English football 2023-24

[Gingerfinch]

Liverpool being out played and 1-0 down.... who would have thought Palace would get the softest red card in the history of the league 15 minutes to go.

This after VAR spent 6 minutes to decide the foul from Hughes was an obvious reason to overturn their first penalty.

How id it take that long? It was an obvious foul.

[mikesiva]

Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth
Aston villa 1-0 Arsenal

A weekend of upsets.

[sussexpob]

How id it take that long? It was an obvious foul.

I think its right on the borderline of foul/non-foul, so you can make a case either way. The VAR referee obviously thought the same, because he apparently asked to watch the replay 31 times.... at which point we can safely deduce that he decided to award the decision to Liverpool based on nothing more than the fact it was Liverpool, because changing a decision based on a clear and obvious error that requires 31 views to decide is a total nonsense, and the time/amount of views itself completely disproves the reasons for him overturning. Once again, VAR is only there to ensure the well supported mega club got the rub of the green.

[sussexpob]

in fairness, I haven't seen it yet, so I was holding off before I commented, but yeah.... it was the first thing that passed through my mind when I saw the manner that Liverpool got back into, and then won, the game

French TV produced an amazing stat on this during the game. If you look at all the professional fouls given up to the Palace red card in the game, ie ones where you dont play the ball to kill an attack, Crystal Palace had committed 5 all roughly in the space between midfield and defence, and had received 3 yellow cards and one red card... Liverpool in the same area of the pitch committed 13 fouls of the same nature, and had not a single player booked. In the end, Liverpool ended up with far more fouls in the game, and more of the type of foul that drew the cards, but Palace had 9 players booked and 1 red card.... Liverpool had two players booked. Worth noting that the first Liverpool player was booked in the 99th minute, and that the referee didnt add the time he spent lecturing the players onto the additional time, so it magically helped Liverpool kill the game off.... not fishy at all after you spent 99 minutes refusing to book them. Worth noting too Trent Alexander Arnold did actually what Ayew was booked for (not retreating 10 yards) and obviously wasnt booked (he also last week did it, but kicked the ball away to waste time, and didnt get booked either).

This is the classic 2023 football debate though, isnt it? People will say that Endo was fouled, and Ayew should be booked, but its not really the point... its the fact that you get two different referees depending on which team is playing. If Endo is in a Palace shirt, thats a penalty. If thats Van Dijk with his 92nd clumsy break killing foul of the day, its not a yellow card. Its so frghtfully unfair and inconsistent, and so bloody blatant.

[sussexpob]

Meanwhile, that wasnt even the worst referring display of the day, which was beaten by the Villa v Arsenal ref...

At one point Eddie gets elbowed clean in the face, and the referee booked Luiz... and then I am still clueless as to how Matty Cash can handle the ball accidentally just before Havertz scored, and the referee decide the Havertz accidental handball wipes the goal off, but the Matty Cash one was accidental so you just play on.

Ironically, Roy Hodgson was ranting about the handball just before the match.... "dont know the rule anymore, wont miss this about football when I call it a day"...

Right on Roy... no one knows the rules anymore

[Gingerfinch]

How id it take that long? It was an obvious foul.

I think its right on the borderline of foul/non-foul, so you can make a case either way. The VAR referee obviously thought the same, because he apparently asked to watch the replay 31 times.... at which point we can safely deduce that he decided to award the decision to Liverpool based on nothing more than the fact it was Liverpool, because changing a decision based on a clear and obvious error that requires 31 views to decide is a total nonsense, and the time/amount of views itself completely disproves the reasons for him overturning. Once again, VAR is only there to ensure the well supported mega club got the rub of the green.

It was a definite foul imo. Wrighty and jenas agreed. In fact I'm not sure why there's a debate? You could also argue that the Palace pen was soft.

I do agree about the Palace second yellow. That was very soft and didn't warrant a second yellow.

[sussexpob]

It was a definite foul imo. Wrighty and jenas agreed

I think in the context of an argument about football, pointing out Jenas agreed with you is akin to conceeding the point

I really hate that modern tendency of players to shove their body infront of the ball and wait for contact. Just buying fouls from players attacking the ball because its impossible to stop and osmosis through someones body.

Even as I type Everton successfully defend a dangerous attack from Chelsea, as Mylenko just throws himself infront of the runner and dives like a balleria... free kick Everton. Where is the skill in that?

[sussexpob]

Meanwhile, that wasnt even the worst referring display of the day, which was beaten by the Villa v Arsenal ref...

Turns out the ref was a lifelong Liverpool fan. Nothing to see here at all.... referring against a club who would have replaced his boyhood club on top of the league, and dishing out an array of bizarre calls against them....

[Durhamfootman]

Bollox. I said a week ago that I was worried about 2 away games back to back

7 goals conceded in the 2 games since Pope got injured and the same outfield 10 for the 5th match in a fortnight. I've been bigging up Dubravka since the injury, but maybe I've got that wrong. I haven't seen any of the 2 defeats, so don't know

However.... Longstaff and Wilson made late appearances, so maybe the tide is turning with injuries.

They go into the crucial game with Milan in no form at all, though, which is a worry, because they have to win that game no matter what

[sussexpob]

Meanwhile, Christian Romero nearly tears Callum Wilson's ankle off, and predicably VAR was once again the only person in the world who didn't think it was a red card.

I guess in a way we should be happy the referee finally booked him, after about 7 yellow card challenges up to that point.

[Durhamfootman]

worrying scenes at Bournemouth as Luton's Tom Lockyer collapses on the pitch leading to the match being abandoned

Man City throw away a 2 goal lead at home to Palace

Newcastle fight back after 3 successive defeats and CL disappointment, but see 2 more names added to the injury list replacing the 3 players who've just come back from injury

[Durhamfootman]

Not sure what it is about Sean Longstaff, but opposition attackers keep trying to wipe him out for the season. This is Fulham, not Arsenal, so naturally the yellow card issued by the ref was upgraded to red by VAR suddenly becoming interested

[mikesiva]

worrying scenes at Bournemouth as Luton's Tom Lockyer collapses on the pitch leading to the match being abandoned

I hope young Lockyer is OK.

[sussexpob]

worrying scenes at Bournemouth as Luton's Tom Lockyer collapses on the pitch leading to the match being abandoned

I hope young Lockyer is OK.

Cardiac arrest.... apparently he is responsive.

[Durhamfootman]

seemingly he collapsed in the play off final back in May and had to have heart surgery before getting the all clear to play this season.

Doesn't bode well for his career