Weekend Football

[Franchise FC]

As much as I reeeeeealy hate VAR, my understanding of this shambles was just that a bloke wasn't paying attention to the match properly.

Any idea what he was being paid to do ?

[Winston Biscuit]

As much as I reeeeeealy hate VAR, my understanding of this shambles was just that a bloke wasn't paying attention to the match properly.

Any idea what he was being paid to do ?

Tbf most of us are half nobbing/half working so why shouldn't he

[Sanguine]

As much as I reeeeeealy hate VAR, my understanding of this shambles was just that a bloke wasn't paying attention to the match properly.

Any idea what he was being paid to do ?

Tbf most of us are half nobbing/half working so why shouldn't he

I'd manage to bin off 'obnob for a couple of hours if I was being paid £1,500.

[South Coast Royal]

Can’t help but feel the mass outrage is a little ridiculous. I can name 4 occasions in recent years, including one in a Champions League final no less, where Spurs have been shafted by the officials against Liverpool.

No reaction then from the media and fans like there has been last night and this morning. Some Liverpool fans calling for the game to be replayed. Have a bloody day off…

No doubt the little clubs feel that the big clubs get all the decisions in their favour and across the world of football I wouldn't disagree with that.
As sangers and others have said, fans tend to accept and moan a bit if their player gets sent off but the questions of both goal line technology and offsides are matters of fact and not opinion-that is why this decision in a big game is attracting so much attention.

BTW some players seem to get decisions in their favour and on facebook this morning there was the example of Harry Kane last season going way over the top with a challenge on the Liverpool player (far, far worse than Jones on Saturday) and IIRC it was Michael Oliver who didn't show a red.
The same Michael Oliver who is probably normally about the best that we have (which isn't saying much) who didn't even book that runt Pickford when he assaulted Van Dijk and put him out for nearly the whole season and arguably reduced him to a lesser player subsequently from serene to just good.

[Winston Biscuit]

Any idea what he was being paid to do ?

Tbf most of us are half nobbing/half working so why shouldn't he

I'd manage to bin off 'obnob for a couple of hours if I was being paid £1,500.

I like to think I could, but if someone bumped the What Are You Reading? thread I would likely be all over it

[Sutekh]

Can’t help but feel the mass outrage is a little ridiculous. I can name 4 occasions in recent years, including one in a Champions League final no less, where Spurs have been shafted by the officials against Liverpool.

No reaction then from the media and fans like there has been last night and this morning. Some Liverpool fans calling for the game to be replayed. Have a bloody day off…

No doubt the little clubs feel that the big clubs get all the decisions in their favour and across the world of football I wouldn't disagree with that.
As sangers and others have said, fans tend to accept and moan a bit if their player gets sent off but the questions of both goal line technology and offsides are matters of fact and not opinion-that is why this decision in a big game is attracting so much attention.

BTW some players seem to get decisions in their favour and on facebook this morning there was the example of Harry Kane last season going way over the top with a challenge on the Liverpool player (far, far worse than Jones on Saturday) and IIRC it was Michael Oliver who didn't show a red.
The same Michael Oliver who is probably normally about the best that we have (which isn't saying much) who didn't even book that runt Pickford when he assaulted Van Dijk and put him out for nearly the whole season and arguably reduced him to a lesser player subsequently from serene to just good.

Yes, thought it was criminal that Pickford wasn't done for that but ref did nothing and VAR didn't even look at it further and call the ref's attention to it. All begs the question just what is the point of having this technology if it's not used properly or is operated by idiots?

[6ft Kerplunk]

I don't think anyone could possibly disagree that it was a shit show, but that misses the broader, and frankly, far more important, point, which is, if it needs spelling out to anybody again, that there are far fewer match-changing errors now as a result of having VAR.

No, that's misdirection. I've been one of VAR's biggest advocates, and I absolutely accept that VAR has got us from (say) 90% of offside decisions correct to 99%. But wanting errors like those at Spurs to be completely eliminated doesn't undermine that. This wasn't about 'a close one' - and we wouldn't be having this debate if the most contentious (and wrong) decision in the match had been the Jones red card. Fans accept a level of subjectivity, even when apparent mistakes or inconsistences are made. But this wasn't offside, in fact as it goes it wasn't even close - and with technology in place we shouldn't arrive at such an error though, basically, five match officials.

