Other Games 2025-26

[cdbearsfan]

Jack looks gone to me.

Thought he looked the best player on the pitch when he came on, tbh. You can only do so much with such a poor supporting cast.

[cdbearsfan]

I know im in a tiny minority but I actually thought it was a clear pen. For me Tarkowsky leans into the ball knowing it's going to hit his arm. I'll put my tin hat on now.

I thought that at first but I think he's leaning his chest towards the ball and trying to tuck his arm behind his back. It was much easier when they just gave fouls for deliberate handball.

[django]

I thought he did his usual thing of reliably not giving the ball away. But once he’d passed it on the next player gave it away each time so not sure what benefit he gave them really.

[ChicagoLion]

Decisions like that call into question the integrity of the game and specifically the match officials.
The PL are trying to flog more and more games but to do so it looks like they are needing PGMOL to create drama.

[brontebilly]

I thought he did his usual thing of reliably not giving the ball away. But once he’d passed it on the next player gave it away each time so not sure what benefit he gave them really.

He did win one free kick in a dangerous position by actually taking them on. Usually up against two players. Touch still elite.

Even at our weakest in the PL we had McGinn and a few others with him. Everton have nobody. Beto would remind you of Wesley.

[Brend'Watkins]

Decisions like that call into question the integrity of the game and specifically the match officials.
The PL are trying to flog more and more games but to do so it looks like they are needing PGMOL to create drama.

Some truth in that.

[django]

I’m not sure it’s about integrity. But the fact that they won’t overturn decisions makes VAR pointless. Both referees and VAR have their chance to make subjective decisions and will then back each other so there are now two opportunities in every incident for stupid decisions to be made.

[Somniloquism]

How VAR can give that!
It’s all about creating drama, not about getting decisions correct.

VAR didn't give it. The ref gave it and unless it didn't hit his arm/hand, VAR wouldn't overturn it.

[Flamingo Lane]

I also thought it was a penalty, and it seemed that Tarkowski's protestations, half hearted as they were, seemed to revolve around him claiming that the ball hit him above the line of the shirt sleeve, rather than claiming that his arm got in the way of the ball by pure accident.

[Somniloquism]

I’m not sure it’s about integrity. But the fact that they won’t overturn decisions makes VAR pointless. Both referees and VAR have their chance to make subjective decisions and will then back each other so there are now two opportunities in every incident for stupid decisions to be made.

VAR couldn't "overturn" it, just recommend the ref reviews it at the screen. But as they only use VAR for "clear and obvious" errors and he would have told VAR he saw movement of the arm and it hit him, the only clear and obvious to overturn it would have been it didn't hit his arm. (or was high on the shirt as the defender claimed.

My personal opinion of VAR is the pitchside monitor should be used by the ref for any on-field decision he makes which leads to a pen or sending off etc even if the clear and obvious criteria is not hit, simply because of items like that. For Durans sending off, he was told by his two on-field assistants that it was accidental contact, he was not instantly giving the red until he saw Schar(?) holding the back of his thigh. VAR just confirmed that there was contact so wasn't going to be over-ruled then. If the ref had seen it again to see how both contacts happened, he could well have changed his mind.

[ChicagoLion]

But it was a clear and obvious error.

[Mister E]

I know im in a tiny minority but I actually thought it was a clear pen. For me Tarkowsky leans into the ball knowing it's going to hit his arm. I'll put my tin hat on now.

He leant into it but the ball had deflected off another defender so the stretch seemed more exaggerated, and he was trying desperately to tuck his arm in.

[The Edge]

I know im in a tiny minority but I actually thought it was a clear pen. For me Tarkowsky leans into the ball knowing it's going to hit his arm. I'll put my tin hat on now.

He leant into it but the ball had deflected off another defender so the stretch seemed more exaggerated, and he was trying desperately to tuck his arm in.

Not one of his teammates appealed and his protests were that he was pointing at his arm. For some reason he thinks that's a good argument. For me he leaned into the ball knowing it was going to hit his arm. I think nowadays even the most blatant of decisions are argued about by players and managers who are trying to influence future outcomes in their favour.

[Somniloquism]

But it was a clear and obvious error.

No it wasn't. The ref would have stated to them something like i saw it hit his arm and he seemed to lean into it so I believe there was some deliberation. What was clearly and obviously wrong which what they saw on screen? The deliberation maybe, but that is very subjective and the man who makes subjective decisions already made it.

As Ive mentioned previously, it is all down to what the ref described he saw (unless it is the Duran red card in which case it is down to where the player might have been holding). That is why the ref audio chat between them should be either live OR released within an hour of the match being done. In most cases it would not be anyhting but a badly described match, but in cases like this we then know already instead of waiting for Webb head 5 weeks later.

[taylorsworkrate]

But it was a clear and obvious error.

It really wasn't