The debate isn't whether or not it was a penalty (because it blatantly was) but how he came to make the decision. He gave a corner at first, and the linesman didn't flag for a penalty either. Then after some discussion he awarded a penalty. The suspicion is that he looked up at the big screen (which conveniently replayed the incident) and using that, he made his decision. Either that or he consulted the 4th official (who also used the big screen) and made a decision based on his opinion. Rules say that referee's cannot make decisions based on anything other than their own jdgement or that of their assistants. Using technology or video replays is no yet alloswede, despite the increasing need and demand for it.
He's an over-hyped referee who bottles on key decisions (except those favouring Man U ). He ought to have sent off Vidic at Anfield before he evenetually did; and when he finally did show the red card, had to be reminded that it was a second yellow. But Barcelona-Bayern and Brazil-Egypt have internationally exposed him. There are many other referees who are much better than him in England.
I disagree. I think his mistakes get jumped on more than others because of the FA's decision to pronounce him as "the number 1 referee in the country". The penalty against Tottenham is a prime example. From where he was it looked like a penalty and the majority of referee's would have given it, but then people, with the benefit of slow motion replays from multiple angles, run the rule over him and he got castigated, perhaps a little unfairly. It wasn't a penalty but referee's only get one bite at the cherry in these instances. There are better referee's, but not that many.
... especially when he patently is not. The thing with Webb is that he makes excellent calls all over the pitch, letting the game flow and so forth, except in and around the box where he by and large bollixes it, either because he has not the guts or he simply gets his angles wrong. Most other referees get these key decisions right, is what I am saying. The penalty against Spurs is an example of the rare occasions when he actually made a call. He has made (or not made as the case usually is ) far worse decisions. And for what it's worth, I still think Spurs were going to lose that match, anyway.
We were not going to lose the Match at that stage. The United fans had gone quiet...It was like a Library. They didnt look like scoring. That Penalty made the difference and a professional Ref should have noticed they way Gomes deflected the ball from Carrick before accidently clattering into him
This would certainly explain the majority of his mistakes. What I do notice is that any referee who awards penalties to United is generally given a barracking anyway - as if it's illegal to award penalties. Bennet is universally portrayed as a berk, Clattenberg is useless half the time, Styles is generally criticised in every game he referee's and the less said about Atwell the better. Compared to these monstrosities, Webb is the arch-angel Gabriel if you ask me. At that stage perhaps not. What I would say, and what I have said all along, is that Spurs fans and their manager need to run an enquiry as to why their players bottled it so monumentally once the penalty had gone in. Granted, an undeserved penalty is kick in the teeth at the best of times, but United didn't suddenly morph into world beaters off the back of it. The half time team talk probably put the wind up United, but spurs fell apart themselves, and the introduction of Tevez then simply perpetuated that problem yet further. The only person I felt sorry for was Gomes who had played pretty well up until that point and did not deserve to concede a penalty, let alone 5 goals. He was in the process of making up for his calamitous early season form during that period and the penalty turned Spurs into a shambles and he was "forced" to concede goals that he otherwise may not have done.
He's again the center of controversy. Look at the handball incident at 1:57. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaalUqsF8II"]YouTube - Wolves 0 1 Portsmouth But De Hassan Yebda[/ame]
To be fair the linesman's standing ten yards away with a perfect view of that, he's the one who should be giving it.