**Official** English Football Season 2023/24

[dontcloseyoureyes]

this is the most blatant eg of a ref wanting to be the center of attention post match because he knows the match was **** and there was nothing else they could talk about

what

 

[wpdavid]

didnt he also get the original call wrong which is what ticked off Dalot lol?

So what if he did? Dalot was still an imbecile to argue about it when he's on a yellow card and is aware of the ruling this season. I don't even really care if the refs aren't completely consistent about dishing out yellows for dissent. The fact that it sometimes happens should be enough to encourage players to stfu, however stupidly entitled they might be.

 

[Molehill]

So what if he did? Dalot was still an imbecile to argue about it when he's on a yellow card and is aware of the ruling this season. I don't even really care if the refs aren't completely consistent about dishing out yellows for dissent. The fact that it sometimes happens should be enough to encourage players to stfu, however stupidly entitled they might be.

But if the ref gets the decision right in the first place, then the player doesn't even get booked. He has totally orchestrated that even if Dalot was a knob. And as pointed out, Nunez was totally pushing it earlier on too but got away with it.

Anther point I've seen doing the rounds and I noticed too, wtf has happened to the atmosphere at Anfield? It was absolutely dead yesterday. I know the game was rubbish, but that's often when the players need the crowd more to lift them. It feels like the tourists have finally taken over and is now starting to resemble OT.

Still, looks like a decent Prem this year from a competitive point of view. Although, the concern remains that when City get a full strength squad back, they'll probably just plough through everyone from Feb onwards....

 

[Skipper Pup]

But if the ref gets the decision right in the first place, then the player doesn't even get booked. He has totally orchestrated that even if Dalot was a knob. And as pointed out, Nunez was totally pushing it earlier on too but got away with it.

Anther point I've seen doing the rounds and I noticed too, wtf has happened to the atmosphere at Anfield? It was absolutely dead yesterday. I know the game was rubbish, but that's often when the players need the crowd more to lift them. It feels like the tourists have finally taken over and is now starting to resemble OT.

Still, looks like a decent Prem this year from a competitive point of view. Although, the concern remains that when City get a full strength squad back, they'll probably just plough through everyone from Feb onwards....

It looked a close call in real time, without having seen it again I did think live it was a LFC throw-in. That said the way Dalot reacted probably says otherwise but refs have a split second to make that call so can't always get them right. The whole dissent thing is another by-product of VAR and the PGMOL refusing to accept any sort of criticism or questioning, you can't speak back to a ref now because it undermines them - though they are happy to parade it as being a 'spirit of the game' or 'young kids need better role models' type thing .

Worth seeing what the crowd is like for Arsenal next week. From my understanding most the season ticket holders are locals, who tend to sell their seats for games they can't/won't attend. I can imagine being this close to Christmas with bigger games on the horizon that locals took the chance to make an extra few quid thinking United would just roll over. Someone else will probably know better than me but that's my best guess.

 

[wpdavid]

But if the ref gets the decision right in the first place, then the player doesn't even get booked. He has totally orchestrated that even if Dalot was a knob. And as pointed out, Nunez was totally pushing it earlier on too but got away with it.

Sounds like we'd better stop having games refereed by humans then, unless we want every single decison about anything that happens in the game to go to VAR.

 

[wpdavid]

It looked a close call in real time, without having seen it again I did think live it was a LFC throw-in. That said the way Dalot reacted probably says otherwise but refs have a split second to make that call so can't always get them right. The whole dissent thing is another by-product of VAR and the PGMOL refusing to accept any sort of criticism or questioning, you can't speak back to a ref now because it undermines them - though they are happy to parade it as being a 'spirit of the game' or 'young kids need better role models' type thing .

I completely agree with your first two sentences. The rest of your post is interesting actually. I hadn't viewed it as being linked to VAR, but maybe you're right. But maybe you're not. Having spent 12 years on the touchline at my children's football matches, the knock-on effect of what happens at the top is there for all to see. Especially when the grass roots clubs are too weak and/or too lazy to deal with it.

 

[sledger]

But if the ref gets the decision right in the first place, then the player doesn't even get booked.

But if Dalot's mother didn't give birth to him he wouldn't have been there to get sent off in the first place, so actually it's Dalot's mother who should have been sent off/blamed.

 

[Skipper Pup]

I completely agree with your first two sentences. The rest of your post is interesting actually. I hadn't viewed it as being linked to VAR, but maybe you're right. But maybe you're not. Having spent 12 years on the touchline at my children's football matches, the knock-on effect of what happens at the top is there for all to see. Especially when the grass roots clubs are too weak and/or too lazy to deal with it.

How often do you actually hear the audio of what the player is saying to the referee though?

They have a ton of mics around the ground and obviously they leak audio of certain VAR decisions and the like, but I don't necessarily think kids are quoting players when they have a go at the ref. To some extent the action in of itself is replicating what the player has done in protesting the decision and there has to be a line somewhere but I think they've been too excessive with the application this time around.

I can only really speak from my own experience and having been a referee through high school (admittedly only about 4 years until I lost interest) I never found myself personally offended by the words or actions of frustrated players. I did play for about 15 years and had a go at my fair share of refs too haha so admittedly I may be bias.

 

[Molehill]

But if Dalot's mother didn't give birth to him he wouldn't have been there to get sent off in the first place, so actually it's Dalot's mother who should have been sent off/blamed.

I'm not saying he wasn't a complete tosser. But the ref has allowed that situation to escalate.

