Referees' Performances | 2025/26

Whilst Alty was definitely shit for most of the game, the two big calls were correct. There is ALWAYS holding and pushing at corners, a bit of a hold, released long (in relative terms) before the ball came across was never going to be a foul, Donearunner was weak as fuck there, and as you correctly noted, deflection off the knee onto the arm is not a penalty (since the latest in a long line of increasingly confusing handball rule updates).

The clown in charge of the rags game on the other hand......
I agree with you on the big calls. It was the rest of his performance - booked Phil for a minor shirt pull. Didn’t even give a foul when the same was done to him two minutes later. It stunk to high heaven.
 
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Failing to give us 3 or 4 clear fouls that would have been fairly awarded in any part of the 50 years I’m been going to City is hardly a curse of the modern game. There has to be a certain level of protection for skilful players or we might as well be watching non league.

This bit of your post is something I have thought about for a while now. At our peak, when a lot of teams struggled to get a kick when playing against us, they seemed to get a fair bit of licence from refs to kick our players instead. In a lot of games if more yellows would have been given when they should we would often have been playing against ten men. As this started to get called out pigmol actually issued a statement at the start of one season saying they were going to allow more physical contact. This then took the heat off them for "Levelling the game up" by letting teams foul us with almost impunity in some games.
 
I’m so happy Pep has finally called this out. It’s good to get clarity that it’s not just a frustration for us fans and it’s not just the fans who think we are treated unfairly.

I remember the disallowed goal against the dippers when someone brushed Allison.
The one yesterday was much worse and n the goal is allowed to stand.
 
Whilst Alty was definitely shit for most of the game, the two big calls were correct. There is ALWAYS holding and pushing at corners, a bit of a hold, released long (in relative terms) before the ball came across was never going to be a foul, Donearunner was weak as fuck there, and as you correctly noted, deflection off the knee onto the arm is not a penalty (since the latest in a long line of increasingly confusing handball rule updates).

The clown in charge of the rags game on the other hand......
I’ve looked at the video several times and I’m sure Gigi is still being held when the corner came in. Anyway, it was a good win and Taylor was hopeless

Ps you can also tell from where Dias is looking that the ball is in the air

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They had ex goalie Green on MOTD where you think it would have been an interesting debate to be had,but no was never even mentioned !
Dont anyone ever try to convince me there is not an anti City agenda throughout the game.
They didn't even show the "foul" from the angle behind the goal (if my memory of last night is correct) on MotD.

Funny how they show "the bad angle" when they want a story to run in the media, and not show it when they just want the incident to drift away into forgotten-history after a day.
 
Whilst Alty was definitely shit for most of the game, the two big calls were correct. There is ALWAYS holding and pushing at corners, a bit of a hold, released long (in relative terms) before the ball came across was never going to be a foul, Donearunner was weak as fuck there, and as you correctly noted, deflection off the knee onto the arm is not a penalty (since the latest in a long line of increasingly confusing handball rule updates).

The clown in charge of the rags game on the other hand......
How many times do we see the game stopped for a foul on a keeper that nobody else can see? It’s usually AFTER the ref has delayed the corner to “have a word” with the players. Yet this time the Bournemouth player is allowed to put the keeper off balance by holding his arm and then pushing him in the back. Which rule is it? No contact allowed or the keeper has to be stronger.

The rules need tightening up. Maybe no opposition allowed in the 6 yard area (in front of the goal) when the ball is kicked. Makes it a lot simpler.
 
Whilst Alty was definitely shit for most of the game, the two big calls were correct. There is ALWAYS holding and pushing at corners, a bit of a hold, released long (in relative terms) before the ball came across was never going to be a foul, Donearunner was weak as fuck there, and as you correctly noted, deflection off the knee onto the arm is not a penalty (since the latest in a long line of increasingly confusing handball rule updates).

The clown in charge of the rags game on the other hand......

I've just watched both incidents again on ref watch. The non penalty was correct, it hit his leg first, very lucky for the player but by the rules of the game it's not going to be given.
On the Donnarumma 'foul' it's subjective. I don't like Taylor but I can see why he didn't give it and thought Donnarumma was being soft. However, if you watch it closely that slight touch alters his jump, putting him off balance which is why he did a weak punch resulting in the goal.
 
To all those people saying he let go of his arm before the ball arrived, so its not a foul, why do refs always blow for a foul at corners the split second the ball is kicked, when there is defender grappling going on?

The timing of the foul isn't deemed too early for those, so shouldn't be deemed too early when it's on the keeper either.
 
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Saying he should dealt with it better well you try being on your toes ready to jump while someone is got there arm wrapped round the top of your arm then jus testing when the ball comes over you see donno jumps and its angles to how he got pulled!
Been watching him 2 months and at the stadium didnt get a clear view, but was surprised as hes so commanding and doesnt usually drop a bollock.Much as i fuckin detest Alty ,VAR should have intervened for the infringement.
 
He's 6ft 5, the games gone soft
okay and if he uses that 6ft 5 frame to barge him out of the way and then everyone is screaming for a foul on the player is that okay two. I agree the games gone soft but the same rules have to apply all over the pitch regardless of the size of player, how many times have you seen haaland bulldoze past someone only for the ref to blow it as a foul.
 
The interesting thing about the handball is that Taylor clearly shows that the player had his hands down by his sides and he wasn't giving a penalty. BUT the player had his arm out when the ball hit him so that is bollocks. It wasn't a penalty as the ball just about deflected from his leg onto his arm and therefore under the current laws it isn't a penalty but there is no way Taylor that deflection so what did he see as it certainly wasn't a player with his arms down as he clearly demonstrated.
There were two appeals for penalties in the same passage of play. The first was a long-ish ranged shot that a defender then angled their upper body down/over to block; the second was the cross that deflected up off his leg onto his arm.

I can only imagine that Taylor's "arms down by the body" gesture was in regard to the first appeal, maybe one of our lads had said "What about the first one then?".
 
The holding and tug on Donnarumma puts him off balance, which is a clear foul.
VAR must have been able to spot that. If not then they are incompetent. We all saw it.
Whether Donnarumma should have done better with his punch is immaterial.
 
If Donnarumma’s arm is not being held as he is about to jump, he jumps with both arms up instead of just the one. He was held back and was fouled. Why VAR cannot see that is a mystery.
 
Genuinely baffles me how this wasn't even checked properly on VAR. He clearly has his arm hooked and he's never going to be able to jump properly because of that as a result. It was a clear foul. This isn't fucking Sunday League.
 
Having seen the Donnarumma incident again, the corner had clearly already been taken and, to me, it looks like the ball was probably in the penalty area by the time the Bournemouth player released Donnarumma’s arm. You can claim the keeper should have been stronger but it’s still a clear foul in my opinion.
 
I’ve looked at the video several times and I’m sure Gigi is still being held when the corner came in. Anyway, it was a good win and Taylor was hopeless

Ps you can also tell from where Dias is looking that the ball is in the air

View attachment 173830
Excellent photo. It might shut up some of our fans saying Donna should have done more/better.
He is clearly being pulled back when the ball is in the air.
Ok. This isn't on Taylor it's for a different thread but as that's gets flooded by a Wum.............
All I want is the laws applied equally. They are not.
 
Is there a height limit written into the laws of the game? Does a player have to be an Oompaloompa (like you?) to get a free kick?
As I say, the games going soft. He should have been stronger, which he was for every corner after. This is the premier league now, he has to learn.
 

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