Simon Jordan and Martin Keown Clash Over Mike Dean's Admission 🔥

[@geoffreyfoster6355]

The fact that he admitted it so nonchalantly means it's commonplace within the profession. If it weren't he would have been far more guarded.

[@HumanBeingsRThinkingBeings]

Howard Webb named Chief Ref When City set out to equal Utd 3peat Casemiro escaped leg breaker on Akanji Not allowed to call it Corruption?🤔

[@kth6736]

Its an open secret. Just check any Chelsea game refereed bt taylor.

[@spinofthewheel5345]

Exactly we all see it every weekend there's big mistakes its done on purpose so these media outlets have something to talk about then talk about change but carry on doing the same thing

[@martinsalbert2985]

Exactly mate!

[@Lioness_UTV]

You have to listen to the interview, it wasn't nonchalantly said. There is a lot of context here and no I would not say its widespread. However, it needs to be said that some refs may dread this task and if they do they may miss something. There needs to be more transparency, more training perhaps as no one goes into that to cheat.

[@matthewbarber13]

Martins right on this one. Simon cannot trot out that players try to con the ref, of course they do, their ultimate aim to make sure that their team gets the win. When Martin says the ref has to be 100% impartial he’s absolutely spot on. There’s no argument that can make what Mike Dean said any better than the disgrace that it was. To most fans of many clubs who thought that there was something off with Dean - that admission will only further that belief. I always thought the game was all about him, his arrogance and always wanting to be the centre of attention. The best compliment you can pay to a ref is to not speak about them at all. This has never been the case with Mike Dean.

[@royhuson]

Best referee the prem has ever had !

[@mcgot2good]

@@royhuson You must be trolling.

[@craigbuchan]

Trying to help out your "mates" shouldnt come into it. Martin is 100% right

[@Do27gg]

He was wrong about Mike dean admitting what happened. Not a fan of dean but he willingly stepped down and admitted his mistake, nothing wrong with that

[@user-zm9xf7mo4p]

​@@Do27gg an apology doesn't change the impact these sort of decisions have and already have had on games though. Admitting to it means nothing

[@jackdelacey2505]

​@@user-zm9xf7mo4pif you were in his shoes as a ref and one of your colleagues who happens to be a mate made a mistake would you not do the same thing?

[@colinedelman6392]

@@jackdelacey2505 no. Send him to the monitor.

[@Dalwhat]

Ironic listening to Simon Jordan sticking up for Dean, or rather protecting the integrity of his own podcast. At the end of the day it is blatant unprofessional, incompetant officiating. The other thing is that it is impossible to believe this isn't the tip of an enormous iceberg. From inconsistant decisions to questionable lines drawn for offsides decisions. It's pointless continuing with VAR if it is so easy to corrupt the system.

[@Bad_Gnasher]

Simon has had a shocker here. Allowed his friendship with Dean to get in the way of his opinion.

[@robdolman2256]

Protecting his podcast and its guests 😅

[@anguswheaton20]

Yep. As Dean did with his referee mate. Actually the best friends are those who call you out when you have erred. It might hurt at the time but you know that they are right.

[@rgnngaleh7458]

I think he doesnt want to scare other officials from comng to his show

[@matthewobrien5348]

Mike Dean openly admitting what most people thought went on……blatant cheating in a game to “spare his mate” who had a tough game!!! Absolute disgrace.

[@joemac9249]

Absolutely. They don't use the screen or over rule each other. No burdening their buddies

[@leroysimon5692]

👍🏾

[@Adelocity]

And the media just dismissed those talks as crazy worst refs in world football in the greatest league is a damn shame

[@bykez4rhil]

Now we can question the decisions at Arsenal vs Brentford last season ... So much for protection

[@stretfordender11]

It shows when people say these conspiracy theories of they make decisions based on other factors like helping a mate or certain teams or maybe the press focus in the last week. It shows they base decisions on other things so conspiracy theories could be right on referees. All of the theories.

[@efraimrojas1343]

Martin was completely on point on this one. Dean's admission completely impacts the integrity of the game and the supposed purpose of VAR which is to get the calls correct or in this case identify the missed what should have been a red card foul on Cucurella. Throw in the other impacts Spurs scoring on the next kick which changed the outcome of the game the 2 red cards after the game for Tuchel and Conte , Tuchel being fined for stating the obvious about the play and the start of the downward spiral on Chelsea's season just because Mike Dean wanted to spare Anthony Taylor getting embarrassed, and it retrospect it did nothing to spare any embarrassment because everyone could see what a horrendous non call it was

[@scorpionsrock1511]

They’re only admitting what we’ve already known for years. Game is corrupt! No integrity!

