I've promised myself time and again that I was done with criticising referees this season.

I'd convinced myself that when they make mistakes they make them honestly and of course that the bad luck from decisions evens itself out over the course of the year.

Unfortunately I'll have to consign this promise alongside every new year resolution I've ever made and break it during the course of this piece. Thankfully I've had time for reflection since the Liverpool game because the likelihood is that the column would've had too many expletives in it if I'd written it straight after the match.

To interfere or not to interfere (if you'll pardon the expression) that is the question.

And so Cisse, with one flick of his now healed right leg towards the ball apparently didn't interfere with play and the rest is history.

Now as we all know people, referees even, make mistakes. I like to think that I'm man enough to admit when I make them and I'm sure that the majority of us are the same.

But not that wonderful creature we all know and love that is the football official.

Given the evidence of replay after replay post match and the overwhelming evidence stacked on him having made a (perish the thought) mistake, our good friend the linesman actually patted himself on the back for a great judgement.

Yes, apparently now a player can lurk yards offside, make a move towards the ball, effectively dummy it into the path of a team mate and still be deemed as not interfering!!

What total rubbish.

Even Rafa Benitez came out after the game and said if a player is offside he should be flagged offside regardless while Mark Hughes somewhat diplomatically referred to it as 'a grey area'.

I prefer to quote the great Brian Clough who once said 'if he's not interfering with play, what the hell's he doing on the pitch!' Whatever spin you put on it, the decision cost us at least a point, end of.

Maybe we didn't look like opening Liverpool up at will, maybe their players nullified Craig Bellamy more than any other side has this season but at the end of the day they hardly carved us open either.

Mark Hughes spent the whole of last week stressing how difficult Liverpool are to peg back once they get their noses in front.

It must have been particularly galling to have to try to peg them back after a decision that was so unjust.

So now it's all out for that fifth or sixth place that will have us all dusting down our passports for the UEFA cup.

While we've spent the last month or so getting giddy about the Champions league this was always a more realistic target and let's face it, it'll be a heck of a reward considering where we've found ourselves at the business end of the last couple of seasons.

While Burnley fans marvel at ex-Rover Alan Mahon and hail a new striking hero who couldn't get a game before prolific Jon Stead at his previous club we're four games away from a European adventure.

It's a good time to be a Rover!