Referees are seldom praised by managers, players and fans. On the contrary, the referee is always a target for criticism.

After the titanic clash between Chelsea and Manchester United (1-0), the Daily Telegraph reported on Monday that Alex Ferguson claimed that referee Martin Atkinson was 'absolutely ridiculous'.

Ferguson, who has been banned for two matches for his comments about the fitness of referee Alan Wiley, continued with his outburst and said that Atkinson's position to make a decision was absolutely ridiculous since he was unable to see the action.

Carlo Ancelotti saw Chelsea go five points clear at the top and then accused the visitors of trying to influence the referee.

Ancelotti said: "The Manchester players protested a lot. I don't know why. I don't like this. It was a very difficult match and all the players worked very hard − and sometimes it can happen."

The day after the Stamford Bridge showdown, the FA announced that the United manager would not face action over his comments about Atkinson.

Critics have remarked that the Beautiful Game is losing its values − slowly but surely. Players are repeatedly putting the referee under intense pressure and he is singled out as the main culprit and the only one to blame for his mistakes.

The referee indeed has great responsibilities and his decisions can influence results. But is he being helped by the 22 players on the field of play?

There is so much at stake in the game today that the word sportsmanship has been deleted from the football dictionary.

In almost every match, we are witnessing players who fake injuries, dive in penalty areas and fall like empty sacks whenever an opponent touches them to earn him a red card.

FIFA and UEFA should give their nod to the introduction of technical aids to assist referees and their assistants.

The genuine fans get irritated when they see players chase a referee to protest against a decision that had not gone their way, or surround the official for not giving a penalty when they are very far from the incident and surely not in a position to judge what had really happened.

FIFA and UEFA must introduce the use of 'closed-circuit' cameras to rule if a ball has crossed the goal line or not, to expose the real offenders who use their elbow and to decide on penalty issues.

Today, the game can't continue to be officiated by a single individual, who must be perfect in the eyes of all those who watch him and must decide on a hot matter in a split of a second.