The mental Liverpool midfielder followed his first booking at Old Trafford with a couple of verbal obscenities at referee Steve Bennett.

I could see then that Mascherano was out of control and destined to be sent off even if his team-mates and that awful, embarrassing apology of a tv commentator Andy Gray couldn't. The only surprise for me was that he almost survived until half-time.

That the latest act of foul-mouthed baiting of officials happened just a few days after the infamous spot of violence, followed by petulance and a mealy-mouthed apology by Ashley Cole was less of a shock.

Football at the highest level has gone to the dogs and it's inevitable that the rest of the game right down to grass roots will follow.

And as far as I'm concerned no-one is blameless...



PLAYERS, like politicians, appear to believe normal rules of decency don't apply to them.

How Ashley Cole can dare to show his face in public after his behaviour at Spurs is beyond me. Yet dissent, bullying and cheating is now as much a part of the game as set-pieces and wing-play.

Cole's treatment of referee Mike Riley, following it has to be said an evil assault on an opponent, sent a message to footballers everywhere that officials are powerless objects of contempt.



MANAGERS have the power to stop abuse in an instant. If they refused to select anyone guilty of dissent, players wouldn't do it.

But of course that's never going to happen as managers treat their players like spoilt little kids. Every discretion is ignored, indulged and probably rewarded.

Bosses also think nothing of twisting the truth and distorting the facts. They are also experts in the dark art of hypocrisy.

That's why the best manager in the country can one week claim that a referee was biased against his team and the following week slam other clubs for haranguing officials.

That's why the manager of Arsenal can turn a blind eye to the excesses of his own villains from yesteryear and yet demand extra protection for his latest talented, yet physically fragile, outfit.

Even Avram Grant, a likable old cove in many ways, managed to praise Ashley Cole for his meaningless apology.

REFEREES are far from blameless.