Premier League 2021/22 Thread

[Gravel]

7 hours ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

 

Are these guys following Rooney's delectation?

[Big Dave]

So, all sport in Wales will be behind closed doors after Xmas. I’m guessing the same will happen in England too?

 

Covid: All sports events in Wales go behind closed doors https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-59729129

[Finnegan]

Just now, Big Dave said:

So, all sport in Wales will be behind closed doors after Xmas. I’m guessing the same will happen in England too?

 

Covid: All sports events in Wales go behind closed doors https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-59729129

 

I don't see how they can possibly have fans in stadiums during this spike tbh. 

[st albans fox]

4 minutes ago, Big Dave said:

So, all sport in Wales will be behind closed doors after Xmas. I’m guessing the same will happen in England too?

 

Covid: All sports events in Wales go behind closed doors https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-59729129

 

3 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

I don't see how they can possibly have fans in stadiums during this spike tbh. 

From a financial standpoint our game against liverpool is probably one of the largest earners and against Norwich one of the lowest ! 

[Finnegan]

2 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

 

From a financial standpoint our game against liverpool is probably one of the largest earners and against Norwich one of the lowest ! 

 

A lot of clubs and other businesses are going to be hit. Again. It's shit for them, especially the smaller businesses near grounds that rely on match day revenue. 

 

But shit, some things are more important. Thirty thousand people shouldn't be huddling all in one space right now. It's madness. 

[KrefelderFox666]

14 minutes ago, Big Dave said:

So, all sport in Wales will be behind closed doors after Xmas. I’m guessing the same will happen in England too?

 

Covid: All sports events in Wales go behind closed doors https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-59729129

I don't get why there is no in between. Always full or empty. Look at Germany or other European leagues were capacity has been constantly adjusted/regulated.

 

As you say, Boris is normally the last to follow. Wales/Scotland are normally ahead of us.

[fox_up_north]

2 hours ago, Sly said:

I wonder if the Premier League objected to the proposal of the World Cup being held every 2 years? 
 

I believe the summit is today? With FIFA offering money for countries to approve it. 😂 Nothing like a blatant bribe. UEFA should just walk away from this shower ….
 

The players will be burnt out. At this point the joint discussed UEFA and CONEMBOL Nations League held every 4 years might be a better alternative, despite FIFAs best attempts to block it, It’ll cut out all the pointless qualifiers that aren’t needed. We’d just need the in-season friendlies to go in the bin as well, then the players might actually get some in season rest. 
 

 

Haven't heard of a UEFA/ CONEMBOL joint cup but it's pretty much exactly what we'd see from the world cup every year.

 

Bit of digging and, going back to 2002 - only 6 times from other continents have qualified for the knockouts - Ghana, Japan, South Korea, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria. In 20 years. Of those, only Japan, South Korea and Ghana have managed it more than once. 

 

Football is a sport dominated by the West. It has been for 200 years. FIFA is getting so blatant at the money grabbing that, quite rightly, the two biggest federations might fuch it all off. 

[UniFox21]

10 hours ago, Corky said:

 

Simon Jordan will get slaughtered by Liverpool fans and the pro-Liverpool media but he's spot on here. Klopp needs to be reined in.

Imagine if any other coach had said that about the officials, they'd be fined in an instant. Yet Klopp is being lauded for standing up and showing emotion ffs

[Fox92]

Tierney is such a shit ref.

 

I must say though I do get annoyed with Klopp and Pep. I appreciate/admire them both, fantastic managers, but they moan at every little thing. 

Edited 21 December 2021 by Fox92

[StanSP]

Well this is just shit isn't it

 

This means a 5-0 becomes even worse

 

 

[UniFox21]

absolutely bullshit

 

 

 

[Fox92]

6 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

absolutely bullshit

 

 

 

Sorry but refereeing in this country, coupled with VAR, is rubbish and somewhat ruining games. What's worse is that they are inconsistent and Tierney proved that time and time again during the Spurs/Liverpool game. It's no wonder Klopp was angry.

 

I don't know exactly what Klopp said but it's about time referees were told and were accountable. Decisions changed that game, perhaps the title race for Liverpool, but Tiereny carries on to ruin someone else next game. It's frustrating watching as a fan but as a manager/player when these decisions influence you directly it must be infurating.

 

Standard of refereeing is not acceptable.

