It has been quite a year for top official Howard Webb. He refereed not only the Champions League final but was also given the plum job of the World Cup final.But Webb was not without his critics after the final in which Spain won a scrappy game 1-0 against the Netherlands.One man who is eminently able to judge Webb’s handling of the game is Keith Hackett, former head of the premier league refs....
Q. A lot has been said about the game and the handling of the game by Howard Webb. What is your view?
A. I thought he had a super World Cup. Howard prepared exceptionally well, his fitness levels were top draw. He did altitude training in Sheffield where they have a room that can replicate conditions around the world. His aim was to keep the game flowing and try and keep players on the field which was a difficult task as the way the game turned out. He was exceptional in the games beforehand and that is why he got the final
Q. Many have said that he might have shown a red card or two instead of a yellow?
A. When you see slow motion on TV it can expose things differently. It may be a clear view on TV but he has to be certain in his own mind at normal speed which is a fraction of the time. I think more than anything there is a tinge of disappointment that with so many world class players that the game didn’t turn out as many had hoped.
Q. What would have been going through his mind with some of the tackles?
A. Basically there has to be three things. If we are talking about the late challenge and kick in the chest then firstly, was it a reckless challenge, the answer is yes. Secondly was it a danger to the opponent and the answer is yes also. Thirdly was there excessive force used and on this there is a degree of doubt. When the foot is up and depending on your position it is not so easy to detect and punish. In this case there was some doubt hence the yellow.
Q. It was a big game for him. How well does he manage the big games?
A. Besides preparing well, he has the help of a sports psychologist to help deal with stress and conflict management on the field. Coming from a police background he has a solid base to begin with. When you are issuing sanctions on the field you need to keep calm and Howard kept his facial language very calm during the game and certainly did not pour fuel onto the fire.
Q. How did you see the role of the two assistants?
A. One of the underlying strengths was the two assistants. One of them was a former player himself and he provided an almost unbeatable standard of performances with his judgement on some very tight situations. Over the four games the two assistants had some tricky decisions to make and when you looked at the decisions closely they got it spot on. The two assistants supported Howard extremely well.
Q. The game was not as good as could have been hoped. From a referee’s point of view is there anything to learn?
A. Yes I think there is. With the support of the LMA, PFA and PL they have embarked on a respect programme and to get on with each other. Before games the captains and the referees get together in the dressing room and talk. During the game the referee turns to the captain to calm down his team mates and get them on side. Little things improve communication and this has been brought about by ex-players and managers assessing the performance week in and week out. Maybe if this was applied before games it might make for a smoother.
