Dpn't seem to have been pulled.
Here's the text, can't cut and paste the red tinted amended table. Bitter bastard
Revealed: the decisions that cost Manchester United the title and handed the Premier League to City
An exclusive study by Tim Long has identified the matches in which Manchester United and City were the victims or beneficiaries of refereeing errors that had a material effect on the scoreline and, ultimately, the fate of the Premier League title.
Revealed: the decisions that cost United the title
More than 200 hours were spent studying 674 decisions in all 370 games in the Premier League this season, the complete impact of which can be viewed here. Adjusted for corrected decisions, the title, currently in Manchester City's hands, would already have been won by United (scroll to the foot of this article for the adjusted table and details on the study's methodology). And here's where it was won and lost....
Manchester United 3 Chelsea 1. Adjusted score 1-1
Both Chris Smalling and Nani score goals that on review should have been disallowed for offside as United see off one of their early season title challengers at Old Trafford.
United get 2 more points than they should
Stoke City 1 Manchester United 1. Adjusted score 1-2
Jonathan Woodgate sees a foul on Javier Hernandez in the Stoke penalty area go unpunished. Working on the assumption that all awarded penalties are converted, United would have won the game rather than dropping points at the Britannia Stadium.
United denied 2 points they should have had
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Manchester United 1 Newcastle United 1. Adjusted score 1-0.
Rio Ferdinand is deemed to have fouled Hatem Ben Arfa, presenting Demba Ba with the simple task of scoring from the penalty spot, thus taking a point from Old Trafford. Replays show that Ferdinand took the ball, though brought down the Newcastle player with a robust tackle as well.
United denied 2 points they should have had
–
Manchester United 2 Blackburn 3. Adjusted score 3-3
Patrice Evra goes down under a challenge from Radosav Petrovic in the Blackburn box. Nothing given at the time but United probably should have had a penalty, and the chance to salvage a draw from a game that damaged their title bid and kept Steve Kean in a job.
United denied 1 point they should have had
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Chelsea 3 Manchester United 3. Adjusted score 3-4
Ashley Young doesn't always get penalty awards. A foul by Jose Bosingwa on the United winger waved away in a match when United came back from 3-0 down thanks to two penalties converted by Wayne Rooney. This study assumes he would have completed the hat-trick.
United denied 2 points they should have had
–
Manchester United 1 Fulham 0. Adjusted score 1-1
With Danny Murphy in full flight heading towards the United goal, Michael Carrick tripped the Fulham midfielder. A penalty to everyone in the ground bar the referee as Old Trafford held its collective breath. It wasn't given, but should have been.
United get 2 more points than they should
–
Wigan 1 Manchester United 0. Adjusted score 1-2
An incredible display by Wigan from which they deserved the three points. But should they have had them? Danny Welbeck was unlucky not to be given a spot kick when felled in the box and Maynor Figueroa handled a cross but got away with it.
United denied 3 points they should have had
TOTAL Decisions cost United 6 points over the season
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Chelsea 2 Manchester City 1. Adjusted score 2-2
David Silva was given nothing when Jose Bosingwa looked to have brought him down for a penalty at Stamford Bridge, on a night when City lost their unbeaten record in the lead. Had the referee given the spot kick, as replays suggest he should have, that run would not have come to an end.
City denied 1 point they should have had
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Sunderland 1 Manchester City 0. Adjusted score 0-0
Ji Dong-won completed an incredible smash and grab win for Sunderland in the third minute of stoppage time. It was a classic counter attack from Martin O'Neill's side. It was also offside.
City denied 1 point they should have had
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Everton 1 Manchester City 0. Adjusted score 1-1
Another rare defeat for City at the hands of another tactically astute manager. David Moyes's best laid plans, however, may have come to less had the referee blown for a foul on Joleon Lescott by Tim Howard in front of the American's goal.
City denied 1 point they should have had
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Stoke City 1 Manchester City 1. Adjusted score 2-1
A typically combative performance from Stoke, graced by Peter Crouch's wonder strike, saw them comfortably hold Roberto Mancini's side. The point could, or should, have been three, after Gareth Barry escaped with a foul on Glenn Whelan that would have given the home side a penalty.
City get 1 more point than they should have
TOTAL Decisions cost City 2 points over the season
The final effect on the race for the Premier League title is that United would, rather than being level on points with City going in to the last game, be four points clear and with the title already won, regardless of the results of their game against Sunderland and City's meeting with QPR.
How the survey worked
Each replay was watched up to six times in slow motion/super-slow motion.
For penalty incidents, separate viewings were used to look for potential contact at the feet, ankles, knees, and upper-body areas.
If a penalty was judged to be 'missed’ it was assumed the kick would have been converted.
A conscious effort to side with the referee’s decision was made where possible.
Tim Long is a sports broadcaster and writer who has passed the basic referee course.
www.thesportscaster.net -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manchester United have cause for complaint as unique survey highlights Premier League errors
Manchester United would already be celebrating retaining their Premier League title, rather than preparing to surrender it to Manchester City, if every key refereeing decision had been made correctly this season, a study has shown.
Manchester United have cause for complaint as unique survey highlights Premier League errors
By Tim Long
9:47AM BST 11 May 2012
Comments446 Comments
Manchester City will win their first title for 44 years with victory against Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday but thorough analysis of every big decision made by officials has revealed that Manchester United should be four points clear and already crowned as champions.
More than 200 hours has been spent analysing 674 decisions from all 370 games played this season including disallowed goals, penalty incidents and sendings-off.
Each replay was watched repeatedly in slow and super-slow motion with effort made to side with the referee where possible – decisions were not changed unless there was clear evidence that they should be.
The big calls that went against United and could have influenced the course of the title race included a penalty decision given against Rio Ferdinand for his tackle on Hatem Ben Arfa at Old Trafford last November, which meant they drew 1-1 with Newcastle.
There was also a potentially game-changing Jonathan Woodgate foul on Javier Hernández which was not given in the 1-1 draw at Stoke last September and should have resulted in a penalty and a red card. Each of these decisions probably cost United two points and a foul in the penalty area on Patrice Evra not given in their 3-2 defeat by Blackburn is likely to have deprived them another point.
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The theory that the impact of refereeing decisions evens itself out over the course of the season is challenged by the research. United, for example, had 59.3 per cent of incorrect decisions go against them; City had 73.7 per cent of incorrect calls go against them. The difference between them and United is that when they lost out to refereeing decisions it didn’t alter the eventual result and only cost them two points.
The decisions analysed were those which could have, or did, lead to a goal. Match scores were adjusted as if each of the 179 incorrect decisions had been corrected by video technology in real time and an assumption made that any penalty that should have been given was successfully converted. The adjusted league table was then constructed based on the revised match results.
Among the 674 decisions analysed were 345 penalty calls made or missed, 129 key offside rulings and 135 incidents which did or should have led to a sending off.
by Beefymcfc » Sat May 12, 2012 10:31 am 
