Ref Watch 23/24

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

I mean, I'd prefer a two way dialogue where managers can ask why etc to try and understand the logic.

For instance, the Garnacho handball at Spurs and then the Arsenal handball vs Spurs. Exactly the same, two different outcomes. It'd be £#%&!ing marvellous to be able to show both incidents and ask PGMOL what the £#%&!ing difference is.

The absolute lack of an explanation is enraging.

Would it? I doubt it would be any more marvellous than listening to Dermot Gallagher on a Monday morning.
At the risk of repeating myself: what do you expect them to say? We’ve seen what ex refs do. They just make it up as they go along and they’d do the same if you put them on the spot. Frankly, I don’t really care what their explanation is. If we’re looking for some revelatory answer, it isn’t going to happen.

And refs are boring stuffy #@&%!s who I don’t want to listen to. I don’t want to listen to them anymore than I want to listen to Harry Maguire explaining
His mistakes.

I don’t want them to explain why they’re shit. I want them to stop being shit.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

Would it? I doubt it would be any more marvellous than listening to Dermot Gallagher on a Monday morning.
At the risk of repeating myself: what do you expect them to say? We’ve seen what ex refs do. They just make it up as they go along and they’d do the same if you put them on the spot. Frankly, I don’t really care what their explanation is. If we’re looking for some revelatory answer, it isn’t going to happen.

And refs are boring stuffy #@&%!s who I don’t want to listen to. I don’t want to listen to them anymore than I want to listen to Harry Maguire explaining
His mistakes.

I don’t want them to explain why they’re shit. I want them to stop being shit.

Exactly, they just come up with different way of covering their arses. "oh it's subjective" "but if you look at it from this angle" "there's no intent there" blah blah blah

Bore off you incompetent £#%&!ers

The “subjective offside” discussion vs Fulham was ridiculous. What does it even mean? You’re either offside or you’re not.

The rules have gotten ridiculous too - they keep changing so they can cover their arses but it just confuses the issue more and more. VAR has to go. I don’t enjoy watching football any more - I’m not talking about us either, I’m talking in general. It’s killed the fun.

i've said it before (probably on this thread IIRC) but I'd love to see all the contentious VAR decisions (not just Uniteds) shown to a panel of refs from other countries.
See what decisions they come up with. Then compare them to what was actually given.

VAR is the scourge of the game. If a ref makes a mistake he makes a mistake. Just like players do.

I think the ‘subjective offside’ thing is just a poor choice of words. The subjectivity wasn’t whether or not Maguire was offside, it was whether he influenced the play when he made a movement towards the ball. Seems like VAR thought he did and sent the ref to the screen on that advice.

Originally Posted by NedKelly

The “subjective offside” discussion vs Fulham was ridiculous. What does it even mean? You’re either offside or you’re not.

The rules have gotten ridiculous too - they keep changing so they can cover their arses but it just confuses the issue more and more. VAR has to go. I don’t enjoy watching football any more - I’m not talking about us either, I’m talking in general. It’s killed the fun.

I think VAR is another symptom of the wider football epidemic that has taken hold over the last 6-7 years in particular. It's become utterly boring and sanitised, completely dominated by stats and opta-index nerds. Games are now just long periods of benign possession punctuated by cut-back tap ins. Every goal kick is a game of chess, 25 passes before you've even reached the halfway line. Proper tackling is now illegal and has been replaced with cynical, calculated fouls which involve little nudges and trips all designed to deliberately stop any excitement breaking out in amongst the 45 pass goal kick routines. Throw into that the micro analysis of every single goal that's scored to the point you can't even really properly celebrate a goal any more and £#%&! me they really have ruined it.

Put simply: It just ain't fun to watch any more. The only game i've really enjoyed watching recently was Newcastle v Arsenal and that's simply because there was a bit of drama in it and people started getting clattered.

The simplicity that was football has been destroyed, The game that became so popular because it was such an accessible sport has been completely hijacked by autistic £#%&! nuggets who want to boil it all down to some kind of mathematical equation, a formula for winning games that can be duplicated infinitely. That's why the managers are now the new stars - the managers and their £#%&!ing 'systems'. No flair any more, no footballers expressing themselves, the mavericks - all £#%&!ing gone. The blood and thunder of it all, gone.

How apt that after the era of the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Baggio etc that the poster boy for this current era should be some 6ft 5in Ivan £#%&!ing drago, personality vacuum tap in merchant from Norway. Perfect poster boy for it. here you go modern football, here's your robot.

