Referees' Performances | 2025/26

A staggering decision not to give the penalty. He was in a perfect position to see it, the whole ground saw it was a penalty yet he with the best view of anybody, didn't. Genuinely one of the most baffling decisions I've ever seen in terms of how obvious it was. I had absolutely no anticipation when VAR was looking at it, I knew without any doubts it was 100% a penalty, I was more furious at the need for VAR than the joy of us getting the penalty.

That's the level of incompetence that would get you sacked at pretty much any other job. It's like a shoplifting asking a security guard to hold his bag open for him whilst he shoves stolen goods into it and then handing it back to him and allowing him to walk out.
 
That clown tonight was either blind or on the take. And I favour the latter. His compliance with BHA taking the piss with time wasting in the last twenty was telling. I’m tired of it now. Looks like they have determined that we can’t win it this season. They probably didn’t need to bother given our impotence, but I’d rather lose a fair fight. Cunts.
 
pee dubya said:
He's not the reason we didn't win, he was shit though.
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That Van Hecke assault on Haaland, from behind, both arms round is neck, is WWE stuff, no yellow ?

Then with 20 minutes left he gets a yellow, 20 minutes against 10 men you'd like to think we'd win (though with our finishing tonight maybe not).

Re the penalty, so ridiculous he didn't give it, Pep was rightly incensed, so he gets a yellow.

I'd called him an obvious cheat after about 20 minutes for yellows he'd ignored.
 
Gorton_Tubster said:
Aye, I'm not a conspiracy theorist myself, and usually I think it is very biased against us but then we usually get something that convinces me otherwise, sometimes in the next game or the next few games. It evens itself out.

I am not seeing that yet and its been quite a few games where we have played against the refs decisions.

And then its not like its just the big calls, its loads of little things, the 50/50s that go against us more often than not, the crown jeering the ref and cheering when he finally gives us a decision, happens too much lately.

And then the fact that we're at home in some of these games, and the inherent bias that comes with the home crowd shouting demanding, its like they go against all of that even.

Something feels wrong imo. We will see if Pep or the club say anything though.
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Lets us play-on when there is zero advantage (which doesn't count as a foul on the stats), and pulls up the play when we have an advantage. Also allows other teams to play on, but then pulls up play if they screw up the advantage.

I used to think it was unconscious bias on the part of the referee, but this feels different. There has been a disparity this season, and more so since Christmas where teams have been allowed to get away with shall we say 'heavy' challenges early in the game which emboldens opposition players to do it even more. When we do it it's usually given as a foul. That's how James an Palmer got away with at least 5 or 6 yellow cards between them at the weekend and a Similar situation in the previous game, and why our treatment room is currently bursting at the seams.

This feels deliberate, and if I were to put a name to it I'd say it was perhaps some kind of 'strategic plan'.
 
Trevor Morley's Tache said:
This feels deliberate, and if I were to put a name to it I'd say it was perhaps some kind of 'strategic plan'.
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I'd call it cheating in plain sight.

There were two (three actually, but only one given in the first instance) holdings on Bernardo tonight, free kicks given for both, but neither cards, same player, so he should be off.

Then the assault on Haaland by Van Hecke, both arms round his neck, then hauled to the floor (arguably 2 fouls), free kick given, but no yellow, but with 20 minutes to go a yellow he couldn't not give, so should have been a second yellow.

I'm fed up with it now, there were numerous others tonight, plenty v chelsea, and several v sunderland too.
 
Clearly something the players are aware of. Bernardo was at the ref throughout the game making him aware how many could the player had committed and asking the question about a booking. Quite unusual to see it from a player but they've obviously discussed it.

Noticed Newcastle got the play until you score added time tonight - in all seriousness the time was justified. But away at Sunderland we don't even get to the 4 minutes, which is a minimum amount of time to add on.
 
laplandblue said:
Yet some still insist there is no agenda.
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When was the last time a team went down to 10 men against us for persistent fouling. You can fix anything in this world with policy & that includes football results…..

