How do you explain that one, then?

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Friday, March 15, 2013
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South Wales Evening Post

THERE were bigger issues in the world this week than whether a disallowed goal in the Black Country ought really to have stood.

Like how far North Korea can fire missiles, what colour smoke was coming out of the Vatican and exactly how they are stacking tables at Loughor Town Hall.

  1. talking point   Roland Lamah scores late on against West Brom, but the offside flag denied Swansea the goal and a share of the spoils.

    talking point Roland Lamah scores late on against West Brom, but the offside flag denied Swansea the goal and a share of the spoils.

It is a safe bet that Michael Laudrup isn't bothered about what gets Loughor's councillors going.

The only table he is concerned with, after all, does not have legs.

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Swansea currently sit pretty in the middle of the Premier League, with no relegation concerns to trouble their manager this spring.

But that did not stop Laudrup getting hot and bothered in the wake of West Bromwich Albion.

Just in case you have been keeping that robot company on Mars this week, news that Loughor Council are to store their tables differently in an attempt to preserve them better went wild on the web.

And at the Hawthorns last Saturday, Laudrup went bananas after Swansea fell victim to perhaps the worst offside decision seen in the Premier League this season.

Lee Mason, the referee, and Lee Betts, his assistant, must have felt a little foolish when they watched footage of the 87th-minute Roland Lamah effort they ruled out.

They would not have enjoyed all the flak which came as a result from Laudrup et al in the Swansea camp, but in a sense they got off lightly.

Had this blunder denied Wayne Rooney a crucial late goal, for instance, the replay would have been on the Sky Sports loop for a couple of days.

Sir Alex Ferguson, meantime, would have spontaneously combusted on the touchline.

Coincidentally, Mason will be on duty at Old Trafford this weekend, though as the fourth official rather than referee.

This is not because he has been punished, however.

The Premier League's refereeing spokesman explained to Heads Up this week that Mason is merely being rotated, that there are 18 Premier League referees at present so therefore eight will not be in charge of a game every weekend.

He also stressed that according to the Prozone stats, 99 per cent of offside decisions in the Premier League are right and 95 per cent of so-called big calls are correct.

Sometimes, Laudrup might argue, it does not feel like it.

The Dane has not often bashed referees since coming to this country, but his criticism has been fairly fierce this week.

Laudrup reckons Mason ought to be suspended because of the scale of the West Brom error, but that is not going to happen.

Laudrup also believes referees should come out and explain to the media why they reached contentious decisions.

Admittedly, Mason and Co probably would not fancy facing the long line of cameras and mikes which come with Premier League football.

But perhaps they could take to Twitter — the medium of choice for so many these days — to explain the big calls.

Then again, maybe not.

Imagine some of the messages the refs would get in return.

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