11 Mar 2024 07:12:54
So here's my question regarding Doku's karate chop.

Looking at the replay, the ref was standing behind Doku, so he didn't see the karate kid style attempt to kick Macca's head off ( yes a bit dramatic but you get my point)

So my question is why didn't VAR send the ref to the monitor to review it from a different angle? Or is that not part of VARs allowable calls?

{Ed001's Note - it is a potential penalty so within VAR's remit. Outside the box it would have to be adjudged to be possibly a red card before they can interfere, but inside the box a penalty is requirement. So they couldn't interfere with an offence which would give an indirect free kick inside the box.}

1.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 08:58:09
For me the main issue with officials is there's far too many of them which makes consistency a nightmare throughout the league for all matches not just ours.

There's 20 premier league referees currently and i see reports that they are over worked and tired which i thought was an April Fools headline.

I don't see why teams of officials can't be assigned to a couple of games over the weekend. If a Referee, linesman or VAR official are not fit or robust enough for example to do Utd v Everton on a sat midday kick off and then Liverpool v City on a Sunday at 1545 then surely that shows they aren't the right personnel for the job in the first place.

And don't get me started on the 4th official the PL could pay a Weatherspoon's bouncer £10 an hour to do that job, what a waste of time.

I appreciate the argument will be fitness but officials are technically professional athletes so if they aren't fit enough to run a game or line for 2 x 90 mins over the weekend then they aren't fit enough end of.

Yes they do run about but have you ever looked at an official and thought they look like they are the poster for prime fitness, Christ you probably see fitter looking people at park runs on a Saturday.

Referees can reportedly earn £1.5k a match and up to £200k a year so for me they should be the best of the best.

Having a smaller pool of officials for me would give far more consistency because sometimes it looks like a load of them are singing off a different hymn sheet.

2.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 08:59:29
So they COULD'NT send him to the monitor Ed? surely that's crazy.

3.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 09:07:31
for me this is one of those "could have gone either way" calls. It is reckless and I definitely think it's an easy foul call outside the box. Inside the box they're looking for contact to the ball first, which tbh, I'm ok with as a means to determine if the defender won the ball or not.

But, where it gets grey is that it is reckless and a high boot. So what is it? maybe a blue card!? lol.

4.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 09:12:17
As it was close to the match ending, possibly the VAR system had already been closed and they were ready to go home. Chilling out, hence would have taken long to boot up the computer and check.
Hence, no slow motion, ref to monitor, ets, all these dramas as it was against Liverpool.
Watch out the last 10 games before end of season, lots of Kungfu Panda will happen.
Thanks.

5.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 10:08:29
Imagine if we didn't have VAR? the table would look different right now, not just for us but for many teams. They're absolutely useless. I can't and won't stop watching the games but VAR has took a lot of fun away for us fans. It's the fear of the unknown, you never know what's going to happen before a game. It's got to a point where before a game I'm thinking 'I hope to christ VAR doesn't fk us over today'. It's an absolute pi$$ take.

6.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 09:26:11
Thanks Ed001

Appreciate the feedback.

{Ed001's Note - it is a ridiculous situation. That is a penalty. It has to be.}

7.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 10:23:16
JLC, I addressed this in another thread. M. Oliver say No as soon as the incident happened despite him not being in a position to fully see the play. So what does that ell you? It tells me that he was NOT going to give a pen in real time except it was blatantly obvious like the Ederson one. So since he did not see it clearly, the VAR essentially backed him up DESPITE clear video replay shows that had Oliver went to the monitor and saw all the angles (which he did not see in real time) he clearly awards it.

So why did he not go to the monitor, you ask? Well, Webbo told us why in his last apology tour. Webbo said essentially that, "the VAR worked with the on pitch ref to corroborate his decision on the pitch". SO if this is true then, the VAR essentially "coroborated" Oliver's decision on the pitch despite the images showing he was 100% wrong and it is at Oliver's discretion to ask for a review. Oliver did not and to me, that is by design as per Webbo's comments. And who loses here? Yep, LFC. By design? Not sure cos Arsenal suffered the same thing vs who? You guessed it. City. By design? Again, can't say what you can't prove.

8.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 10:49:05
Salah without VAR mate the pen would still not have been given yesterday as the ref would have still made the same call.

That's not me defending VAR because its ruining the game for me just as much as the inconsistent decisions different officials make.

I don't care if the ref didn't give that pen yesterday or disallowed the VVD goal in the cup final. What i want though is that to be the bench mark and criteria for every other match being played not seeing goals and pens being given days later for the same incidents.

9.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 11:53:34
Yeah if there was no VAR then we’re still not getting the Roku foul in our favour.

Oli - I get where you’re going with the “VAR corroborates” the ref line but think your assertion that it’s some kind of conspiracy is a fine line towards tinhat conspiracy.

This is their system so that the VAR isn’t re-reffing the game, even tho it happens at other times. I think they need to review VAR and incorporate more from other sports and how they use video tech to inform decisions.

10.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 12:51:28
Come to think of it. this is actually a perfect example of the Clear and Obvious Error rule.

The ref was not in the right position and missed the high foot, so VAR should intervene and say, "look, you missed the high foot, it's a clear and obvious mistake, go relook the karate chop on the monitor"

It's actually quite simple, really.

11.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 14:14:49
Faithinworks, I never said it was a conspiracy neither did I assert anything apart from Webbo's words themselves. My main point is that VAR is implemented shockingly in a way for all the refs to be protected as well as their lack of integrity preserved and we can all agree on that. IMO, This is why Oliver never went to the screen nor did the VAR intervene and the whole "Doku touched the ball first" is pure unadulterated dust cos the PL rule does NOT take that into account. So again, they (ref and VAR) didn't react cos they could and they know they will get protected.

Now, I forgot to mention in fairness that Arsenal suffered the exact same thing vs City where Kovacic did not see red and Webbo apologised for that as well (as an example cos Oliver was involved) cos many have said that it seems refs in big games are trying to keep 11 players on the pitch as much as possible so as "not to ruin the game". Why is that a thibng?

So essentially if this is true, they are deliberately ignoring credible ref decisions either team deserves on the merits just to ensure entertainment and drum up drama and controversy? You can call it "tinhat" whatever you like BUT I only say what Im seeing based on actual behaviour.

12.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 14:16:09
Spot on, JLC. To me, they made a deliberate effort not to do that whereas if that happened anywhere else on the pitch at the end of the game, a foul is given. That much we all know.

13.) 11 Mar 2024
11 Mar 2024 19:37:13
Yes, they could send oliver to screen because it was wrong decision and that is exactly what var is for. As for doku his boot was neck high free kick any where in the world but then hitting a player with his studs in his chest was dangerous play red card and we get a big fat nothing.

14.) 13 Mar 2024
13 Mar 2024 00:21:23
If you set up AI to learn how to ref a football match from learning how stockley park does it we'll be hiding from terminators before it figures it out.
As a idea it's great, in practice it is a shambles, and ruining the spectacle, which is the product that lays the golden egg.