[@davidmildon3278]

Dont often agree with Martin but hes absolutely right. Simon is just feeling bad and guilty because its his podcast and he doesn't want Mike to take too much flak

[@robhughes6446]

❤

[@hello150]

I think it's the first time I've ever agreed with Martin too!

[@aidanfblydon]

I totally agree. Well done Martin.

[@Do27gg]

So you don’t want officials admitting their mistake and stepping down when they don’t feel up to it?

[@xjkdx]

Simon will always protect authority and it shows transparently here.

[@chillygilly939]

They even had the cheek to double down and give tuchel a touch line ban because he lost it which is understandable considering the incompetence he experienced from these refs.

[@anguswheaton20]

No wonder the refereeing has been so messy for decades. You wonder what else they deliberately have left undisclosed. There would be enough to fill a book. These guys cant make the same calls in a game, between two games the same match day, and from week to week to month to month to season to season.

[@t2d482]

That is an outrageous statement to make. I literally can't believe he has outright said he didn't make a call to protect his mate...incredible these are the people that are literally there to be impartial.

[@jascu4251]

He said he didn't see it. But then if he didn't see it how is he making a decision not to make the call. This contradiction makes no sense!

[@ThatGuy-tx4vm]

​@@jascu4251because it is a lie. He didn't do it to protect his mate. These "mistakes" are made because they are corrupt. Human scum.

[@jacknapier6668]

What he said to Simon was a lie. It was this statement that protected his mate. Not what he said in the statement. Real ones will clock it. Loyalty

[@leroysimon5692]

👍🏾

[@lazaron1]

It is scandalous and needs to be adressed officially - It is an admission that the refs overlook the rules - it is insane!

[@ThatGuy-tx4vm]

there are two possibilities... Either dean is so stupid that he doesn't understand what he's saying or he is lying in order to make people believe this is just a mistake out of friendship instead of the truth, which is corruption.

[@pleasantville4529]

​@@ThatGuy-tx4vm There is also the possibility that this sort of thing goes on routinely, and he is so used to it happening that it's not considered out of the ordinary. We need a full enquiry now, and criminal proceedings should be brought. If it happened once, it happens every game. This just goes to prove that Taylor has been protected, even though some of his decisions have been atrocious.

[@christoconnor]

Agreed

[@leroysimon5692]

👍🏾

[@EmilePesky-n1v]

Fox and chicken coop comes to mind

[@in8_ras]

This is mad, a different result in that game could have changed the course of many events. How did Mike Dean think that it was okay even saying this.

[@Do27gg]

What’s wrong with admitting his mistake?

[@cheesefactor1761]

@@Do27gg he admitted to not following the law, because he didnt want to burden his "mate"

[@regopark]

@@Do27gg mistake? it was brazen corruption. what part of that don't you understand.

[@Do27gg]

@@regopark idk why you guys think I’m defending his decision, it’s disgraceful, but I’d rather this information gets out so we know what goes on behind VAR decisions

[@phildemetriou440]

​@@Do27gglt's not a mistake, it's cheating. Mike Dean trying to keep himself 'relevant' has shot himself in the foot.......again lol.

[@CelebiFTW]

The thing is I remember when Danny Murphy suggested this quite a while back, how var would have slight bias in not wanting to stich their mates up basically, and Simon laughed it off 🤔

[@edizldn1]

Terrified to make decision? Wait, aren’t you a ref? 😂😂😂

[@harryale]

I used to wonder about some of Mike Dean's on-field questionable decisions. Who's to say he wasn't helping friends who support certain teams 🤔

[@henryhoratio5355]

Would Simon be saying this if he still owned Palace and this decision got them relegated

[@mikee7406]

Did he own Palace?

[@jajaafrica]

​@@mikee7406yes

[@Rubideux]

@mikee7406 Yes. He ran them so well they ended up going into administration.

