Other Games - 2017/18

[ColinMac]

The comment by Jenas that Morata "Is well within his rights to go down" illustrates exactly what the problem is.

If a player makes a conscious decision to fall over because they feel "contact" they have dived, they have cheated.

Plenty of players, managers and pundits will wheel out the line "there was contact", but contact in itself doesnt make it a foul.

Fair play to the ref last night, wish more of them would dish out cards like that, espcially that second yellow to Morata when he was screaming into the refs face.

VAR will work for matters of fact, if the ball crosses the line, if someone is offside or onside, but for everything else its a matter of opinion, everyone kept talking about it being used to overturn a "clear and obvious" error... but what is a clear and obvious error? My opinion on what that means is going to be different to another persons opinion.

Last night according to the BBC pundits the William penalty incident was a "clear and obvious error", to VAR it wasnt,  VAR worked in the leicester game because it dealt with a matter of fact, for the penalty incident(s) last nigth it didnt because they were and will always be a matter of opinion.

[Chris Jameson]

Won't be long before there is a chant of "They don't know what they're doing" and "The referees are wankers". Can't wait for the first time Wenger's team plays Mourinho's, match will probably go into a second day.

[wittonwarrior]

All of them were dives in my eyes. In the day it was only the likes of a few players such as frannie lee that went to ground like that. Good on the ref last night but unfortunately he will get a slap on the wrist for properly understanding the game

[ktvillan]

I'm with ColinMac, VAR should be restricted to offside decisions and other "black and white" issues.  Penalty shouts and straight red card decisions for out of control challenges will always be debateable and it is common for opinions to vary even after many replays. 

As for the "diving" well I hate it but the problem is it has become acceptable, especially abroad, for players to "emphasise" contact by going to ground.  In those cases it is still a dive, but sometimes as a means of drawing the refs attention to an actual case of being impeded.  Whilst the "there was contact so he's entitled to go down" mantra absolutely sickens me, I do happen to think the hands on Morata did possibly impede his progress.  Refs don't tend to give fouls for that though, so the only way a player might get the foul is by going to ground.  It tends to work in other leagues and countries, and sometimes here.  But as last night showed, not always.  It's also debateable as to whether the contact on Willian was enough to impede his progress, let alone bring him down, yet the pros were all saying clear pen. I'm happy to see any exaggeration of contact go unrewarded, or even penalised.   It is still meant to be a contact sport.  Personally I think a lot of the problems emanate from abolishing indirect free kicks for obstruction, which is what I would describe the Morata incident as.

[cdbearsfan]

VAR is ace. Should be restricted to one or two "challenges" per half though, like in the NFL.

[andyh]

What Jenas and his ilk are doing is  ‘dumbing down’ the game.
When they validate cheating, diving and conniving behaviour, as a ‘players right’ then they are sending the wrong message to anyone watching, especially impressionable youngsters.

The super slow motion replays that we see nowadays show up the cheating for what it is and yet the ‘pundits’ still back players who are blatantly cheating.

[SteveN]

I'm showing my age but Premier League football is awash with big soft lads who go down in a mild breeze and when someone waves at them from the crowd.  I hate to see the practice of forwards deliberately kicking a defender's leg and going down like they have been shot by a sniper in the stands.
A red card and public flogging should be the automatic punishment.
Bloody jessies.

[ktvillan]

I'm showing my age but Premier League football is awash with big soft lads who go down in a mild breeze and when someone waves at them from the crowd.  I hate to see the practice of forwards deliberately kicking a defender's leg and going down like they have been shot by a sniper in the stands.
A red card and public flogging should be the automatic punishment.
Bloody jessies.

Well said.  The other one is where a player deliberately jumps/steps into the path of another player so contact is inevitable, but they invariably get the foul. It should be given the other way.

[itbrvilla]

I hate it when a defender shields the ball out of play for a GK. If it happened anywhere else on the pitch it would be a free kick to the player being blocked.

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

I'm showing my age but Premier League football is awash with big soft lads who go down in a mild breeze and when someone waves at them from the crowd.  I hate to see the practice of forwards deliberately kicking a defender's leg and going down like they have been shot by a sniper in the stands.
A red card and public flogging should be the automatic punishment.
Bloody jessies.

Well said.  The other one is where a player deliberately jumps/steps into the path of another player so contact is inevitable, but they invariably get the foul. It should be given the other way.

I’d change the laws to match Rugby League for obstruction - if the defender doesn’t move into the attacker’s path it’s not a foul. Kicking a ball past a player then deliberately running into them is bollocks.

And while I’m old-codgering, I simply don’t remember all these face-clutching “head” injuries, where a player brushes his hand anywhere near the upper body of some play-acting wimp. Just book the actors. Use VAR. Equip referees with cattle prods.

[IFWaters]

I hated what Jenas said last night. Since when has football been a non-contact sport ?

I would suggest for diving the video evidence is shown to 10 random fans picked to watch who have 10 seconds to give it the thumbs up or down. If its deemed by a clear majority (say 7/10) then an automatic yellow card.

The refs are intimidated by the managers, the public cant be.

[Damo70]

I'm with ColinMac, VAR should be restricted to offside decisions and other "black and white" issues.  Penalty shouts and straight red card decisions for out of control challenges will always be debateable and it is common for opinions to vary even after many replays. 

As for the "diving" well I hate it but the problem is it has become acceptable, especially abroad, for players to "emphasise" contact by going to ground.  In those cases it is still a dive, but sometimes as a means of drawing the refs attention to an actual case of being impeded.  Whilst the "there was contact so he's entitled to go down" mantra absolutely sickens me, I do happen to think the hands on Morata did possibly impede his progress.  Refs don't tend to give fouls for that though, so the only way a player might get the foul is by going to ground.  It tends to work in other leagues and countries, and sometimes here.  But as last night showed, not always.  It's also debateable as to whether the contact on Willian was enough to impede his progress, let alone bring him down, yet the pros were all saying clear pen. I'm happy to see any exaggeration of contact go unrewarded, or even penalised.   It is still meant to be a contact sport.  Personally I think a lot of the problems emanate from abolishing indirect free kicks for obstruction, which is what I would describe the Morata incident as.

You make a very good point regarding them abolishing free kicks for obstruction. It took away another appropriate option for the referee.

[Comrade Blitz]

But....are the refs just being conned or do you think they are told not to call the dives because no one wants to see the so-called superstars 1) not having their own way and 2) get sent off.

[Toronto Villa]

Watching Derby vs Bristol City. How on earth are Bristol City where they are? I mean hope they find a way to win but so far they’ve been absolutely mince. Almost all Derby so far and they just hit the bar.

[Richard]

Am sure Bristol had a really good start to last season too and ended up in the bottom 8 I think.