Why Always Me?

'Nothing can seem foul to those who win' - William Shakespeare.

Most of us like to watch the underdog get the better of the favourite. It is emotions like these that make the film Escape

To Victory a jingoistic classic. A team of Allied POW's play in an exhibition match against a German team only to discover it is a German propoganda stunt.

The POWs were allowed to leave the German camp only to play the match; they are to be imprisoned again following the match. Despite the match officials being heavily biased towards the Germans, and the German team causing several deliberate injuries to the Allied players, a draw is achieved after great performances from 'Pele', 'Osvaldo Ardiles' and 'John Wark' acting out roles as POW's.

The game is drawn after a late goal for the POW's is disallowed for a dubious offside decision and a late penalty is saved by the POW's keeper, Sylvester Stallone. You couldn't make it up .. but someone did and we buy it!

When similar situations appear in the best league in the world .. you couldn't make it up - but someone has. And some referees in the Premier League have better twists in their scripts than others.

The majority of spectators go to watch players being allowed to play technical and skilful football, and in the main attacking football.

Danny Blanchflower's stated as far back as 1972: "The great fallacy is that the game is first and foremost about winning. It's nothing of the kind. The game is about glory. It's about doing things in style, with a flourish, about going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."

What is becoming more and more evident in the game today in economic times that make Thatcherism look slightly left of centre - is that finishing outside of a Champions League place cannot be tolerated and that the prospect of relegation is unthinkable. And when the product gets misplaced - we will just replay the story in a different way. Winning just has to be.

OPTA stats are now used to persuade supporters that games did not appear as they have viewed them; that certain players participated more than one thought. 

In the last Champions League final held at Wembley, according to the official Uefa stats, Barcelona's possession rate was 51% to Manchester United's 49%. This was not a close game, as most spectators would verify. More and more teams appear nervously trying to prevent the other team winning than going out to win the game themselves.

Stoke City are now 8th in the Premier League and have qualified for the knock-out stages of the Europa League  - you may have seen many relay the idea that Stoke City have never had it so good. 

Anyone who enjoyed Stanley Matthews and compares it to the positively gruesome attack on football's beautiful game may offer a differing view.

We all hear the arguments against Stoke and some rent-a-quote will tell all listening that there is nothing in the rule book against what Stoke do. 

It is not the case. Stoke push every law to the limit. Stoke push the boundaries of the referee, hoping that Lee Mason or Chris Foy will afford them a free afternoon.

The Ryan Shawcross on Aaron Ramsay tackle will live long in the memory. But that is one of the few that hit the intended target.

When Steven Gerrard earned a penalty against Sheffield United in a Premier League game not so far away without being touched - we all learned a new 'law'. INTENT. Jay Spearing was a victim of such law last week, Jack Rodwell and David Wheater ... the list goes on of red cards that carry little damage but are pulled for the intention. 

Tony Pulis has built a unit that pulls away any regard for the spirit of the game. Imagine taking the field as an 8-year-old - jumpers for goalposts. Referee the game yourself and decide what can be allowed and what isn't. Look up and see Tony Pulis on the other side. The jumpers would extend the size of house and the trees would be playing everybody on side instead of goal-hanging.

Tony Pulis is the Premier league equivalent to Brian Glover's classic character in Ken Loach's film Kes. A bully and an exponent of take what you can get away with.