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This Weeks News

Hot Topics

Everything Under Control

FA Justice in Action

Three for Sorrow

England

Arsenal

Did Arsene Get His Sums Wrong?

Arsenal Star Milton Dies

Soho Square Farce

Ashley and a Heavy Dose of the Blues

Arsenal and the Future

Clean Sweep for Arsenal

Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn's European Ambitions Dented

Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wise, Pound Foolish

Downsizing at Bolton

Chelsea

It's Thumbs Up for Lampard

How Chelsea Blew it in Geordieland

Another Fine Mess, Mourinho

Chelsea's Big Mistake

Sideways is Best for Chelsea

Chelsea on the Slide

Chelsea - Play or Pose?

Chelsea Fail Again

All Quiet in the Chelsea Midfield

The Price of Failure

Chelsea Lose Their Title

Liverpool

The Nation Backs Liverpool

Liverpool Make it Big

Liverpool Should Be Cautious

Manchester City

Manchester Teams Worlds Apart

Manchester United

United Narrow Favourites

The Art of Being Bullish

Alex Gets Arsene's Vote

Crying in the Rain

Champions United Make Their Point

Newcastle United

Portsmouth

Record for Portsmouth Keeper

Your Round, Harry

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham, Envy and the Price of Silver

Arsenal Expose Underachieving Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur - You Have to Laugh

Referees

Poll Shows Promise

It isnt easy to find top class referees these days, even in the Premiership, but Graham Poll could be one if he tried or more accurately, if he changed his approach a little. The problem with Graham is that he often gives the impression that he believes the fans have come to see him and that the 22 players are nothing more than a kind of supporting cast.

This is, to put it bluntly, delusive behaviour and unlikely to endear him to players, coaches, managers or fans. So he would be well advised to cut out the expansive gestures, the theatrical smiles, the agonisingly long time he sometimes takes over an important decision, the subtle positioning to ensure that the camera catches his best side in short, the ego thing.

And when hes done that, he could try re-assessing his role as a referee. He might start by recalling that old cliché about the really good ref being the one you dont notice until you glance at the programme on the way out.

After all, the football club programme which gives the referee star billing hasnt been published yet. Fortunately.