[StanSP]

Liverpool moaning about fixture congestion and having to travel to Leicester 48 hrs after playing Leeds. 

 

As if they're the only club affected. 

[BKLFox]

29 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

 

Standard of refereeing is not acceptable.

Agree

but

We must keep the control and officiating to the refs.

I can not abide the swarming of players or managers around a ref, even if they have a point.

 

The internal game review needs to be more open  and not just the Skys Ref Watch but the minutes of their weekly reviews and if necessary refs held account for glaring obvious decisions.

 

[fox_up_north]

Anyone who approached a referee in an aggressive manner - instant yellow. Or even make it more simple - don't come within 5 yards. 

 

The flip side is referees get clear rules and guidance and the people who run VAR are separate from those on the pitch and there is no interaction between them. That way they won't stick up for their mates.

 

Make them explain key decisions. 

[Fox92]

5 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Agree

but

We must keep the control and officiating to the refs.

I can not abide the swarming of players or managers around a ref, even if they have a point.

 

The internal game review needs to be more open  and not just the Skys Ref Watch but the minutes of their weekly reviews and if necessary refs held account for glaring obvious decisions.

 

Tbh niether can I, and I'm not justifying what Klopp did, but for players and managers they are accountable and decisions have big implications for them. Where as referees just disappear into the next game. Of course, they have a very difficult job but I think everyone would respect them more if they came out afterwards and said "you know what I just made a mistake there".

 

There has been too much pressure on refs for years now. You referer to Sky Ref Watch (I've never watched that) but sounds like it picks out mistakes. But whatever football programme it is everything goes back to "oh that's a foul, that's not". So we bring in VAR and still nothing gets better, but that's because it's the same shit refs just behind a screen.

 

I do feel for referees on one hand, I even try not to be to critical of them in games myself (it's a high speed game and they get one look on field), but it's the inconsistency that has always annoyed me and it sounds like that is what has annoyed Klopp and he's right. If Roberton's is a red card then so is Kane's.

 

So I do think players and managers shouldn't be so agressive but I also think referee's should be accountable and justify the decisions they have made like everybody else in the game.

Edited 21 December 2021 by Fox92

[filbertway]

My 2 ways of improving VAR would be thus:

 

1) The referee explains to VAR why he gave a decision, then all they do is confirm whether what he thought happened did happen. If it did then the decision stands, if not then it doesn't. They don't need to be looking at other stuff that happened in the moment. Too much is opinion based.

 

e.g. player goes through and goes down under a challenge. "I gave the pen because I think that Morgan handled the ball". VAR then goes "Nahh you daft idiot, it hit him smack in the face".

 

Or "I'm sure Albrighton used and excessive amount of force on Mane". "Nah, he's barely touched him, Mane has milked it"

 

 

2) Use it to give correct decisions on corners and goal kicks. It takes a second to check and confirm.

[Simoken]

7 minutes ago, filbertway said:

My 2 ways of improving VAR would be thus:

 

1) The referee explains to VAR why he gave a decision, then all they do is confirm whether what he thought happened did happen. If it did then the decision stands, if not then it doesn't. They don't need to be looking at other stuff that happened in the moment. Too much is opinion based.

 

e.g. player goes through and goes down under a challenge. "I gave the pen because I think that Morgan handled the ball". VAR then goes "Nahh you daft idiot, it hit him smack in the face".

 

Or "I'm sure Albrighton used and excessive amount of force on Mane". "Nah, he's barely touched him, Mane has milked it"

 

 

2) Use it to give correct decisions on corners and goal kicks. It takes a second to check and confirm.

I disagree with all those ideas. the only possible way to fix VAR entirely is to get rid of it. Replace it a VR headset for the referee to wear 'ingame'... to enter the metaversed replica like a marvels ironman on hard.. really hard crack cocaine so he can physically, mathmatically figure out and mind read players in real time. Only then itl be accurate 100% and will shut people up otherwise, its sad to say, no human will be satisfied with whatever technology they bring to football thats not historically normal to the sport. we are ****ed. k thanks

Edited 21 December 2021 by Simoken

[filbertway]

7 minutes ago, Simoken said:

I disagree with all those ideas. the only possible way to fix VAR entirely is to get rid of it. Replace it a VR headset for the referee to wear 'ingame'... to enter the metaversed replica like a marvels ironman on hard.. really hard crack cocaine so he can physically, mathmatically figure out and mind read players in real time. Only then itl be accurate 100% and will shut people up otherwise, its sad to say, no human will be satisfied with whatever technology they bring to football thats not historically normal to the sport. we are ****ed. k thanks

I'm down for your solution tbf.