[@elitestuntman5195]

Well he wouldn’t even be saying this if it wasn’t on his podcast let alone if it involved a club he owned 🤷‍♂️

[@HumanBeingsRThinkingBeings]

Simon Jordan defends Levy,Bohley,Mike Dean,Howard Webb Top bloke,proper clobber?🤣

[@anthonyboylan5436]

What I get from this is that you can't trust a single thing that happens in the VAR room because the guy in there doesn't want to put extra aggro on his mate so they're more inclined to go with what the on field referee decided than actually use the technology that they're designated to use

[@EmilePesky-n1v]

It's things like this have me screaming for AI to take over 😂. Seriously though, a bloody chimp could do a better job, at least it would be honest

[@samlam554]

As a Chelsea fan this makes me mad af. That game was a pivotal game for the season for us. It was early in the season, at home against one your major rivals. We were dominating that game. And then had this horrible decision. That led to the unforgettable handshake. Chelsea would have started on a high. But I’m contrast it was the downfall of Tuchel at Chelsea. The fact that Mike dean is so casual about this frustrating. Referees have to be held accountable as much as players for simulation or cheating in the game. Or outright incompetence. Millions of dollars and jobs are at stake each game. The fact that he was doing it to protect his friend is utter nonsense

[@ibrahimoscarjalloh8807]

The crazy part is, Tuchel got fined for going on the officials

[@wheatgrinder83]

It’s mad, right? And if the managers refuse to talk to the media, they get fined for that too. 😅

[@philcopestake815]

I’d absolutely want the money back

[@forearthbelow]

Didn't he get fined for his disgraceful behaviour towards Conte post match???

[@stanleyigboanugo1245]

😂

[@UnknownAssailant246]

​@forearthbelow Which is all because of the Ref. It is a ripple effect that wouldn't have happened

[@eltubster14]

I hope this is the last we EVER hear of or from Mike Dean. Absolute weapon of a bloke.

[@akamiguelsanchez9985]

Simon Jordan basically said, ‘please listen to all of my podcast.”

[@MarkAtherton]

Absolute disgrace. Corruption everywhere nowadays.

[@SueMyChin]

That's now what corruption means.

[@paulmallon9292]

​​@@SueMyChin I generally don't agree with Keown but it is corruption. The definition is 'dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery. "the journalist who wants to expose corruption in high places"'. Money doesn't have to change hands. It's certainly dishonest conduct.

[@MarkAtherton]

@@SueMyChin of course it is. In this case Mike Dean was corrupted by self interest and protection of his mate. He failed to do what was expected of him and his judgment was influenced towards a biased outcome.

[@colinedelman6392]

@@MarkAtherton Nowdays?? How do you think Man U built their legacy? Is it a coincidence since Webb is back we are complaining about it every week now?

[@paullyboi1990]

​@@colinedelman6392it's no coincidence, we hav3 been talking about these poor refereeing decisions for years if not generations...hence why var was introduced in the first place🤷

[@dariussparkes7080]

Jesus Christ... that's indefensible from Mike Dean.

[@noelquigley8033]

And Jordan give him a free pass 😮😮😮

[@markt804]

"So he wasn't capable of being a referee then, was he?". Bang on Martin.

[@onochieosaji9427]

What Mike Dean did puts a huge spotlight on every decision he's made as a VAR. It also strengthens the calls for an unbiased third party to be present for VAR duties because if Mike Dean, an experienced ref can put sentimentality before his professionalism, then people like Paul Tierney who Klopp has openly accused of bias and who failed to make the right VAR call when Mac Allister was wrongfully red carded last weekend has to be seriously questioned and looked at closely.

[@scorpionsrock1511]

They’re all at it. They need deep cleansing… starting with the guy at the top, Howard Web!!! Man Utd through and through! And we talk about the integrity of the game???

[@larchielad]

Martins right here simon, make the right decision its HIS JOB!!!! Send him to the bloody screen.

[@riadramsaroop8248]

It was the first game of the season. The loss of points, the millions lost by those who bet on the result, tuchel subsequently losing his job etc. were all impacted by Mike Dean deciding to protect his friend.

