Michael Oliver v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[LeonW]

Oliver was poor but I think the VAR call is systemic as much as anything. Once the referee gets summoned over to the monitor there’s an expectation that the decision will change. The stats on that would be interesting.

Ultimately we need to be more efficient at taking our chances. Even with that decision we should have won that game.

If the ref is called over to the monitor it means he can put the responsibility (and blame) on VAR for the decision. This is one of the biggest problems of the current system.

I think it’s a bit of both - I think it pressurises the referees too. Ultimately leads to the same decision, which is the problem.

It leads to the decision that VAR want the ref to make as you say; that's the expectation. But if Oliver sticks with his decision (which he had one view of) he's taking the responsibility for sticking with it based upon that one view.

The real issue here (which has been the case for the last 3 years) is the 'clear and obvious' interpretation. If it's taking over 3 minutes and for checks on multiple issues then it's not a clear and obvious error.

[Stu82]

I thought Targett was our poorest player today and can see why we're looking to upgrade on him.

Played like he was sulking

[Des Little]

Do we know who the ref is on Saturday yet?

[Risso]

I don't think I've seen VAR actively look for a reason to disallow the goal like that. They spent two minutes checking the offside for the ball across to Ings, then when that was inconclusive, they widened the search for anything else. How on earth is that "clear and obvious"?

[ChicagoLion]

Why do people think that the officials will be any better on Saturday?

[Risso]

Do we know who the ref is on Saturday yet?

Kevin Friend, with clones of Kevin Friend on VAR, Mark Halsey on one line and Michael Oliver on the other.

[Villan For Life]

Frustrated but tonight I thought that we battered them in their own theatre of fading dreams. Yes there are things that could have gone better and players that maybe in six months will not be in a Villa shirt but there was so much good stuff on display tonight. It won’t be long before we pick average sides like United off with ease. Refs and VAR aside obviously.

Proud of the Villa tonight!

[Villatillidie25]

What game were you watching….?! Yes we were robbed. But bar about 10mins in the first half we battered them for the whole match. Yes there were some misplaced passes but there was a lot of cb good football.

(Forgot to quote. Replying to earlier poster who gave everyone 4 out of 10 basically)

You beat me to it I saw that post and I really thought he was joking.He gave half the Villa team a 3!! Man U must have all been 2's and 1's on his marking scale. Crazy. I've learned not to put comments on here straight after the game as the blood is sometimes still boiling and comments don't usually stand up to any scrutiny.

Yeah, I’ll go with it was still a bit raw. Thought we played some really decent stuff today so the marks were bonkers. We were occasionally sloppy but it was generally when we were trying to play our way out and just lost concentration or overplayed rather than something particularly poor. I’d rather we at least tried that stuff even if it does give me a heart attack sometimes 🤣.

[PaulWinch again]

We attacked them incessantly, played really well and deserved to win. That said, the game showed the following usual failings:

The defence - always got a mistake in it
Targett - not good enough
Final ball - not good enough
Midfield - give the ball away sloppily too often
Watkins - lots of running, not enough composure
Ings - not enough running, plays like an old man

Yeah I’d agree. We got a ropey decision, but that would only have levelled to game. We conceded a rubbish goal - that’s on us. We also failed to convert a number of other chances - again on us. That’s not to say we didn’t play well, I think we did. But we need to be better at both ends of the pitch and had we been today a ropey ref display wouldn’t have saved them.

[LeonW]

Why do people think that the officials will be any better on Saturday?

They won't.

[olaftab]

If blocking a players run is a foul then goals scored from EVERY CORNER should be disallowed as there is nothing but constant blocking of players every single time

Acid test is if it was other way around and defending player blocked an attacking player some distance away from the ball it should be a penalty but it never is so why disallow the goal? 

[Pat McMahon]

I think Ramsey was stupid for their goal. He saw Cavani coming at him and should have turned away to focus on the ball. By looking directly at him it allowed the ref and the Manyoo fanboys at Stockley to make a decision.

Really naive. I also thought we could have made more of some of their challenges and got an extra card or two out of the ref earlier in the game. With Ashley Young in the ref’s ear I’m sure a few more cards were issued.

A decent overall performance but not clinical enough, and we also gave the ball way really cheaply at times. They really were there for the taking tonight.

And the length of some replays meant you missed the live action. Infuriating bloody broadcasting.

[Des Little]

Do we know who the ref is on Saturday yet?

Kevin Friend, with clones of Kevin Friend on VAR, Mark Halsey on one line and Michael Oliver on the other.

I’ve heard Phil Dowd may be dusting his boots off

[olaftab]

Why do people think that the officials will be any better on Saturday?

They won't.

Because I will be there and make sure they do their job.

[ChicagoLion]

Oliver was one of the better refs a few years ago but obviously they have got to him and he is now the ESL official.