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Middlesbrough chairman, Steve Gibson, has an interesting take on FA officials. He called them “amateurs and silly little men” on Wednesday after they increased Jeremie Aliadiere’s ban in response to their appeal. If I am in his shoes, I will be appalled too and his adjectives are pretty close to the mark, the FA aren’t known as the brightest people on the planet.

Boro chief executive Keith Lamb was also upset at the decision, branding it “a travesty of justice.”

Lamb added: “How can nameless, faceless people on a commission decide that our genuine claim for equality and justice be dealt with in such a flippant manner? It is a disgraceful comment to suggest our claim was frivolous. Who are they to know our minds when we made this appeal?”

The saga began in last week 3-2 loss to Liverpool. Aliadiere was dismissed for slapping Javier Mascherano and subsequently suspended for three matches. Middlesbrough felt it was harsh and, well within their rights, they appealed. After a review (which I doubt was carefully considered), the FA judged the claim was “frivolous” and they went a step further to punish this profligate waste of their time by increasing the ban to four games.

Well done!! I am convinced that the FA has the ability to create debacles of mega proportion - the appointment of England managers is a case in point. The bigger issue at stake here is whether the top guns in the Premier League possess more clout, deserve more protection and have it easier in their appeals to maintain their advantage.

A bone of contention is Liverpool have escaped pretty much unscathed from this incident. Javier Mascherano first put his hand over the Aliadiere’s mouth in a muzzling manner. Aliadiere merely retaliated with a light tap on Mascherano’s face and this should not warrant a classification as “violent conduct.” If there was shoving, punching or kicking, or whatever actions carried out in a malicious manner, then I have no problems with the punishment.

When the referee decided to dismiss the French striker, he should not have left Mascherano on the pitch since he provoked the response. Though I have a soft spot for the Argentine, I feel a penalty claim may even be valid in such circumstances.

I think there is a loophole in the system where the provocateur gets away scot-free while the person who retaliates get the hard end of the stick. In the 2006 World Cup, Zidane’s head butt of Materazzi was instigated after the Italian hurled abuses at his mother and sister. To protect the family honor, any man will have reacted under such circumstances.

Self-restraint is important in this game where passions can run high but how do we draw the line to curb the unsportsmanlike behavior of the instigator?

Liverpool desire the fourth spot which will guarantee them Champions League action and for Boro, every point counts in their relegation battle. It is bound to be a hotly contested match. Understanding the nature of this game, both players should have been separated and given a stern warning.

As it happens now, Aliadière had his unfair suspension increased by another game. That is a big blow to the club. While the forward doesn’t have many goals to his name, his pace and passing is important for Boro as he attracts defenders and creates space for his team mates to run into positions to shoot.

Boro must have agonised over the decision to appeal and even if they know the FA will come up with such an action, they will still have risked it. They cannot afford to sacrifice such an important player in this critical stage of the season. They have every right to be incensed with this mockery of a ruling. What do you guys think?

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