[@MrSupasheva]

This is astonishing and I get that even Simon is trying to protect Mike because he convinced him to speak on his pod. but ultimately its a very alarming admission. How different is this from a linesman making a call on a penalty / offside? We can have all the technology but the people behind it are the reason we had all those horrendous decisions last season

[@docholiday-lm4vf]

Simon has defended all refs and var for 2 years now. It’s pathetic!!! Var and refs in the prem ate terrible, everyone sees it yet he defends them

[@lenl860]

@@docholiday-lm4vfVAR is good but the use of it is bad, having technology to spot a handball or look at extreme tackles or incidents initially missed is good to keep the game fair. The clown show running it has no consistency and honestly proves that the human error still ruins football

[@Rockydenzel]

It’s proper alarming it feels like a whistle blow to a certain extent we all thought it could be the case but no it’s concrete

[@zip7275]

What Simon is doing here is exactly what he had a go at Piers Morgan for when he interviewed Ronaldo.

[@colinedelman6392]

If I was Tuchel, I'd absolutely sue him and PGMOL. This single decision changed Chelsea and Tuchel entire season.

[@captaincrag]

Tuchel got the sack less than a month after this, how much time would a win over local rivals have bought him.

[@nsd_respect]

Relax mate.

[@khayanyathi7114]

He was suspended for next game and Chelsea got smashed 3-0 at Leeds

[@colinedelman6392]

@@captaincrag he got suspended and next game they lost 3-0… if they win that game, most likely they go on a run. They played really well up till that point.

[@Lioness_UTV]

Tuchel got the sack because he and Boehly were not getting on and something went down internally. We'll no doubt get the details in 20 yrs. Regardless it was not because of this result.

[@alanmcclelland5245]

What about the 'tackle' by the Manu goalie in the Wolves game, definitely a penalty. Just watched the documentary on the betting scandal by refs in the NBA. The fix was in.

[@norwoodboy6048]

So he now works for Sky giving his punditry on Refs decisions but he has said he could not work in VAR, WTF is that about?

[@littyagain]

And he's still giving explanations on var decisions that are biased 😕

[@garygrimmett7945]

Mike Dean is terrible 😢

[@philb9521]

JORDAN, YOU'RE DOING THE EXACT SAME THING, PROTECTING A 'MATE', OR YOUR SHOW 😂😂

[@christopherbutton1804]

It’s got nothing to do with ‘being capable’ and everything to do with helping out his mate. Completely unacceptable and a true reflection of the officiating in this country. Rotten to the core

[@scorpionsrock1511]

@@Terminator-ds9le 🤣🤣🤣 Are you Simon Jordan in disguise?????? Players are young competitors! They’d do anything to win (not that I condone cheating)! Referee’s job is to keep law and order on the pitch! Above all, in order to ensure his authority, he has to have integrity and fair and unbiased judgment!!!! Now go and analyse what I said above and come back and enter the discussion, as you’re speaking like you’re Simon Jordan or Mike Dean in disguise.

[@veeman879]

Considering how outraged Simon gets about Boxing scandals, he is just protecting a mate here too and trying to confuse people with words as per usual

[@brrrrett]

Simon's scrambling. There's a difference between not being comfortable in the VAR booth and being blatantly dishonest. Martin's on point. If this is Mike's default response under pressure, I wonder how often he made similar dishonest calls?

[@cyril3717]

DELUSIONAL from Mike Dean..he lied a YEAR ago for his friend... ..this IS STILL GOING ON IN THE GAME....

[@atikurrahman9304]

This was an unreal admission from him. Absolutely disgusting.

[@dagogogreene9155]

I bet he didn’t understand how the interview works

[@lopetonceba1059]

Absolutely unreal, but him making this admission doesn't it help us then know the kind of problems that exist with referees? Had he not said anything we wouldn't have know such things might exist

[@gambleo1536]

Keown spot on, if Dean isn’t ‘capable’ of making correct decisions for the best of a game, he was never capable to referee, period

[@Ps-zl9is]

Just imagine how many more of these occurrences has happened in these past seasons. They get away with everything, no accountability

[@leemcphail634]

As an Arsenal fan I can't say I'm surprised! Always thought Dean was bent!

[@scorpionsrock1511]

All those penalties awarded to Sp*rs against us, and some of them were even outside the box. The game is corrupt!

[@isthatakingfisher2931]

Now we know why they don’t want referees to do interviews cos the minute they do they spill the beans about shielding their mates, unbelievable. It’s a disgrace!

[@abiodunodeleye7984]

He didn’t miss it, it was not an error. He purposefully didn’t make the call!

[@stanleyigboanugo1245]

Unbelievable stuff, really! 😂

[@troy8613]

I almost NEVER agree with Keown but here I am!

