There has already been quite a lot said about the man chosen to referee the upcoming FA cup final between Arsenal and Aston Villa and I don’t want to get on the back of Jon Moss too much, because he is surely doing the best he can. But the general consensus seems to be that the 44-year old is not quite up to it.
Even the former Premier League referee Mark Halsey has slammed the appointment, as reported by The Express, even though officials usually stick up for each other. Halsey clearly feels, as do many others, that Mark Clattenburg should have got the gig but the authorities seem to be intent on snubbing him.
I am not so sure about all the in fighting and politics involved but it does seem a bit daft that the best man for the job does not always get it, with the bizarre ruling in place that a ref can only do it once. The problem for me is not just that Mister Moss tends to make a few mistakes, because both Arsenal and Aston Villa have to live with his decisions.
What worries me is that his major flaw seems to be giving big decisions, especially penalty kicks, and at Wembley that is more likely to impact on the Gunners than the Villains. In a close game one key decision can decide the result so I guess we will just have to make sure that this final is not close.