Originally Posted by NedKelly

The “subjective offside” discussion vs Fulham was ridiculous. What does it even mean? You’re either offside or you’re not.

The rules have gotten ridiculous too - they keep changing so they can cover their arses but it just confuses the issue more and more. VAR has to go. I don’t enjoy watching football any more - I’m not talking about us either, I’m talking in general. It’s killed the fun.

Agree with all of that. How can they come up with "Subjective offside" on Saturday - when it's never been heard of before? Really stunned that EtH isn't making more of it because it's scandalous.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think VAR is another symptom of the wider football epidemic that has taken hold over the last 6-7 years in particular. It's become utterly boring and sanitised, completely dominated by stats and opta-index nerds. Games are now just long periods of benign possession punctuated by cut-back tap ins. Every goal kick is a game of chess, 25 passes before you've even reached the halfway line. Proper tackling is now illegal and has been replaced with cynical, calculated fouls which involve little nudges and trips all designed to deliberately stop any excitement breaking out in amongst the 45 pass goal kick routines. Throw into that the micro analysis of every single goal that's scored to the point you can't even really properly celebrate a goal any more and £#%&! me they really have ruined it.

Put simply: It just ain't fun to watch any more. The only game i've really enjoyed watching recently was Newcastle v Arsenal and that's simply because there was a bit of drama in it and people started getting clattered.

The simplicity that was football has been destroyed, The game that became so popular because it was such an accessible sport has been completely hijacked by autistic £#%&! nuggets who want to boil it all down to some kind of mathematical equation, a formula for winning games that can be duplicated infinitely. That's why the managers are now the new stars - the managers and their £#%&!ing 'systems'. No flair any more, no footballers expressing themselves, the mavericks - all £#%&!ing gone. The blood and thunder of it all, gone.

How apt that after the era of the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Baggio etc that the poster boy for this current era should be some 6ft 5in Ivan £#%&!ing drago, personality vacuum tap in merchant from Norway. Perfect poster boy for it. here you go modern football, here's your robot.

I watched Chesterfield v Portsmouth in the FA Cup yesterday. No VAR, a ref that let some thundering challenges go, got a couple of decisions wrong & it was a throughly entertaining match with non-league C’field dumping P’mouth out.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think VAR is another symptom of the wider football epidemic that has taken hold over the last 6-7 years in particular. It's become utterly boring and sanitised, completely dominated by stats and opta-index nerds. Games are now just long periods of benign possession punctuated by cut-back tap ins. Every goal kick is a game of chess, 25 passes before you've even reached the halfway line. Proper tackling is now illegal and has been replaced with cynical, calculated fouls which involve little nudges and trips all designed to deliberately stop any excitement breaking out in amongst the 45 pass goal kick routines. Throw into that the micro analysis of every single goal that's scored to the point you can't even really properly celebrate a goal any more and £#%&! me they really have ruined it.

Put simply: It just ain't fun to watch any more. The only game i've really enjoyed watching recently was Newcastle v Arsenal and that's simply because there was a bit of drama in it and people started getting clattered.

The simplicity that was football has been destroyed, The game that became so popular because it was such an accessible sport has been completely hijacked by autistic £#%&! nuggets who want to boil it all down to some kind of mathematical equation, a formula for winning games that can be duplicated infinitely. That's why the managers are now the new stars - the managers and their £#%&!ing 'systems'. No flair any more, no footballers expressing themselves, the mavericks - all £#%&!ing gone. The blood and thunder of it all, gone.

How apt that after the era of the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Baggio etc that the poster boy for this current era should be some 6ft 5in Ivan £#%&!ing drago, personality vacuum tap in merchant from Norway. Perfect poster boy for it. here you go modern football, here's your robot.

Post (nrat)

By the way, this is what Antony Taylor was up to this weekend, after his relegation to the Championship

https://x.com/stokeyyg2/status/1721513271843303511?s=46&t=46osAsCMaSbh7vgQsN2lEQ

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

By the way, this is what Antony Taylor was up to this weekend, after his relegation to the Championship

https://x.com/stokeyyg2/status/17215...aSbh7vgQsN2lEQ

He HAS to be betting. Surely?

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think VAR is another symptom of the wider football epidemic that has taken hold over the last 6-7 years in particular. It's become utterly boring and sanitised, completely dominated by stats and opta-index nerds. Games are now just long periods of benign possession punctuated by cut-back tap ins. Every goal kick is a game of chess, 25 passes before you've even reached the halfway line. Proper tackling is now illegal and has been replaced with cynical, calculated fouls which involve little nudges and trips all designed to deliberately stop any excitement breaking out in amongst the 45 pass goal kick routines. Throw into that the micro analysis of every single goal that's scored to the point you can't even really properly celebrate a goal any more and £#%&! me they really have ruined it.