[@raywalker6376]

For once Martin i totally agree with your statement he is a professional ref no bias, but did it for his mate, absolute scandalous. That match could have been the two teams contesting for champion status. if his feelings are involved to letting his mate off, then it could be said the same if his feelings go as far to teams he likes or dislikes.

[@harrybean3374]

Really surprised by Simon’s perspective on this tbh!

[@libby4608]

@@kevinconway2965if it was any other person’s podcast he’d be seething and ripping into the ref

[@kayceee6770]

Only part that I agree on with Simon is that some of the refs, if not all, are not suited to working on VAR. VAR officials should be separately trained personnel that are not active on the field refs. Find people who actually know the rules and can make objective decisions. Everything else I agree with Martin

[@alzer6467]

I'm not surprised at all, Jordan is just a well spoken contrarian and most Talksport listeners aren't the smartest so they get taken in by him. Hes always being "edgy" by going against the grain. He can't help himself and now he's ended up simping for Mike Dean.

[@harrybean3374]

@@kevinconway2965 I get he is trying that angle (and potentially him trying to enable himself access to further guests by doing so) but I thought his whole brand or ‘persona’ was blunt, concise honesty. This comes across as at best cynical self interest or worse indifference toward a ref admitting to cheating! (If a player did something similar he’d be the first on his soapbox!) I’m just surprised as I think it’s an unintelligent PR move

[@spinofthewheel5345]

​@@alzer6467exactly they are blinded by their love for him for some unknown reason

[@vjaska]

This just backs up what Wenger said about Dean 5 years ago and it backs my own opinion about how these referees have operated in the Prem for years

[@alexischristou3266]

Im honestly quite astonished after hearing this from Dean. Which shows that some people in the VAR room are to emotive or have friendships that effects there ability of executing the laws of the game. Theres a word for that deriliction.

[@Ad-wu8te]

Never mind Mike Dean, at least he’s being honest. God knows how many of these other refs make the wrong decisions for similar reasons. Would explain why with some decisions, everyone in the world and their dog can see what’s the right decisions but the refs somehow don’t.

[@ZEQIPO]

Simon is a hypocrite!! Now that it’s his mate he’s defending his terrible actions. Martin is absolutely right, how many of these incompetent actions has he committed during his time as a ref?! 🤔

[@LegendNinja41]

@@Terminator-ds9le alot of things are on the line though, it's not a school game. alot of money, attention and pressure on the players, managers, everyone and we all know how alot of fans act and what they say/do just because of a bad result or bad performance by a player.

[@LegendNinja41]

@@Terminator-ds9le gotta point there tbf.

[@Do27gg]

The mac allister red card needs to be investigated. The VAR room at the game has Paul tierney (klopp openly saying he hates him) and the linesman that elbowed robertson. There is no way in hell there wasn’t bias not rescinding the red card

[@littyagain]

The United one as well. Letting the ref walk to go give a card to the wolves manager and not tell him to walk a few metres further and check a TV screen is just as bad

[@Do27gg]

@@littyagain 100%

[@patters1978]

As an arsenal fan ive known dean to be corrupt for years, not really shocking news

[@CharlesTIII]

Simon tryna help his mate right now. Defending a shambolic admission bc the guy said it on his podcast.

[@JLaw-jr7ir]

I’d love to see Simmons take if the interview was done on the overlap

[@ZaineKnight]

Very well said

[@TommyHax]

Managers are not allowed to publicly speak out about referees because they might get sanctioned, yet Mike has clearly confirmed a lot of people's concerns over refereeing integrity. How can you fine a manager for criticising refereeing decisions but referees can make atrocious decisions and never have to face interviews? They're so protected it's disgusting and it is one of the few times I've thought Simon is deliberately side-stepping the issue, he is usually quite direct but he's avoiding the real issue.

[@bryguy572]

That he wanted to protect his mate and saying he' wanted to spare Taylor "grief" is an indictment on corruption in the game. Simon is way off on his narrative that he's coming clean and "couldn't do the job". That was nothing to do with doing the job, apparently he knew it was a foul and red card, just decided against making the call. This is probably a lot more common in officiating, especially the Premier League, than we all think as there's really no excuses for so many poor calls on the field. Where you sit there and ask "how could they call this?" or "how could they miss that?". I struggled to believe it was just incompetence and Mike Dean just confirmed there are additional elements at play and it is not ONLY down to incompetence. This is a scandal when you consider the money involved in each game played.

