I wondered where all the goals went on Saturday, as a paucity of them led to some very tight contests. Sunday and Monday were a bit better, but BPL Round 28 was far from a classic in this viewer's eyes:
o If you're wondering about the current state of refereeing in the BPL, the game to watch this weekend was QPR vs. Bolton, as the two linesmen overseeing the contest turned in a shocker. One legitimate (over the line) goal was disallowed, while one illegitimate goal (offside) was allowed. I'm not sure exactly what can be done about it, but it seems as if refereeing controversies are seriously damaging the integrity of the game. Maybe the FA should employ more women like Sian Massey, who seems to understand the offside rule very well, indeed.
o People wondering if Stoke have an undeserved reputation for thuggery ought to be required to watch Ricardo Fuller's brutal act of stamping Branislav Ivanovic where no man should be stamped, committed after his full-strength team had utterly frustrated Chelsea for the first 25 minutes of action.
o If you were among the Chelsea faithful wondering about how the RDM era will work out at Stamford Bridge, you had to be somewhat disappointed by the Blues' slim 1-0 home victory over a Stoke side that -- thanks to Ric Fuller -- played with ten men for over an hour. I'm not sure that effort will inspire much confidence heading into Chelsea's mid-week Champions League showdown with Napoli.
o Meanwhile, in North London, Spurs are wondering how their season all seems to have gone a bit wobbly. It's as if the storyline arc hit its high point this season at Uncle Harry's acquittal, and the subsequent England manager conversation, and has gone steadily downhill ever since. While many people previously believed Spurs to be a lock for third place, the denouement is looking more and more like a dogfight for fourth, with a Chelsea side that has considerably more experience in these type of situations.