Really can’t quite believe I’m doing this but there’s very little blame on the physically present officials. Yes, the lino got it wrong, it happens. From there on in neither him nor Hooper has a screen or replay so are completely blameless for the clusterf*ck that followed.

I promise I won’t defend a referee or linesman again this season

I just can't believe that they've been working on the principle that just saying "VAR offside check complete" was ever a fool proof system. Surely "VAR check complete, not offside, goal" or "VAR check complete, offside. no goal." should have been what was said.

[Franchise FC]

No, that's misdirection. I've been one of VAR's biggest advocates, and I absolutely accept that VAR has got us from (say) 90% of offside decisions correct to 99%. But wanting errors like those at Spurs to be completely eliminated doesn't undermine that. This wasn't about 'a close one' - and we wouldn't be having this debate if the most contentious (and wrong) decision in the match had been the Jones red card. Fans accept a level of subjectivity, even when apparent mistakes or inconsistences are made. But this wasn't offside, in fact as it goes it wasn't even close - and with technology in place we shouldn't arrive at such an error though, basically, five match officials.

Really can’t quite believe I’m doing this but there’s very little blame on the physically present officials. Yes, the lino got it wrong, it happens. From there on in neither him nor Hooper has a screen or replay so are completely blameless for the clusterf*ck that followed.

I promise I won’t defend a referee or linesman again this season

I just can't believe that they've been working on the principle that just saying "VAR offside check complete" was ever a fool proof system. Surely "VAR check complete, not offside, goal" or "VAR check complete, offside. no goal." should have been what was said.

Precisely. It just seems so incredibly obvious

[Brogue]

oxf*rd hell

He’s been fired from his job as a window fitter. Appeared in court today and pleaded guilty. Will be sentenced mid November looking at up to 5 months in prison. Which I hope he gets. He’s been bailed on condition he attends no football matches and does not come within 1 mile of Hillsborough. Police and club are working together to get him a football ban also. The guy next to him is his brother who is still under investigation.

Really hope they throw the book at him and he gets the full 5 months inside, in a prison in Sunderland…. He should also get an extra couple of months for the jacket he’s wearing

[NathStPaul]

I think prison is fine but he should also be made to go and spend time with the family and be educated. Learn about life for them during the young lads illness and what life has been like for them since. There has to be an educational element to this, he has to know how his actions impact others.

[Sanguine]

Agreed, not sure though that he seems the educational type.

This is from a Whatsapp group, a disgusted friend has outed his disgusting attitude.



Pleased he lost his job. And bet he struggles to find another in the short term.

[Loafer]

Agreed, not sure though that he seems the educational type.

This is from a Whatsapp group, a disgusted friend has outed his disgusting attitude.



Pleased he lost his job. And bet he struggles to find another in the short term.

I highly doubt he'll be getting another Job anywhere

Who'd employ somebody who got caught doing that?

[Sutekh]

Agreed, not sure though that he seems the educational type.

This is from a Whatsapp group, a disgusted friend has outed his disgusting attitude.



Pleased he lost his job. And bet he struggles to find another in the short term.

I highly doubt he'll be getting another Job anywhere

Who'd employ somebody who got caught doing that?

It would be ludicrous to put him in jail, he should be given several weeks community service in a children's hospice.

[Snowflake Royal]

But Ian, there are levels of 'human error'. In this case, it is said that Darren England didn't realise that the goal had been disallowed on the field. This is a basic level of check through which England should have run (fine, he made a mistake) - but then the assistant VAR should have completed the same check, as well as, as I understand it, the third VAR official present.

I don't think anyone could possibly disagree that it was a shit show, but that misses the broader, and frankly, far more important, point, which is, if it needs spelling out to anybody again, that there are far fewer match-changing errors now as a result of having VAR.

No, that's misdirection. I've been one of VAR's biggest advocates, and I absolutely accept that VAR has got us from (say) 90% of offside decisions correct to 99%. But wanting errors like those at Spurs to be completely eliminated doesn't undermine that. This wasn't about 'a close one' - and we wouldn't be having this debate if the most contentious (and wrong) decision in the match had been the Jones red card. Fans accept a level of subjectivity, even when apparent mistakes or inconsistences are made. But this wasn't offside, in fact as it goes it wasn't even close - and with technology in place we shouldn't arrive at such an error though, basically, five match officials.

You'll have to forgive me as I don't watch the PL, but I believe this Spurs error was the 'check complete' missed offside flag one, no?