[@jagi1484]

Martin spot on here.

[@420MrReefer]

Mike dean was always know for questionable decisions and this confirms everything

[@nigelpayne6133]

When you hear this, then think about the recent game at Old Trafford. There's definitely some corruption going on.

[@Lfceva]

He should be forced to pay both conte and tuchel 35k each the same amount both had to pay as a fine because of a dispute that came from this decision

[@victormakeleni9245]

Simon loves the sound of his voice. He always has to be right

[@ocubex]

I can't believe Simon can even try to defend this!

[@lfcspectre4335]

Sir Simon = Top LAD Proper Clobber ✊💯 Facts

[@Mansa-kunda]

Simon is clearly speaking as a business person today 😂

[@theblues8840]

Simon comparing a manager getting his team selection wrong to a referee not doing his job in order to protect his mate 🤣

[@bradd__]

Simon jordan felt like he was getting cooked😂😂😂

[@me4374]

Let’s be honest Mike dean wasn’t capable of being an on field ref, but that never stopped him before. The amount of penalties and red cards he gave against Man Utd was a joke

[@junioradult6219]

As someone who has fired 2 friends bc they couldnt do there job correctly this is crazy. Thats basically match fixing

[@rohithraman6488]

As a chelsea fan I remember raging after that game, having said that given how long last season was for us chelsea fans, that game feels like 3 years ago

[@miked3807]

We've all suspected PGMOL refs are abusing the benfits VAR by using it in a self serving way to protect their mates on the pitch. We've just seen Paul Tierney as VAR inexplicably NOT correct a blatantly incorrect red card when a rookie PL ref ludicrously red carded Mac Allister last weekend - which was subsequently over turned by an FA independent panel. These decisions can have massive implications for clubs, managers, players and fans, both short term and long term. Make no mistake - this is a form of corruption and brings the game into disrepute. This is why the daft construct of 'clear and obvious error' because VAR don't want to re-referee the game is utter self serving BS the officials canhide behind and it needs to be ditched. It's not re-refereeing the game - it's looking at a video replay of an incident and making the correct call!!! Now we need to see the follow-up from the FA and PL as currently they've been silient. The game has just been brought into disrepute in a massive way - the ingtegrity of the refs can now justifiably be challenged. They cannot be silent on this, they cannot sit on the hands - the genie is now well and truly out of the bottle. The PGMOL needs to be disbanded and upgraded with a trustorthy organisation. Howard Webb is part of the boys club and an ex-ref from England cannot be the head of such a cog in the football wheel. The refs / VAR have to publically mic up now, enough is enough. The lack of transparency on decision making plus the extreme lack of trust now means the status quo cannot continue. Tierney and his VAR interactions both as VAR himself and as the on-pitch ref discussing with VAR should be investigated by an impartial body - he has a clear trail of bizare calls.

[@khayanyathi7114]

No way Simon has said “there’s something commendable about him admitting this” 😂😂😂😂😂

[@tictoc3148]

After he's retired

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

I'd go that far Martin. Everyone of them has mates who they help out, this explains many of the bizarre inconsistent decisions.

[@edizldn1]

Maybe now people will believe the corruption in the game. If that decision was that easy to make to ‘help a mate’ imagine how easy it is to make when they’re offered a bundle of dough to favour a side.

[@eldotjay]

*I try not to swear, but with this standard of referees in the the Premier League, and their little fraternity, as fans we are **_ABSOLUTELY FUCKED!_*

[@TwistedSoul2002]

Wenger called Dean’s integrity into question back in 2005… and was banned for 3 games.

[@Jake-t9s]

Simon is protecting a mate who did his podcast

[@at7512]

Martin is spot on.. can't believe Simon so soft on this..

[@warby69r]

Arsenal fans and other fans had his number before VAR ... Mike Dean has now confirmed he wasn't impartial at all ...

[@AutoCulture]

Martin is 100% correct and Simon is trying to protect Mike Dean now because he's concerned about his own podcast making such massive news in a negative way. Mike Dean blatantly cheated and not only did it affect the result of a game, but this was one of the results that ultimately lead to Tuchel's sacking. How could have things for him and Chelsea been different had they won this game? Absolutely disgraceful from Mike Dean and all of the referees because they are all clearly still doing the same things even this season.

[@krankieboolean1340]

Well done Simon Jordan for enabling this to happen and conducting the interview,.

