refs I dont care for but theres definitely something about him.

But they will be a ref like that for every team mate,like you say there is no way he has given us bad decisions on purpose

I wouldn't go as far as say they'd play with 5 strikers or 3 goalkeepers but to a much lesser degree they might be very wary about giving the referee "opportunities".
Those "opportunities" could be genuine mistakes or perceived to be deliberate.

For a professional team it doesn't matter if they're genuine or deliberate, it's quite clear that the chance of them happening with Kevin Friend in charge is greater. Therefore players are forced to alter their style as there is more risk of Kevin Friend getting it decisively wrong than the opposition getting it decisively right.
As a professional you have to pick the best percentage. It shows something is clearly wrong when the opposition is your safest option.

It is not quite clear at all,it is absolute nonsense to suggest Sunderland players will change their style because Kevin Friend is the ref that day,farcical statement that mind

 

[HutchSafc]

But they will be a ref like that for every team mate,like you say there is no way he has given us bad decisions on purpose

Is it fair to say he has got quite a few noticeably bad decisions wrong against us then even if it just be a coincidence? Regardless of his ability as a ref.

 

[Redan_White]

But they will be a ref like that for every team mate,like you say there is no way he has given us bad decisions on purpose

Not consciously no but I recon in his subconscious there exists a bias.

 

[Eddie Hitler]

Now Webb has retired Kevin friend has took over as the worst reff in the league imho.

Simply awful against us time and time again. We need a song for this twat before a ball is kicked on Sarada ( sort it @dangermows ) just to let him know that we know he has an agenda against us.

 

[PISTON]

It is not quite clear at all,it is absolute nonsense to suggest Sunderland players will change their style because Kevin Friend is the ref that day,farcical statement that mind

Certain players may be very wary about making certain challenges, particularly around the box. Kevin Friend has a long history of getting them "wrong" in our games. Why give him another opportunity?
If the choice is an opposition shot from 16 yards or a Kevin Friend decision many professionals would opt for the opposition shot. It's the least risk.

Let me give an example from my time where a referee can stop a team from playing evenly. Everyone accepts that holding goes on (blah blah blah, yes i know, but that's a different debate). In my time it was even more rife than PL corners.
If a player or team suspect a score will be settled then "holding" is the referees get out of jail card. Therefore certain players had to play a whole f**king game with their arms up and clear of the action whereas at the other end there's f**king carnage. They couldn't take the risk because it would give the referee an opportunity. This part of the game is one where the referee can never be wrong but he can steer the course of a result.

 

[G Force]

TBF mate if you just said that in the first place,I could not argue with what you have just said.

However if you are honest you also said he was a shit and useless ref,that is why I responded to you,IMO you do not have enough knowledge of his performances to make that statement with any confidence.

At the risk of repeating myself the people who do have enough knowledge of all his performances have decided he is good enough to ref in one of the top leagues in the world,therefore common sense tells me he must be a very good ref to achieve that.

Yes I called him useless, I'm a Sunderland fan. I care about his record in his Sunderland matches so far. He may be the best ref in Europe statistically. I don't care, I'm commenting on Sunderland. He's had a bloody unlucky run so far hasn't he.

I'm sure Friend is delighted you're defending him so passionately mind. Not really sure why you care so much to be honest. Each to their own though I suppose.

What is your purpose of being on this board though mate? I only notice you on referee threads, and also your username. Are you a Sunderland fan? That's not a dig by the way, just genuinely curious.

Also I see you happily picked up the "useless" in my first post, but ignored the 5 or 6 incidents below it.

In future when talking about refs I'm putting a disclaimer *Sunderland matches only should be taken into account when debating referees ability.

 

[Mighty Boosh]

I agree in most cases mate but some refs are shocking and Kevin Friend is one of them. I have no idea how him, Andre Mariner and Lee Mason are PL refs

Correct. Also add Phil Dowd to that list or is it just a fact the fat little bastard hates us and we always get shafted by him.

Against Arsenal everytime we made a tackle it was a free kick. Kevin is definitely not our friend.

The thing is mate if you said he has been shit in Sunderland games you have watched,that's fair enough your opinion.

But to say he is a shit ref full stop,without having any knowledge of say 90 % of his performances is silly really

Have you watched all of Friend's games the past 5 years. He could have made many more we don't know about. The point is he has consistently made huge errors in games refereeing us.

