Mike Dean & Ashley Westwood injury.

[Bottom Right 89]

This was a disgrace, Westy was clearly in pain and looked at one point as though he was being sick. I hope the club put a complaint in about the ref and what made me see red even more was in the commentary Alan Smith dismissing the incident as if it was a bit of acting to get Dembele in trouble! 

[Boz]

This was a disgrace, Westy was clearly in pain and looked at one point as though he was being sick. I hope the club put a complaint in about the ref and what made me see red even more was in the commentary Alan Smith dismissing the incident as if it was a bit of acting to get Dembele in trouble! 

Of course, it's a London club

[Brend'Watkins]

Don't you see that if he had to stop the game he'd have had to admit there was contact and a foul?  He didn't want to give a foul which should also have been a sending off, we've seen them given before for less contact than this one.  Is Dean a Spurs supporter?  His goal celebration would make you question it surely.

He does not have to say that it was a foul. Personally I didn't think it was, but there was contact, accidental in my view, which had appeared to cause a head injury. For that the game should have been stopped immediately.

It might not have been intentional but as I said flailing arms have resulted in red cards before. Even if it's not intentional it can still be a foul.

[Nev]

I am loathe the criticise officials, especially when bullys such as the Chelsea manager are around but if I were the Ref's boss I would be having serious words with Dean. Not only did he put a players health at risk, he also invited criticism of his proffession for his, frankly shameful, reaction to the opening goal.

And as a club, we need to start standing up for ourselves. I hate the continual belating from most managers but a measured questioning of Mike Dean might have a bit more credence.

[Clampy]

How he didn't even spot it is beyond me, it was right on front of him. Booking Ayew five minutes after he came on just summed him up really.

[Villa in Denmark]

This was a disgrace, Westy was clearly in pain and looked at one point as though he was being sick. I hope the club put a complaint in about the ref and what made me see red even more was in the commentary Alan Smith dismissing the incident as if it was a bit of acting to get Dembele in trouble! 

Of course, it's a London club

Wellness given that Westwood could barely walk when he finally got up andat no point looked like coming back on then that's obviously the biggest load of bollocks since last night's teamsheet.

Regardless of suspicion of play acting or not, the ref has a duty of care which he failed to live up to.

There's been so much publicity about head injuries and concussions that he's got no excuse to hide behind, it really is one of those cases where safety first is the only acceptable course of action.

It might well be that he didn't think that there was much contact, but then Westwood is someone who'd struggle to wrestle a paper bag. 

The Danish commentators couldn't believe it, saying that he must be looking for 2 or 3 weeks off. Given his generally awful performances when reffing us. 2 or 3 years wouldn't be too long.

[Vegas]

Danny Mills, he'd know all about flailing arms.

Nasty little fucker he was.

He was. He's still quite an unpleasant man.

What on earth makes you say that? I know him vaguely, through kids' football, and he's decent, down to earth, helps out, and definitely not a twat about his playing career. He's also not little

My view is also that he's a pretty good pundit, not quite Neville but just about best of the rest.

Anyway, back on topic, it was pretty shocking by Dean and he should face the consequences for it, amongst other aspects of his performance.

[maigrait]

The main reason is that Mike Dean is an absolute twat.

Have to say on a dreary afternoon that made me chuckle.

[postal]

We used to have a drop ball for when it wasnt a "foul" but treatment was needed.

And a ban for refs who miss the obvious.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

And a ban for refs who miss the obvious.

And a life time ban for any referee seen wildly celebrating a goal.

[dave shelley]

As a usual defender of  referees, I have to say that Dean was wrong.  Irrespective of whether he thought it was 'playacting' or not,play should have been stopped and the level of injury or non-injury ascertained.  Should the latter be found to be the case; then he has the wherewithall to deal with it accordingly...yellow card.  If not the player gets the medical attention he needs and deserves, no problem.  Dean needs to be reminded that at all times; player safety is paramount. 

This scenario happened to me when I was a young referee and I didn't stop play to allow attention to the player for a head injury.  As the trainer was taking the player off he said to me; in a civil manner, "you should have stopped the game when he got injured ref'.  That's as true now as it was then, and a lesson to a young referee regarding having priorities right.

Mike Dean owes Ashley Westwood and, by extension Aston Villa a profound apology.  He also needs a week off.   

[Diablo]

In fairness we had an opportunity to put it out before Clark did and didn't. Then again if it's the rules that the ref stops the game for head injuries I suppose that decision is out of the players' hands.

Gabby could and should have put the ball out but didn't.

[Gareth]

Mike Dean is the great untouchable referee, he can make as many mistakes as he wants and he continually gets big games week in week out.

His arrogance that he was the boss is why he refused to stop the game....his grandstanding might have caused a nasty outcome.

[Pat McMahon]

I must admit from the away end upper tier I thought Westwood was making a meal of it and was amazed he had to go off. We had a few chances to put the ball out but that would have deprived Gabby of one of his 6 touches.

Dean was wrong for not stopping the game sooner but was negligent in not allowing the trainer on when he did stop the game. One of the Villa players was waving the physio on but he obviously had to wait for the ref who had nothing to lose in allowing him on once he had stopped the game.

[peter w]

I must admit from the away end upper tier I thought Westwood was making a meal of it and was amazed he had to go off. We had a few chances to put the ball out but that would have deprived Gabby of one of his 6 touches.

Dean was wrong for not stopping the game sooner but was negligent in not allowing the trainer on when he did stop the game. One of the Villa players was waving the physio on but he obviously had to wait for the ref who had nothing to lose in allowing him on once he had stopped the game.

I agree with that pat. it was gabby waving on the physio but there was also a Villa player - maybe Clark? - who was telling the physio not to come on. I thought Westwood was at it too and was wondering why he was walking off as if he'd been hit with a baseball bat around his head especially as he'd come back on to a well deserved chorus of boos. And then he went straight down the tunnel. the point being if he was that bad then the referee did have the option of stopping the game when we had the ball if he thought Westwood was trying to gain an advantage. Then if Westwood was as woozy as it appeared when he staggered off it is ineptitude at the highest level for Dean not to spot it and get the physio on immediately once the game had been stopped.