Graziano Pelle playing to his name; Tim Howard shaky so far: EPL talking points

Referees are annoying ... but at times right; Pelle playing up to his name; Howard looks off colour. These are Paul Radley's talking points from the English Premier League from the past week.

Coming off a stellar performance for the United States at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, goalkeeper Tim Howard, left, has looked more earth-bound for Everton to start the English Premier League season.Show more

Referees are annoying

When Patrick Reed cupped his hand to his ear and then manically shushed the crowd on the final day of the Ryder Cup, the congregation booed him. Briefly.

Then they went back to being mostly convivial, treating the American golfer as a pantomime villain, not a genuine one.

There was no riot. The act itself probably said more about the player than anything, hinting at an overdose of self-belief and vague disorientation. The sport itself, though, was mature enough to put it down to experience, and for the most part observe that the spectacle was better for his overt show of emotion, not worse.

And in the English Premier League? When Nacer Chadli did similar after scoring for Tottenham Hotspur on their rivals' territory at Arsenal, it was deemed a heinous crime.

Michael Oliver, revelling in his role of head prefect, booked him. Presumably while telling him what he had done was very naughty.

… but at times they are right

Even when they get it correct, the match officials get slated.

When his goal for West Ham United was disallowed for offside against Manchester United, Kevin Nolan came up with a typically footbally explanation.

“I know [the referee’s assistant] has definitely gambled on it because he can’t have seen it, because if he had seen it he wouldn’t have given it offside,” Nolan said.

Despite the fact the television replays suggested that – granted, it was close – the linesman’s flag had been raised correctly.

But he must have been wrong, because if he had been watching, he would not have got it right, you know. And because his manager Sam Allardyce’s laptop had apparently proved a different view which showed him to be onside.

No chance of just accepting the fun police were right?

Pelle is great

With a name like Pelle, you have to be good. Lucky for Graziano Pelle, and his new employers at Southampton, that seems to be exactly the case, at present.

No matter the fact that he has been a journeyman wandering on a grand tour of Europe’s middling climes for most of his career.

In a little over two years, he has scored 54 goals in 63 appearances for Feyenoord and Southampton.

His four Premier League strikes for Southampton are more than Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw, Rickie Lambert, Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers have managed among them since their high-profile summer departures from St Mary’s.

Howard is off colour

During this summer’s World Cup, Tim Howard was so good in goal for the United States, he could have saved anything. Dinosaurs from extinction, Betamax tapes, Bambi, Humpty-Dumpty and most other things in between, if social media were to be believed.

Back at Everton, though, he has been less heroic, more faulty. Against Liverpool in Saturday’s Merseyside derby, he continued his leakiness as he let Steven Gerrard’s free kick pass him by.

Lucky for him, then, that his captain Phil Jagielka was there to rescue him with the sort of strike that even Howard of the summer of 2014 could not have got near.

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