The Incredible Clairvoyance of The FA Panel

In paragraph 73 of the FA arbitration panel's findings we learn that the three man team have the incredible ability to know how games would have turned out if certain players were or were not playing.

The panel has rightly come under a lot of criticism for their decision to speculate on whether West Ham would have won games without Carlos Tevez. However the panel's ridiculous speculation goes further than that. Paragraph 73 clearly states that the panel think West Ham played 29 games in that season where Carlos Tevez 'achieved little of note'. However despite Carlos Tevez having 'difficulty fitting in with a new club playing English league football' for 29 games his presence did not cost West Ham any points. In fact Carlos Tevez only had an effect on West Ham's ability to win and lose games in the last 9 games when he suddenly came good.

Incredibly the arbitration panel concede that " Mr Tevez (achieved) little of note until the last 9 games." However the panel concluded that Tevez did not cost West Ham points in the previous games, " At worst Mr Tevez’s presence in the West Ham team had been neutral until then." However in the last nine games the panel conclude that "Mr Tevez undoubtedly played a direct part in West Ham’s successful run in at the end of the season."

In conclusion the panel decided that ... "On the totality of the evidence we have no doubt that West Ham would have secured at least 3 fewer points over the 2006-7 season if Carlos Tevez had not been playing for the club."

Absolutely incredible.