This raises questions as to whether he has a vendetta against us or some reason for him to favour the other team when we play

 

[janey]

Absolute nonsense, I always say when I think a ref gets it wrong but I will not have all this 'shite, cheat corrupt etc etc 'labeled at them when all they are doing is making honest mistakes. Every single piece of evidence points to that the job is simply to hard to do yet still people can't help but abuse these people

Players makes mistake for his team = these things happen, he didn't mean it, part of the game

Ref makes mistake= useless twat, the bloke should be sacked, he is totally incompetent

Its simply not fair



You are a joke of a poster and dont even warrant a response. Do you not get sick of constantly embarrassing yourself on here with you pure drivel

I acknowledged that sometimes you make good points, but they get lost because sometimes it appears you defend them when there appears to be no defence. Kevin Friends performances involving Sunderland being a case in point.
And from what I read it's the minority that accuse a ref of being corrupt tbf. I

 

[Pete B]

i wouldn't say Friend is corrupt, he's just easily influenced by certain badges on shirts and/or badgering from players protected from dissent by their england caps

 

[woodlebert]

Certain players may be very wary about making certain challenges, particularly around the box. Kevin Friend has a long history of getting them "wrong" in our games. Why give him another opportunity?
If the choice is an opposition shot from 16 yards or a Kevin Friend decision many professionals would opt for the opposition shot. It's the least risk.

Let me give an example from my time where a referee can stop a team from playing evenly. Everyone accepts that holding goes on (blah blah blah, yes i know, but that's a different debate). In my time it was even more rife than PL corners.
If a player or team suspect a score will be settled then "holding" is the referees get out of jail card. Therefore certain players had to play a whole f**king game with their arms up and clear of the action whereas at the other end there's f**king carnage. They couldn't take the risk because it would give the referee an opportunity. This part of the game is one where the referee can never be wrong but he can steer the course of a result.

PISTON>TO WHAT LEVEL DID YOU PLAY?

 

[redandwhiterob]

Correct. Also add Phil Dowd to that list or is it just a fact the fat little bastard hates us and we always get shafted by him.

Against Arsenal everytime

I acknowledged that sometimes you make good points, but they get lost because sometimes it appears you defend them when there appears to be no defence. Kevin Friends performances involving Sunderland being a case in point.
And from what I read it's the minority that accuse a ref of being corrupt tbf. I

Show me one single post where I have defended Friend's really bad decisions against Sunderland for example sending Wes Brown off at Stoke?,

 

[Voice of fair play]

Yes I called him useless, I'm a Sunderland fan. I care about his record in his Sunderland matches so far. He may be the best ref in Europe statistically. I don't care, I'm commenting on Sunderland. He's had a bloody unlucky run so far hasn't he.

I'm sure Friend is delighted you're defending him so passionately mind. Not really sure why you care so much to be honest. Each to their own though I suppose.

What is your purpose of being on this board though mate? I only notice you on referee threads, and also your username. Are you a Sunderland fan? That's not a dig by the way, just genuinely curious.

Also I see you happily picked up the "useless" in my first post, but ignored the 5 or 6 incidents below it.

In future when talking about refs I'm putting a disclaimer *Sunderland matches only should be taken into account when debating referees ability.

If you are now saying mate,that Friend has just been poor in the Sunderland games,you have watched then that fair enough,who I am I to argue with that.

In answer to your other question the reason I am on the ref thread is I try to be a fair minded bloke and see the treatment of refs by fans as a complete injustice.

Every single ref is surrounded by players cheating,diving,claiming free kicks,throw ins etc,their know are not theirs.

All a ref does is give what he sees with one look,one angle and split second to decide.

What gets me is the people(not yourself) calling them corrupt,cheats etc using words like hate why?

All a ref does is try and make honest decisions and of course under the above circumstances he will get plenty wrong and you are right to a certain extent Friend has got his fair share wrong against us.

Just because I am a Sunderland fan does that mean I hate him or think he is a cheat of course not.

Like I said earlier what possible reason would a certain ref have to give Sunderland bad decisions on purpose,nobody has come up with one yet and until they do I will put his bad decisions against us down to one of those things.

I have played football all my life and still play over40s and shout at refs in the heat of the moment every game.

But in the cold light of day do I hate them or think their cheats of course not.

All about opinions mate enjoyed the crack anyway rant over