Put simply: It just ain't fun to watch any more. The only game i've really enjoyed watching recently was Newcastle v Arsenal and that's simply because there was a bit of drama in it and people started getting clattered.

The simplicity that was football has been destroyed, The game that became so popular because it was such an accessible sport has been completely hijacked by autistic £#%&! nuggets who want to boil it all down to some kind of mathematical equation, a formula for winning games that can be duplicated infinitely. That's why the managers are now the new stars - the managers and their £#%&!ing 'systems'. No flair any more, no footballers expressing themselves, the mavericks - all £#%&!ing gone. The blood and thunder of it all, gone.

How apt that after the era of the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Baggio etc that the poster boy for this current era should be some 6ft 5in Ivan £#%&!ing drago, personality vacuum tap in merchant from Norway. Perfect poster boy for it. here you go modern football, here's your robot.

Superb post Sparky. I will state though, that away from the jumped up bent #@&%!s at PGMOL there is still quality to be had. The Liberatadores final for example, had VAR, but it was used properly. Consequently, the game was great fun

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

By the way, this is what Antony Taylor was up to this weekend, after his relegation to the Championship

https://x.com/stokeyyg2/status/17215...aSbh7vgQsN2lEQ

Originally Posted by naes_sean

The striker’s reaction is great

“YEAH A PENALTY!!!…err does anyone know what for?”

Clearly not a penalty but what the £#%&! was that defender doing?

Incredible.

https://twitter.com/FootyAccums/status/1721859656929173744?t=9uZ7EH27LJs0QBquTz9k8g&s=19

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think VAR is another symptom of the wider football epidemic that has taken hold over the last 6-7 years in particular. It's become utterly boring and sanitised, completely dominated by stats and opta-index nerds. Games are now just long periods of benign possession punctuated by cut-back tap ins. Every goal kick is a game of chess, 25 passes before you've even reached the halfway line. Proper tackling is now illegal and has been replaced with cynical, calculated fouls which involve little nudges and trips all designed to deliberately stop any excitement breaking out in amongst the 45 pass goal kick routines. Throw into that the micro analysis of every single goal that's scored to the point you can't even really properly celebrate a goal any more and £#%&! me they really have ruined it.

Put simply: It just ain't fun to watch any more. The only game i've really enjoyed watching recently was Newcastle v Arsenal and that's simply because there was a bit of drama in it and people started getting clattered.

The simplicity that was football has been destroyed, The game that became so popular because it was such an accessible sport has been completely hijacked by autistic £#%&! nuggets who want to boil it all down to some kind of mathematical equation, a formula for winning games that can be duplicated infinitely. That's why the managers are now the new stars - the managers and their £#%&!ing 'systems'. No flair any more, no footballers expressing themselves, the mavericks - all £#%&!ing gone. The blood and thunder of it all, gone.

How apt that after the era of the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Baggio etc that the poster boy for this current era should be some 6ft 5in Ivan £#%&!ing drago, personality vacuum tap in merchant from Norway. Perfect poster boy for it. here you go modern football, here's your robot.

Agreed wholly. It's become cold, robotic and anti-human. We have literally got a generation of football "fans" actively cheering the removal of the human from the sport — and with it goes the emotion.

Originally Posted by Patty_b

I wonder if it's more some sort of agreement between PGMOL and broadcasters to have more referees on broadcasts to 'explain' decisions and in return pundits and commentators are instructed to be on the side of the officials during games and post match.

From Richard Keys blog thing:

Originally Posted by Richard Keys

I’m in the luxurious position of being able to say what I think about the falling standards of officialdom in our top league - but imagine taking a call from a high ranking PL broadcast official reminding you who pays your wages. Scary. It happened to two people that I know recently. The message was clear ‘stop criticising the refs’. What sort of world are we living in when people who run the game also want to steer the narrative?

Also.

https://x.com/HACKETTREF/status/1721791143950594106?s=20

Hopefully some shit is going to be hitting the fan soon enough.

https://twitter.com/Shanee_Farrelly/status/1722390056155922880?t=vvk28d4hkVsKOq5Maav1hQ&s=19

Not a red, or a yellow (he was actually on a yellow).

The game is £#%&!ed. Gone. Rashfords red last night was a £#%&!ing disgrace. What will change? Nothing.