[davieG]

19 minutes ago, filbertway said:

My 2 ways of improving VAR would be thus:

 

1) The referee explains to VAR why he gave a decision, then all they do is confirm whether what he thought happened did happen. If it did then the decision stands, if not then it doesn't. They don't need to be looking at other stuff that happened in the moment. Too much is opinion based.

 

e.g. player goes through and goes down under a challenge. "I gave the pen because I think that Morgan handled the ball". VAR then goes "Nahh you daft idiot, it hit him smack in the face".

 

Or "I'm sure Albrighton used and excessive amount of force on Mane". "Nah, he's barely touched him, Mane has milked it"

 

 

2) Use it to give correct decisions on corners and goal kicks. It takes a second to check and confirm.

What happens for example when there's an incident and he doesn't punish it or it's obvious to everyone that someone was 'miles' off side and it's not flagged 

[fox_up_north]

Get rid of this nonsense "letting play continue" for offsides. I literally cannot see any logical reason for play to continue if a player is caught offside. Wastes everyone's time. 

[filbertway]

7 minutes ago, davieG said:

What happens for example when there's an incident and he doesn't punish it or it's obvious to everyone that someone was 'miles' off side and it's not flagged 

Same as currently happens. In that incident I expect the VAR to explain to the onfield referee what the decision is and why they made it.

 

They're a team and should be trusting each other to make the correct decision. It shouldn't be trying to be a case of trying convince someone of something or slowing something down to a thousandth of a second to justify a decision.

 

I feel like they're overcomplicating everything. The replays should be a tool to assist them, not being used to look at stuff in super slow mo. They over-analyse and lose context of the situation and that's where the decisions frustrate people.

[st albans fox]

36 minutes ago, filbertway said:

My 2 ways of improving VAR would be thus:

 

1) The referee explains to VAR why he gave a decision, then all they do is confirm whether what he thought happened did happen. If it did then the decision stands, if not then it doesn't. They don't need to be looking at other stuff that happened in the moment. Too much is opinion based.

 

e.g. player goes through and goes down under a challenge. "I gave the pen because I think that Morgan handled the ball". VAR then goes "Nahh you daft idiot, it hit him smack in the face".

 

Or "I'm sure Albrighton used and excessive amount of force on Mane". "Nah, he's barely touched him, Mane has milked it"

 

 

2) Use it to give correct decisions on corners and goal kicks. It takes a second to check and confirm.

No comment on 1 but 2?   Really ?. Where will it end ??  Throw ins?  Shoelaces ??.  Shorts tucked in ??  Games will last a day ! 

[filbertway]

3 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

No comment on 1 but 2?   Really ?. Where will it end ??  Throw ins?  Shoelaces ??.  Shorts tucked in ??  Games will last a day ! 

The time it takes to get the ball back from the crowd it's already 100% obvious what the right decision is, so absolutely no time wasted. It's infuriating seeing a hard earned corner given as a goalkick when you see the replay within seconds of the ball going out.

[Footballwipe]

The standard of refereeing is only going to get worse anyway tbh. This constant demonising of referees at the highest level drips down into the lower levels in terms of the abuse and behaviour. That in turn will just stop any up-and-coming, or anyone with any true quality anyway coming forward to become refs. You end up with the best you can get which clearly isn't great.

 

The standard might not be great now (and btw when have we ever come away from a season of football saying "wow, what a great year in this division for referees"?) but if you hound people so it becomes even more unattractive a job to go into. We espouse the mental health of footballers but when we do ever worry about the mental health of referees. It takes a strong character to be an elite referee, add that onto another thing required for an already hard job along with the required fitness levels, knowledge of the game and a desire to actually do it as a full-time job.

 

Many have to make split second decisions that sometimes you cannot even get right or agree upon a consensus after multiple replays. VAR has its own issues, inconsistencies but what good is VAR in 10-15 years time when all the decent ones have retied and driven all the prospects away?

 

Either that or build a good reputation and then take a nice fat wedge from another country like Clattenburg did.

 

We as fans get what we wish for, unfortunately. We seem to want perfection, and we're never going to get it because referees are human, rules are interpreted differently and VAR is also run by humans.