Anyway, what do I care? I happily watch VARless football all the time and Pompey are 7 points clear and going up. I'm now convinced of it.

And for the Aussies out there, Alex Robertson may well be one of the best players you've ever had. We feel very fortunate that City have loaned him to us for a year, he's the best player in League 1 by a mile.

 

[sledger]

Haha yeah sure, the point I was alluding to is that "but if" arguments that attempt to excuse/mitigate someone's dire conduct (when what they did is not in any doubt whatsoever) are usually arse.

 

[Uppercut]

So what if he did? Dalot was still an imbecile to argue about it when he's on a yellow card and is aware of the ruling this season. I don't even really care if the refs aren't completely consistent about dishing out yellows for dissent. The fact that it sometimes happens should be enough to encourage players to stfu, however stupidly entitled they might be.

At amateur level here games now get called off at the last minute fairly regularly because they can’t find a ref. It’s really ****ing annoying. But nobody wants to do it. I don’t understand why anyone at all does it given how they’re treated. And like you say, it’s coming from the top.

 

[Molehill]

At amateur level here games now get called off at the last minute fairly regularly because they can’t find a ref. It’s really ****ing annoying. But nobody wants to do it. I don’t understand why anyone at all does it given how they’re treated. And like you say, it’s coming from the top.

17 years ago when I was still playing, I had an injury so volunteered to ref the inter company 7 a side competition. Even amongst colleagues and in a 'fun' tournament, I still ended up getting a level of **** that told me to never to be so daft and charitable again.

Still think yesterday's ref was poor. A simple 'calm down' after the first yellow would've sufficed. Nunez got booked and then clearly said '**** you' to the linesman earlier in the game to no further punishment.

 

[Howe_zat]

At amateur level here games now get called off at the last minute fairly regularly because they can’t find a ref. It’s really ****ing annoying. But nobody wants to do it. I don’t understand why anyone at all does it given how they’re treated. And like you say, it’s coming from the top.

It's so obviously unnecessary as well because almost every other sport exists as an example. It's on issues like this that you can really tell how many pundits, players and fans alike have never watched another team sport ever.

 

[sledger]

Unfortunately the premise of "not being a dick" does not come very easily to a great many people.

 

[Molehill]

It's so obviously unnecessary as well because almost every other sport exists as an example. It's on issues like this that you can really tell how many pundits, players and fans alike have never watched another team sport ever.

I watched a fair amount of the European Rugby over the weekend. Whilst not done in such a petulant manner, there is now a lot of questioning decisions to refs and it is going unpunished. Gone are the days seemingly of marching a team back 10 yards.

 

[wpdavid]

I watched a fair amount of the European Rugby over the weekend. Whilst not done in such a petulant manner, there is now a lot of questioning decisions to refs and it is going unpunished. Gone are the days seemingly of marching a team back 10 yards.

I'd heard that too, although I don't watch much of the game. More fools the referees more putting up with it imo.
I know I've said this before, but one of my favourite moments in the recent WC was when one of England's players asked the referee 'if he could just say something', to which the referee replied 'actually no you can't' and everyone got on with the game.

 

[sledger]

I'd heard that too, although I don't watch much of the game. More fools the referees more putting up with it imo.
I know I've said this before, but one of my favourite moments in the recent WC was when one of England's players asked the referee 'if he could just say something', to which the referee replied 'actually no you can't' and everyone got on with the game.

Haha I have started using this sort of approach to conversations at work actually.

Whenever I am asked if I would like to do something and I choose to decline, I just say "no" without providing a reason or explanation.

Then when the (inevitable) follow-up is "do you mind if I ask why?" I just say "yes", again without providing further context.

 

[Molehill]

I'd heard that too, although I don't watch much of the game. More fools the referees more putting up with it imo.
I know I've said this before, but one of my favourite moments in the recent WC was when one of England's players asked the referee 'if he could just say something', to which the referee replied 'actually no you can't' and everyone got on with the game.

One issue that is arising in top level rugby is the ability to see TMO reviews on the screen. In a contentious tackle situation yesterday, everyone could see it, the skippers clearly had different ideas on what they'd seen and were both hounding the ref either for a red or no punishment at all. He ended up going for a yellow.

Imagine if the VAR Reviews were shown on big screens in football grounds......

 

[Kraken]

I'm not saying he wasn't a complete tosser. But the ref has allowed that situation to escalate.

Anyway, what do I care? I happily watch VARless football all the time and Pompey are 7 points clear and going up. I'm now convinced of it.

And for the Aussies out there, Alex Robertson may well be one of the best players you've ever had. We feel very fortunate that City have loaned him to us for a year, he's the best player in League 1 by a mile.

if Robertson can even get close to our best all time Socceroos then we’ve got a proper player. Hope City sell him to your lot, assuming you get promoted of course. Win win

 

[Molehill]

if Robertson can even get close to our best all time Socceroos then we’ve got a proper player. Hope City sell him to your lot, assuming you get promoted of course. Win win

City won't sell him to us. Even if we get promoted, we'll still only be Championship. He's a Premier League player in waiting. The fact he's had injury issues but Pep has kept him around the first team squad tells you how highly he rates him. I just hope we don't lose him for the Asia Cup.

We also have Yengi with us too who put in a stunning performance last Monday night. He's still very raw but there's no doubting he can be a real handful for far better defences than League 1. He will almost certainly be in the Asia Cup squad, looks a solid Championship quality striker if maybe not likely to make it to the top.