[@theporkchopexpres]

How many other games was he on VAR whilst his mate was on the pitch?

[@neilzy2011]

And this is exactly why we need to HEAR everything that is said between the ref and whichever tool is in charge of VAR at the games.

[@mariechu6123]

Never thought i would see it. Keown owning Jordan !!!

[@donone352]

He done it a few times to be fair

[@Slice998]

Many fans have long suspected that referees allow their own emotions to impact on their performance. This is quite frankly a disgraceful admission from Dean. Referees are there to enforce the rules and behave with the upmost professionalism and most importantly impartiality.

[@royhuson]

Refs are human , what do you expect ?

[@benjaminharris3114]

As a Chelsea fan, I can't help but ask what Dean would have done if it had been a Chelsea player committing that foul? I very seriously doubt that he would have let it pass. Dean had a reputation for handing out red cards too quickly at times, but for him to have let that go was disgraceful, particularly when he knew it was a blatant red.

[@scorpionsrock1511]

Mike Dean had a soft spot for Sp*rs and Man Utd, mate. I’ve called him corrupt many years ago when he celebrated Sp*rs goal against Arsenal, whilst officiating the game.

[@JelloShots-wg6tz]

We need AI powered VAR and Drone referees. Hoomans cant be trusted

[@userzed]

Yes....those pesky hoomans

[@leepatrick9432]

Looks like you didn't finish your editing for this comment 😂

[@BlitzMCR]

I like when Keowns on. He's the only one that doesn't let simon get away with his nonsense. The rest are petrified of him

[@yukm0uth]

Well said keown. 100% agreed.

[@gripper58]

Admitting complicity!!! Wtf is the point in having a system that is quite obviously flawed by so called independent officials! Simon is so wrong on this issue!!!

[@CommonVillain]

I lost so much respect for Simon after his protection of Dean

[@jorgedelarosa7550]

I can already hear the chant around the stadiums "they're helping their mate! They're helping their mate! VAR are helping their mate!"

[@ricardobuckton4704]

This is the type of thing Simon would usually slaughter, imagine if this was a player's admission. This adds fuel to the corrupt refs conspiracy theory and more recently explains decisions like the Onana one.

[@KelbornXx]

Surely there has to be retrospective punishment for Mike Dean admitting this? Oh wait its only the players and managers that can be punished and the boys club protects their own.

[@jackoberto01]

What would they punish him with? He's no longer a referee

[@scottdonaldson8241]

Jordan, proud as punch that he’s fished out this clanger from Dean. 😂

[@billycole3565]

I respect his honesty but thats terrible

[@johnboscotiberindwa9248]

I'm sure if the victim was another club not Chelsea Mike Dean would have accepted to do the 'Unthinkable' to stress Anthony Taylor. Do you remember that Tuchel was even fined for speaking the truth? Sacrilegious.😮😮😮

[@NigelThompson-hb5jg]

For once, and I hate the guy with every fibre of my being - Keown is right.

[@1duhfull]

White and Simon were head over heels the other day talking about how the refs are targeted and are the players should adhere to the rules. How satisfying to see this news come out about Mike Dean and his mate playing the I Got Your Back if You Got Mine game. 😂

[@stylishsannigrahi]

Sometimes, getting insight and some sort of reasoning paints a different picture on a situation

[@ajc1482]

Considering the escalation in the abuse directed at referees I dont blame him. People threatening their families, rocking up at their houses to hurl abuse etc

[@alipanroosendaal9503]

They get paid well, they are not forced to do the job, and if they make as accurate and fair decisions , fans will accept it.

[@ItsAv3rageGamer]

2:20 the irony is Dean said earlier in the podcast with SJ that he thought one of his biggest strengths as a referee was that 'I'm not afraid to make big decisions, if I have to send someone off or give a penalty in the last minute I would'. He's an absolute hypocrite and has basically admitted he was corrupt. The irony of SJ trying to defend him is absolutely laughable. We all know it's only because he admitted this on his podcast and he wants to save face for his own mate (ironic). Makes you wonder how deep rooted this kind of issue is in the PGMOL. Remember when Clattenburg admitted after the 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Spurs that he knew he should have sent Spurs players off but didn't because he didn't want them to blame the result on him? You're there to do your job, if you can't because your worried about the reaction you've no place being a referee at any level nevermind the top.