Ref Watch

[Bozzie]

It'll be interesting to see what does, or more likely doesn't, come from this. Off the back of a couple of other huge refereeing erroors recently it offers the opportunity for a serious, balanced investigation into PGMOL, the individuals who control it and both the on field referees and VAR personnel. Jonathan Moss's 'performance' last night raises serious questions, not solely about his competence but also about the integrity of the refereeing system in the Premier League. You cannot defend the indefensible but somehow you just know that PGMOL, the Premier League and the FA will discover a suitably sized carpet in their locker to sweep this under. In addition, thanks to Foden's honesty, it also raises the 'stay on your feet/fall over theatrically' debate. That's an issue that requires a change in attitude from everyone involved in the game: players, managers, referees, media pundits, journalists etc all have to get behind a change of direction for the greater good.

 

[David Silva]

I’m very pro VAR, on the whole I like having the safety net. Last night was the perfect situation and should have been an easy win for VAR. An incompetent referee can’t spot a blatant penalty, VAR checks it, corrects the mistake, awards the penalty, job done. Then I come on here singing VARs praises and it’s critics are silenced for a while. So what the hell happened? There’s not a chance a qualified referee sees them pictures and doesn’t award a penalty. I smell a rat.

Champions elect running away with the league but beaten by their rivals after a 21 game run, struggling again against a decent Southampton side with the game at 1-1. If they had done their job properly that would have been Soton down to 10 men in the first half, and likely 2-1 to city and game over. But that would have gone against the narrative they wanted which was for us to drop points again so the title race can become marketable again.

Expect more of this to come over the next few games.

 

[lust overlord]

A possibility,for me,is because Moss gives a very soft penalty one end,and knows it.
He's worried about giving another one.

Doubling down on his incompetence.

 

[jollylescott]

I’m very pro VAR, on the whole I like having the safety net. Last night was the perfect situation and should have been an easy win for VAR. An incompetent referee can’t spot a blatant penalty, VAR checks it, corrects the mistake, awards the penalty, job done. Then I come on here singing VARs praises and it’s critics are silenced for a while. So what the hell happened? There’s not a chance a qualified referee sees them pictures and doesn’t award a penalty. I smell a rat.

I just saw Chris Foy interviewed and he said he would have awarded a pen, and if not VAR should have done so. He’s been out of the game for a few years, but from what I recall he always seemed fairer than this hopeless bunch.

 

[give it to gordon]

I just saw Chris Foy interviewed and he said he would have awarded a pen, and if not VAR should have done so. He’s been out of the game for a few years, but from what I recall he always seemed fairer than this hopeless bunch.

Dermot Gallagher just said its a pen , david james a pen, brad ex liverpool keeper pen, but never mind VAR dont answer to anyone

 

[East Level 2]

Champions elect running away with the league but beaten by their rivals after a 21 game run, struggling again against a decent Southampton side with the game at 1-1. If they had done their job properly that would have been Soton down to 10 men in the first half, and likely 2-1 to city and game over. But that would have gone against the narrative they wanted which was for us to drop points again so the title race can become marketable again.

Expect more of this to come over the next few games.

Why would they have been down to ten men? Please consult current interpretation of the law before replying. - I'll help: He made an attempt to play the ball and he wasn't reckless.

 

[Baggins.mcfc]

Why would they have been down to ten men? Please consult current interpretation of the law before replying. - I'll help: He made an attempt to play the ball and he wasn't reckless.

If being the last man and you stop a clear goal scoring chance, is that not an automatic red anymore ?

 

[Vic]

Pretty well said. I don’t think he touched the ball but it was probably the direction the ball travelled that made them say he had. But as you say “did he get the slightest touch on the ball?” is completely irrelevant - he may have moved the ball a bit but had he not taken out Phil that’s a goal. So it’s a penalty, all day every day. Had he cleared the ball and taken Phil out it’s not a penalty.

I don’t normally get too animated on these decisions but both penalty calls last night fell way below the standards of professional refereeing. Just glad it didn’t matter in the end.

Three penalty calls. Kev pushed off the ball early on, more blatant than the one Southampton got. Maybe 4 as Dias felt he was held on one cross.

 

[hgblue]

Champions elect running away with the league but beaten by their rivals after a 21 game run, struggling again against a decent Southampton side with the game at 1-1. If they had done their job properly that would have been Soton down to 10 men in the first half, and likely 2-1 to city and game over. But that would have gone against the narrative they wanted which was for us to drop points again so the title race can become marketable again.

Expect more of this to come over the next few games.

I get why people would think like that because the decision is bizarre, but the key to being corrupt is to choose your interventions carefully. For example, the Southampton penalty was dubious imo, but I certainly couldn’t say the decision to award it was corrupt. With Foden the decision was so clearly wrong that it is being roundly panned and ridiculed, so the spotlight is on the refereeing team. Not what you want if you’re trying to be corrupt and to get away with it.

 

[Vic]

If being the last man and you stop a clear goal scoring chance, is that not an automatic red anymore ?

Not if it's in the penalty area. It hasn't been a red card for three years.