Policy of allowing the game to flow
Policy of trying to keep 11 men on the pitch

Behind these policies are ways of inhibiting our results.
 
cheekybids said:
When was the last time a team went down to 10 men against us for persistent fouling. You can fix anything in this world with policy & that includes football results…..

Policy of allowing the game to flow
Policy of trying to keep 11 men on the pitch

Behind these policies are ways of inhibiting our results.
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And when you rope in the TV companies to help control the narrative (I still believe VAR and Sky are linked up on comms) it becomes so much easier to gaslight the audience into thinking it's a fair and honest competition.
 
Trevor Morley's Tache said:
And when you rope in the TV companies to help control the narrative (I still believe VAR and Sky are linked up on comms) it becomes so much easier to gaslight the audience into thinking it's a fair and honest competition.
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For certain & very few replays if any of any contentious decisions. I actually thought VAR showed the impact but didn’t show how he was clattered & was waiting for the “coming together” hand signal that only we get.
 
cheekybids said:
When was the last time a team went down to 10 men against us for persistent fouling. You can fix anything in this world with policy & that includes football results…..

Policy of allowing the game to flow
Policy of trying to keep 11 men on the pitch

Behind these policies are ways of inhibiting our results.
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For a couple of years at least but it's especially obvious this year.

We all know it was no coincidence that more contact was allowed at set pieces the year after Haaland tore the goal-scoring record to shreds. And, my God, have they applied it with gusto for just that purpose?

We all know why the PL have been allowing NFL style obstructions in the penalty area since the end of last season and throughout this season, and we all know it will be stopped once Arsenal win the league (if they do this year).

We aren't as stupid as the authorities think. We all know the PL wants Arsenal to be champions this year. It's been obvious since Liverpool imploded and City went on a run. The only question is whether we can get our shooting boots back on and be close enough when the inevitable Arsenal collapse happens. I doubt it the way things are going.

Just really, what is the point watching any more? I didn't even get up in the middle of the night to watch this game. I could have told you what was going to happen, in broad terms, last night. And it did.

And don't anyone bore me with the "all fans feel this" bollocks. Nor with the "we didn't draw because of the referee" bullshit. You try running around like a crazy person for ninety minutes every three days when the game isn't refereed fairly and then tell me it doesn't affect the players.

I have been watching football for sixty years, man and boy. I know when it's fucked up and it's been fucked up majorly these last few years. It's not a sport I like any more. If City wasn't such a big part of my life, I would have given up already. I am not that far away now.
 
halfcenturyup said:
For a couple of years at least but it's especially obvious this year.

We all know it was no coincidence that more contact was allowed at set pieces the year after Haaland tore the goal-scoring record to shreds. And, my God, have they applied it with gusto for just that purpose?

We all know why the PL have been allowing NFL style obstructions in the penalty area since the end of last season and throughout this season, and we all know it will be stopped once Arsenal win the league (if they do this year).

We aren't as stupid as the authorities think. We all know the PL wants Arsenal to be champions this year. It's been obvious since Liverpool imploded and City went on a run. The only question is whether we can get our shooting boots back on and be close enough when the inevitable Arsenal collapse happens. I doubt it the way things are going.

Just really, what is the point watching any more? I didn't even get up in the middle of the night to watch this game. I could have told you what was going to happen, in broad terms, last night. And it did.

And don't anyone bore me with the "all fans feel this" bollocks. Nor with the "we didn't draw because of the referee" bullshit. You try running around like a crazy person for ninety minutes every three days when the game isn't refereed fairly and then tell me it doesn't affect the players.

I have been watching football for sixty years, man and boy. I know when it's fucked up and it's been fucked up majorly these last few years. It's not a sport I like any more. If City wasn't such a big part of my life, I would have given up already. I am not that far away now.
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That is exactly my thoughts
 
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