Complaint Department

One story today that deserves a little more attention than being hidden away in the normal paper round-up, is this one:

André Villas-Boas has made an official complaint to Mike Riley, the head of the Premier League match officials, regarding Manchester United's first two goals in their 3-1 win over Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday. 

One imagines the conversation:

AVB- I'd like to complain about the first two goals, they were offside. 

Mike Riley- They were marginally offside, but we have to give the benefit of the doubt to the attacker when it's a close call. 

AVB- Oh.

Mike Riley- Now, about that Ashley Cole challenge on Hernandez...

While on the one hand, it is very easy to scoff, and André Villas-Boas seems a little silly complaining to the referees about Sunday's game, on the other he is surely doing the right thing: If Kenny Dalglish can complain then everyone should exercise their right.  It seems to be that phoning Mike Riley is the new complaining to the 4th official during the game: pointless, but makes you feel a little less useless.

Having said that, he's still an idiot. 2 marginal offside decisions about all he's got to complain about, Hernandez has more reason to complain about the referee than Chelsea. he should be ringing Riley.

I've seen people compare this to something Mourinho might do, but give credit where it's due, Mourinho always had a bit more panache when it came to this type of thing, more venom spat out.  This just seems really petty, not that Mourinho was above being petty, but his pettiness always had a touch of the epic about it.

I like this bit of understatement from The Guardian article:

It appeared Smalling was allowed to score by the lax marking of the Chelsea defence, who would not have been aware that he was offside from Ashley Young's free-kick.

Quite.