English football 2025-26

[sussexpob]

I don't know what the PL's answer should be, tbh

Referees applying the actual rules to corners would help.

Give a penalty there, do it again next corner..... problem solved. It disappears in 2 corners.

[Durhamfootman]

I think you are asking refs to be much braver than they really are. The FA would hang them out to dry in a heartbeat at the first sign of media criticism. Like the 10 yard rule from a few years ago

[Durhamfootman]

From the BBC

"Maybe referees will try to clamp down and issue more yellow cards before the ball is in play.

Because right now there seem to be five or six potential fouls on every corner.

Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told Match of the Day that he would make a drastic change.

"I feel that the time has come now for a law change whereby no attackers are allowed in the six-yard box before the corner is taken," Cann said.

"Lots of teams grapple at corners, sometimes before the ball has come into play, and then obviously the referee can't give a penalty, can't give an indirect free-kick, if the ball is not in play.

"So this would create that natural separation and eradicate these kind of situations."

Another suggestion is to make the play 'live' as soon as the ball is placed in the quadrant.

The law change would mean penalties and free-kicks could be given for fouls made before the corner is taken.

It creates a buffer between the set-up of the play, and the ball being delivered into the box.

It could remove the potential fouls as the ball is about to be delivered, as players would need to be disengaged for a few seconds before this.

The other option, of course, is that teams change the way they play and stop trying to find the minor gains by pushing the laws to the absolute limit."

[Durhamfootman]

The EFL must have been hoping that Boro would win last night. They now have a massive decision to make and not much time to make it in

They'll hate having to make that decision

[Gingerfinch]

The EFL must have been hoping that Boro would win last night. They now have a massive decision to make and not much time to make it in

They'll hate having to make that decision

Big fine?

[Durhamfootman]

Not sure Boro would be happy with that. Do what you like, get your own way, pay a fine, move on

[Durhamfootman]

what happened to Leeds when they got caught doing that? I can't remember

[Durhamfootman]

seems they were fined £200k, which Bielsa personally paid

it appears there was no actual rule against it when they got caught, just a requirement to treat other teams with the 'utmost good faith'. That was changed afterwards to forbid teams from spying, so the EFL might have to come up with something more than that, otherwise what was the point of changing the rules?

[Gingerfinch]

Apparently Middlesbrough's training ground is open to the public. Of course videoing their practice and taking notes is different but I do wonder what they gain from it. Middlesbrough were the better team in the first leg, despite some block standing behind a tree taking notes!

[Durhamfootman]

sneaky.....

the EFL have ruled that Boro are not 'an interested party' and so cannot participate in the hearing, meaning that if they don't like the outcome, they have no right of appeal and the case can be closed

For Boro and their fans, this is bound to feel like a stitch up

[Durhamfootman]

Chelsea with the momentum at HT in the FA cup

Colwill was the best player on the pitch, for me, with Tuchel watching. He must have started half of all Chelsea attacks from the centre of defence with searching forward passes, the like of which we almost never see from established England centre backs. Did it to very great effect. I have no idea if he's in the 355 player long list, but perhaps he should be.

Chelsea were far too 'hands on' at the start, which annoys me intensely, and some of them were far too wound up, but eventually the team settled into the second quarter of the match and seemed much more ambitious than Man C

[mikesiva]

FA Cup final
Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea

Semenyo with a lovely touch to win it.

[Durhamfootman]

one moment of brilliance seals the deal for Man C

Entertaining game, if not overloaded with quality. Chelsea had Man C under the cosh for long periods but seemed more interested in going down for a pen than putting the ball in the net. I think it might have been 5 appeals, with almost no merit in any of them, all waved away, all checked and confirmed.

I'd be surprised if Semenyo didn't get POM, because he had a really good game in an otherwise dull Man C side

Ref had a good game, I thought. Spotted everything and got all the big calls right, so no need for stoppages by VAR. Not rocket science really.... take charge, do a good job, make the right calls, don't wait for somebody else to do it for you, jobs a good 'un.... VAR who?

[sussexpob]

Thought the very first penalty shout was very decent, he did come into him hard... seen them given

[Gingerfinch]

Thought the very first penalty shout was very decent, he did come into him hard... seen them given

Gotta agree. The referee in the studio (who agreed with every call with the ref) said that the collision was close enough to the ball for it not to be given but for me it was far enough away for a penalty call.

The pull back as well could have been given, although would have been soft.