BFTG Wednesday

[Franchise FC]

I am a fierce advocate for VAR, even with its problems.

But I can totally see where you're coming from. The implementation is awful at the moment.

The type of VAR I've always advocated has always been the type you suggest i.e. a strict number of reviews (3 max?) requested by a captain, perhaps if they're vindicated it won't drop the number, or maybe not even as typically you don't get more than 3 really bad BIG decisions per team per game anyway. THat would definitely help.

My friends who watch every Liverpool game complain about goals not given for being mm offside and I take that criticism as no system is perfect. But what we're talking about here is the lesser of two evils. 2 of the pens we had couldn't be more blatant and there's no way one of those wouldn't be given on VAR review.

There are definitely issues with it as it stands but even as it stands it's better than no VAR. But yes it needs to be done better.

The offside thing is so easy to resolve though. I suggested a 20 second time window, and think it may have been OMA that suggested 30 seconds, but if you can't tell in that time, it's not offside. Millimetres become much less relevant.

That is actually a good idea. It should only take 20-30 seconds max to tell whether the player is offside enough to have gained an unfair advantage.

A players armpit being marginally offside is not in the spirit of the law.

I’ve taken a screen shot of that - my good idea for 2020 (although fair do’s I have to share the spoils with OMA)

[AthleticoSpizz]

How did football ever survive pre-offside?

[Snowflake Royal]

Know a guy who recently qualified as a ref. He had a look at the three pen shouts on the RFC youtube channel and said he could see how the officials didn't give one them because of their view being obscured but the other two the ref or assistant should have definitely given them.

But he said all pens. And if those three are so is the foul on Laurent.

[NewCorkSeth]

How did football ever survive pre-offside?

They were all really unfit so it kinda levelled itself out.

[Zip]

How did football ever survive pre-offside?

They were all really unfit so it kinda levelled itself out.

“Kinda”. Are you American all of a sudden Sethmondo?

[AthleticoSpizz]

....and now that they are all fit....will that not cancel itself out also?

[bcubed]

WE WOZ ROBBED. WE MOVE ON.


Let's make no mistake, we utterly played them off the park, 10 men or not, deserved to win 4-1 and were frankly robbed by bad luck and the sort of officiating that would make even the fiercest critics of VAR feel silly.

I'm a fierce critic of VAR and I still don't feel silly because there's no guarantee that the official reviewing VAR won't be equally crap (as has been proven with VAR on plenty of occasions).

I wonder what Langford would have decided had there been a system whereby each team perhaps get a up to a fixed number of review requests per game, and if the captain requests the ref then reviews video of the incident.

I however continue to dread the day when VAR is introduced at Championship level and think VP should be careful what he wishes for. His call for officials to be held accountable is spot on. I'm not so sure about his call for VAR. Maybe he's basing that on his experience in MLS where I think they use it better but IMO it's still not great for the game.

How do they use it in MLS?

[Millsy]

Know a guy who recently qualified as a ref. He had a look at the three pen shouts on the RFC youtube channel and said he could see how the officials didn't give one them because of their view being obscured but the other two the ref or assistant should have definitely given them.

But he said all pens. And if those three are so is the foul on Laurent.

I know it hasn't been said (well tbf it might have been said above and I missed it) and it might sound silly, but part of me thinks this was a classic case of a referee trying to just even things up a bit. LIke,... much as we all knock him (me included) to be fair he had the balls to make that red card decision, which frankly I think few refs would (even though it was the right decision) - too many would have bottled it. He then gave that softish free kick to us that Joao scored from. And so I suspect perhaps subconsciously he was evening things out in his head. We were absolutely demolishing them when they went a man down and he must've been thinking he caused that and he can make the game a bit more even by not making it worse for the home team. It doesn't excuse him and he's still not fit to ref in the champ in my opinion, but it is sort of a possible reason for his bizarre shitness. Either that or he was bribed at some point. Or lost his vision.

[NewCorkSeth]

How did football ever survive pre-offside?

They were all really unfit so it kinda levelled itself out.

“Kinda”. Are you American all of a sudden Sethmondo?

Is that an americanism? Sorry I get some of those from my mother. Like "elevator". Had a colleague who hated me saying that.

[NewCorkSeth]

....and now that they are all fit....will that not cancel itself out also?

