IF you want a masterclass on how to referee a derby game – look no further than Mark Clattenburg in Sunday’s game between United and City.

Three cautions in a game of that significance? That’s pretty good going.

Mark was up to speed on all the key decisions, had his angles right, managed the players superbly – they should burn that 90 minutes to a DVD and make all the other referees sit round and take notes.

Some United fans might feel stronger punishment should have been given to Vincent Kompany for his challenge on Daley Blind, and in any ordinary game maybe they’d have a point.

People might say there shouldn’t be a difference between a regular Premier League match and a derby but anyone who has ever been involved in an Arsenal v Tottenham, a Newcastle v Sunderland or a Liverpool v Everton will tell you they are worlds apart.

A red card ruins the game and if there is any element of doubt in Mark’s mind when he sees the challenge he cannot send the player off.

What he did was absolutely spot on. He cleared the players away, took his time, went over to speak with his assistant to clarify that they were on the same page and issued a caution.

I don’t think the assistant would have convinced him to show a red card, it is more likely that Mark spoke to him to get the sequence of events clear in his own head and make sure there was nothing he didn’t spot.

They would have both agreed it was an “orange” – a challenge that in any normal game might just have been enough to warrant a dismissal but in the heat of a derby, just a caution and a warning that anything else and Kompany is off the field.

What also occurred to me is that Mark wasn’t surrounded immediately by players, as we have seen so often in the last few months. That is because he had the situation in control. He instructed the one or two who came towards him to have their say to keep distance and allow him to reach the right decision.

And in this case, patience paid off handsomely.

Clattenburg will be refereeing the PSG v Barcelona game this week, which is a fitting reward. I just hope the Football Association and the PGMOL give him their full support now going into the future and recognise that he’s the best referee in the Premier League.

*****

We should take a leaf out of Spain's book over incorrect yellow card

THEY say you are innocent until proven guilty – so why then do so many cautions still hang over Premier League players’ heads even when we know they have been wrongly awarded?

Well done to the Spanish FA this week for what I think is a landmark decision to revoke a yellow card picked up by Cristiano Ronaldo for simulation.

The Real Madrid man was cautioned in a game against Rayo Vallecano for what the referee thought was an attempt to win a penalty. Replays showed it was definitely a foul and the authorities stepped it to remove the punishment and wipe the slate clean.

Why can’t it be that easy over here?

We have seen players like Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and Sergio Aguero cautioned for simulation and then with further analysis we realise it was the wrong decision.

The act of removing that punishment does not serve to undermine the referee – the game moves quickly and while you can take precautions to limit the number of mistakes you make in a game by the way you act and knowing your players, they still happen.

It just seems strange to me that a player can be left with a decision that will count towards a possible suspension further down the line when we know it is wrong.

UEFA have also shown it is possible to go back and start again. They ordered the last three minutes of England Women’s Under-19s game against Norway to be replayed after a frankly massive error in law.

Every ref should know that if you punish encroachment at a penalty it must be taken again. It’s not an indirect free-kick to the defending side.

Now that was just a huge error – a matter of fact – it isn’t an opinion, as so many of these close calls often are. But I applaud the powers that be for replaying the game and making sure that the laws are adhered to.

It does beg the question, though, should referees be forced to do a refresher course on the laws every 12 months? I know once I’d made the grade I never read the law book again – maybe we should all go back to school?

I’m sure the referee in question in the England v Norway game will get a suspension. In this case, they might make her do lines in detention.

*****

Carver right to cut up rough

I DON’T blame John Carver for going ape at referee Lee Mason on Monday night – talk about paying the penalty.

Mike Riley must have got another angry phone call from the North East yesterday after the Newcastle United boss saw a clear-cut penalty turned down in their game against Liverpool by the Bolton ref.

Ayoze Perez was clearly chopped down by Dejan Lovren – most of Anfield, including Reds boss Brendan Rodgers could see it. The words “stone” and “wall” spring to mind.

And at 1-0 it was a massive decision for Lee to make – and I’m sure he’ll look at it again and admit it was a poor one.

Newcastle felt unjustly treated, Liverpool went on to win 2-0. But what a huge difference it could have made if the match had been levelled up at that stage.

We’ve been here before – key match decisions. And sadly, I think Lee is having a hard time of it at the moment as well.

I know on youaretheref.com, their resident blogger Rob Harris was extremely critical of Lee’s movement, his positioning, his general performance.

But while he might shrug it off as a bad day at the office, poor old John Carver must be wondering what his side have got to do to get a penalty.

He suffered during the derby defeat to Sunderland last week when Mike Dean turned one down that he thought was a penalty and now he’s suffering again – these decisions are stacking up now and they cost people their jobs.

Ranting and raving at Riley might make managers feel better in the short-term but realistically it does absolutely no good at all.

Even the best-presented arguments, DVDs or dossiers don’t change the fact that the PGMOL will come down on the side of their referees 100 per cent of the time.

If I was John I’d have saved the money on the phone call.