I have binned watching live matches. Enough is enough. Yesterday i didn't watch the match. The first time in forever i have deliberately not watched City live. Football was my release. When we scored i went ape. My only moments of total abandon in my ordinary life. At the Etihad in May 2012 I literally lost my shit at 93:20.
The most amazing, emotional experience of my long life. Now, the thrill has gone. Stolen from me by technocrats and nerds. Pedantic tossers and bent referees. I will watch the match in retrospect. Passionless and knowing the score and any potential flash points. My TV can rest easy in the knowledge that my fever has been been quashed, my language neutured and behaviour capped. What a grey world it has become.
This post sums up the situation entirely.If one subscribes to the theory that Liverpool are favoured for the league this season, or that the authorities do not want City to win a third consecutive title, then this becomes blatantly obvious.
We have heard FA or PL executives talk of having a competitive league, and the success of certain teams is important to achieve this. We have heard them say they want new winners of the PL every few seasons. We have seen certain teams favoured by being awarded an inordinate number of penalties in relation to their attacking play. We have seen VAR consistently applied incorrectly, where it refuses to overturn an on field refereeing decision. We know referees have been provided with the means to review their own decisions, but not once so far have they availed themselves of that opportunity. And we know that PIGMOL (presumably with the authority of the PL, who are their main employer) gave set this "high bar" for overturning decisions.
Well, with all this in mind, we have the perfect mechanism for tipping the scales in favour of a chosen team. All Liverpool penalty claims no matter how soft or legitimate, are given immediately. Upon review, even the slightest contact is deemed a foul so the decision stands under the "high bar" interpretation. For all other teams, those penalties are not given and when reviewed, the soft contact is not deemed to be strong enough to be considered a clear and obvious error, so the non-penalty decision is ratified.
For marginal offside calls, blow up immediately the flag is raised and prevent a goal being scored, preventing the chance of a VAR review. But for the favoured team, let play continue, giving the chance of a goal being scored before a review adjudicates on it.
And in some cases, just change the interpretation to suit the favoured team. IFAB has stated that if the ball touches any part of the hand or arm of an attacking player in the lead up to a goal, then the goal is disallowed. Yet we have seen two occasions where this has been ignored by the VAR.
It is becoming obvious that VAR is being used as a vehicle for fixing the eventual outcome of the league.
I saw the England game and in the last few mins the Aussies scored a break away try. The ref asked the TMO to check a forward pass or passes the TMO said he'd had a look and said both were fine. They had a look on the screen and the ref said that the second one was clearly forward so the Ref said no try. I don't know why the TMO thought it was not forward but it was so he has made a mistake there. As the ref was not sure then he got the chance to have another look and make the correct decision. He wasn't bound by a previous decision so was able to make his mind up. I know that Rugby VAR is not perfect but I think there have been more controversial decisions in one afternoon of football than in the whole of the Rugby World Cup.
For me the biggest problem with VAR is that it's being looked at by other refs. Yesterday in our match it was Michael Oliver and I think they are at the moment genuinely scared of overturning a decision of a fellow work mate. Now it the same in cricket however the 3rd umpire tells the on field umpire what the mistake was and why is being overturned and the crowd and audience can clearly hear it as well. No confusion.
So for me for the time being have VAR done by an independent football committee (not refs) so no impartiality until the refs are re-trained to do that and also let the audience and crowd know what is actually happening
I think that "coming to a head" should involve the police and the serious crime squad. The amount of money involved and the scale of blatant cheating, warrants serious looking at imo.Spot on, VAR brings one benefit and that is it highlights even more how corrupt/incompetent (delete as appropriate) the games "top" officials are and surely at some point this is going to come to a head
FWIW I just laughed out loud at the KDB pen yesterday. It was actually funny.
I have binned watching live matches. Enough is enough. Yesterday i didn't watch the match. The first time in forever i have deliberately not watched City live. Football was my release. When we scored i went ape. My only moments of total abandon in my ordinary life. At the Etihad in May 2012 I literally lost my shit at 93:20.
The most amazing, emotional experience of my long life. Now, the thrill has gone. Stolen from me by technocrats and nerds. Pedantic tossers and bent referees. I will watch the match in retrospect. Passionless and knowing the score and any potential flash points. My TV can rest easy in the knowledge that my fever has been been quashed, my language neutured and behaviour capped. What a grey world it has become.
FWIW I just laughed out loud at the KDB pen yesterday. It was actually funny.
This post sums up the situation entirely.
I was going to put "IMO" at the end, but decided there really is no need.
It is a statement of fact now. Evidence has proved it beyond all doubt.
Coldest of stone cold pen's. Ball going on way, Zaha moving in almost opposite direction before clattering into De Bruyne and pushing him over.How was that not a pen on KdB zaha just shoved him over
FUCK VAR ITS BENT
Not really.Utterly bemusing that the linesman didn't give it either.
To not give that after a review just shows how PERFECT the whole idea is.
It’s an awful lot simpler than that. They are cheating bent cunntsIt is not power that corrupts but fear.
Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it, and the scourge of power
Corrupts those who are subject to it.
This sums up referees in the Premier League imo.
I expected us to get that one yesterday as you will not see a clearer pen. Even the wife said what a fucking joke.Does any blue on here expect us to get them anymore?
I dont and the more obvious the penalty, the more nailed on it is the least you actually expect it.
Actually it’s quite the opposite. VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee, a match official who reviews video footage of the game. ‘It’ is therefore a sentient being. Not only that, in every other league that uses a VAR, all those decisions yesterday would have been reviewed on the field by the actual referee.What’s ‘it’ though? VAR isn’t a sentient being. It’s just a series of cameras which some bloke reviews. ‘It’ doesn’t make any decisions or dare not to overrule anybody.
Blaming ‘it’ completely let’s the people off the hook which are in charge of the shit show. A human being in charge of the PL referees has decided that this is how it should be used. That guy is clearly an utter moron and has no idea what he’s doing. Every single issue we’re seeing with VAR has been caused by poor decision making from these PL law makers .
If there’s a positive, it’s that it’s actually all fixable with a bit of common sense and decency.
Well i have to disagree, all this bent shit is coming from the very top.It’s an awful lot simpler than that. They are cheating bent cunnts
As I said, cheating bent cunnts. The refs, Riley, the Premier league, the fucking lot of themWell i have to disagree, all this bent shit is coming from the very top.
They dont want a City 3rd title win, and there doing all they can to stop this.