Are all of them fit though?

[NewCorkSeth]

Know a guy who recently qualified as a ref. He had a look at the three pen shouts on the RFC youtube channel and said he could see how the officials didn't give one them because of their view being obscured but the other two the ref or assistant should have definitely given them.

But he said all pens. And if those three are so is the foul on Laurent.

Ah. The Laurent one is the only one I thought wasn't a pen because Laurent fouls the other guy first?

[Stranded]

Know a guy who recently qualified as a ref. He had a look at the three pen shouts on the RFC youtube channel and said he could see how the officials didn't give one them because of their view being obscured but the other two the ref or assistant should have definitely given them.

But he said all pens. And if those three are so is the foul on Laurent.

I know it hasn't been said (well tbf it might have been said above and I missed it) and it might sound silly, but part of me thinks this was a classic case of a referee trying to just even things up a bit. LIke,... much as we all knock him (me included) to be fair he had the balls to make that red card decision, which frankly I think few refs would (even though it was the right decision) - too many would have bottled it. He then gave that softish free kick to us that Joao scored from. And so I suspect perhaps subconsciously he was evening things out in his head. We were absolutely demolishing them when they went a man down and he must've been thinking he caused that and he can make the game a bit more even by not making it worse for the home team. It doesn't excuse him and he's still not fit to ref in the champ in my opinion, but it is sort of a possible reason for his bizarre shitness. Either that or he was bribed at some point. Or lost his vision.

I could get the evening up argument if we were talking about just 1 or even 2 incidents but at some point you would think even a ref doing that would have to go "FFS lads, I'm trying to help you out here but I'm gonna have to give that one".

[traff]

Just seen that Langford will be taking the Brentford v Blackburn game on Saturday. Clearly the authorities saw nothing wrong with his display!

[Snowflake Royal]

Just seen that Langford will be taking the Brentford v Blackburn game on Saturday. Clearly the authorities saw nothing wrong with his display!

It was already scheduled.

[bcubed]

Know a guy who recently qualified as a ref. He had a look at the three pen shouts on the RFC youtube channel and said he could see how the officials didn't give one them because of their view being obscured but the other two the ref or assistant should have definitely given them.

But he said all pens. And if those three are so is the foul on Laurent.

I know it hasn't been said (well tbf it might have been said above and I missed it) and it might sound silly, but part of me thinks this was a classic case of a referee trying to just even things up a bit. LIke,... much as we all knock him (me included) to be fair he had the balls to make that red card decision, which frankly I think few refs would (even though it was the right decision) - too many would have bottled it. He then gave that softish free kick to us that Joao scored from. And so I suspect perhaps subconsciously he was evening things out in his head. We were absolutely demolishing them when they went a man down and he must've been thinking he caused that and he can make the game a bit more even by not making it worse for the home team. It doesn't excuse him and he's still not fit to ref in the champ in my opinion, but it is sort of a possible reason for his bizarre shitness. Either that or he was bribed at some point. Or lost his vision.

I could get the evening up argument if we were talking about just 1 or even 2 incidents but at some point you would think even a ref doing that would have to go "FFS lads, I'm trying to help you out here but I'm gonna have to give that one".

It has been said Millsy by me about 3 times and by Stranded as well I think

I actually wondered if the ref hears any whisper about comments made by the "experts" on tv, or on social media
Does he pick this sort of thing up at half time? And then try to even things up because of what he's heard?

[Snowflake Royal]

Any referee consciously trying to 'even things up' isn't fit to wear the shirt and carry the cards. Same for any listening out for chat about whether they've got a call wrong before the match is over.

[andrew1957]

I am still incensed about Langford's performance on Wednesday evening and so I have placed a formal complaint to the FA. I know referees have a hard job but that was ridiculous.

No idea if they will respond. Will let you know if they reply.

[Hendo]

I’d let it go to be honest m8. Bigger fish to fry in the grand scheme of things.

[andrew1957]

I’d let it go to be honest m8. Bigger fish to fry in the grand scheme of things.

You are probably right - but at least I have got it off my chest now

[bcubed]

Any referee consciously trying to 'even things up' isn't fit to wear the shirt and carry the cards. Same for any listening out for chat about whether they've got a call wrong before the match is over.

you don't think it happens?