FOOTBALL: The behaviour of Premier League players has to improve

Manchester United's 3-0 win over Chelsea on 11th January was, in the main, an excellent advert for the Premier League. There were lots of classy, expensive, world-renowned players competing in England's largest club stadium and they produced a good, competitive game with 3 goals.

Both teams passed the ball crisply and accurately. Chelsea dominated the first half hour's possession, but with Drogba relatively isolated, looked lacking going forward. With the introduction of Anelka for Deco at half-time, Chelsea began to lose the midfield battle and were ultimately outclassed. Luiz Felipe Scolari has been criticised for having no Plan B and this game was yet another piece to add to the mounting evidence that Anelka and Drogba struggle to play together, whether in Plan A, B or Z.

For United's part, everything went to plan. Ryan Giggs, a surprise choice in the starting XI, was superb and Darren Fletcher more than matched the muscle of Michael Ballack and John Mikel Obi. Both Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov got on the scoresheet and young Jonny Evans looks increasingly like a future United centre-back.

Overall, Richard Scudamore and friends can be happy with what was broadcast to hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. Even referee Howard Webb had a good afternoon, even if he did have to dish out quite a number of yellow cards.

But with all the increases that there have been in the Premier Lague in the last few seasons- player's wages, number of foreign players, quality of football, ticket prices, pitch standards- it has seen no such increase in disciplinary standards. I am going to single out Wayne Rooney, but he is far from the only overpaid ego to conduct himself well below the level of acceptability, nevermind sportsmanship.

With 20 minutes on the clock in the United-Chelsea encounter, Rooney was ajudged by referee Howard Webb of committing a foul in Manchester United's right back area. Seeing that the decision had gone against him, Rooney gave Webb an aggressive torrent of bad language, including "f*&k off!" Webb strode over to the spot where the free-kick was to be taken and called Rooney over. The referee called Wayne by his first name, just as everyone could hear on the pitchside television microphone, but Rooney walked away, raising his arm in the air a couple of times to signal that he had heard the referee but did not care. When Rooney eventually turned around, he listened to a couple of words before turning around again and sulking like a 5 year old.

No more than 10 minutes later, Rooney was at it again. Whilst I can understand the England International's frustration at Ronaldo's headed 'goal' being disallowed, despite Rooney and Giggs' clever corner routine being within the rules, his response was a disgrace. He sprinted over to the assistant referee and shouted abuse at the official from half a metre away, using the widest range of his foul language. How referee Webb had the patience during these two incidents to put up with Rooney, without even cautioning him, is a testament to England's best referee.

I despair at how normal such behaviour has become. I don't want to see games reduced to nine-on-nine by half-time because the referees have punished every piece of dissent, but Webb's tolerance of Rooney does nothing to stop him from doing it next time and makes a mockery of the FA's already ridiculed 'Respect' campaign. The FA need to bring retrospective fines or even bans for persistent dissenters (as well as divers and other offenders) or simply start cautioning dissenters during games. I accept the short term effect would be numerous sendings-off, but something has to be done, otherwise the game is likely to continue in this rut of very poor discipline.