That's not a flaw with VAR, that's a one off human error easily resolved through reinforcing correct procedure and precision of language use.

It's absolutely nothing to do with the wider use of VAR.

[Loafer]

Agreed, not sure though that he seems the educational type.

This is from a Whatsapp group, a disgusted friend has outed his disgusting attitude.



Pleased he lost his job. And bet he struggles to find another in the short term.

I highly doubt he'll be getting another Job anywhere

Who'd employ somebody who got caught doing that?

It would be ludicrous to put him in jail, he should be given several weeks community service in a children's hospice.

he should be made to stand in the middle of the stadium of light and grovel and then fans let loose on him

[Loafer]

I don't think anyone could possibly disagree that it was a shit show, but that misses the broader, and frankly, far more important, point, which is, if it needs spelling out to anybody again, that there are far fewer match-changing errors now as a result of having VAR.

No, that's misdirection. I've been one of VAR's biggest advocates, and I absolutely accept that VAR has got us from (say) 90% of offside decisions correct to 99%. But wanting errors like those at Spurs to be completely eliminated doesn't undermine that. This wasn't about 'a close one' - and we wouldn't be having this debate if the most contentious (and wrong) decision in the match had been the Jones red card. Fans accept a level of subjectivity, even when apparent mistakes or inconsistences are made. But this wasn't offside, in fact as it goes it wasn't even close - and with technology in place we shouldn't arrive at such an error though, basically, five match officials.

You'll have to forgive me as I don't watch the PL, but I believe this Spurs error was the 'check complete' missed offside flag one, no?

That's not a flaw with VAR, that's a one off human error easily resolved through reinforcing correct procedure and precision of language use.

It's absolutely nothing to do with the wider use of VAR.

no it wasnt, they didnt check it at all they said

also the team who were in the var room just came back from refeering a game in saudi the day before

[Sutekh]

No, that's misdirection. I've been one of VAR's biggest advocates, and I absolutely accept that VAR has got us from (say) 90% of offside decisions correct to 99%. But wanting errors like those at Spurs to be completely eliminated doesn't undermine that. This wasn't about 'a close one' - and we wouldn't be having this debate if the most contentious (and wrong) decision in the match had been the Jones red card. Fans accept a level of subjectivity, even when apparent mistakes or inconsistences are made. But this wasn't offside, in fact as it goes it wasn't even close - and with technology in place we shouldn't arrive at such an error though, basically, five match officials.

You'll have to forgive me as I don't watch the PL, but I believe this Spurs error was the 'check complete' missed offside flag one, no?

That's not a flaw with VAR, that's a one off human error easily resolved through reinforcing correct procedure and precision of language use.

It's absolutely nothing to do with the wider use of VAR.

no it wasnt, they didnt check it at all they said

also the team who were in the var room just came back from refeering a game in saudi the day before

Hmmmm... don't Man City and Newcastle own Saudi between them or something

[Loafer]

You'll have to forgive me as I don't watch the PL, but I believe this Spurs error was the 'check complete' missed offside flag one, no?

That's not a flaw with VAR, that's a one off human error easily resolved through reinforcing correct procedure and precision of language use.

It's absolutely nothing to do with the wider use of VAR.

no it wasnt, they didnt check it at all they said

also the team who were in the var room just came back from refeering a game in saudi the day before

Hmmmm... don't Man City and Newcastle own Saudi between them or something

yeah but this one is an fa to fa agreement, where for some reason we sent a referee to japan to ref 2 games and then UAE and saudi

weird

[Sanguine]

Cheltenham extended their English league record at the weekend, they have now failed to score a single goal in their opening ten games this season.

They play Fleetwood Town tonight and another duck will see them equal the record for the longest blank in league history, held jointly at 11 games by Coventry City and Hartlepool United. They couldn't really ask for a better chance to avoid the record - Fleetwood are in 23rd and only two sides (Port Vale and Cheltenham) have worse defensive records.

Cheltenham have had 81 shots this season, with 23 on target, without scoring. Perhaps this has been coming - striker Alfie May left for Charlton in the summer, having scored 44% of Cheltenham's goals last season.

No idea how their current run stacks up globally. The Bundesliga record is 10 games, and it is 8 in La Liga.

[Winston Biscuit]

Fleetwood Town wouldn't even be in my top 2 Fleetwoods, but I will be cheering them on tonight to keep a clean sheet