Fair enough. Granted we had two bad calls in those two legs. I've just read a lot of post that said we were unlucky not to go through because of the officials.
Had we have rightfully been given both 'offside' goals we would have been in front at half time at the Etihad and they would have had to change their only game plan.
Football is fixed.
Re 'Variables' I don't think all the iffy stuff is pulling the same way.I still, maybe naively, can't bring myself to say it's 'fixed'. There just seems too many variables, too many people who would have to be complicit (not just individually, but huge organisations PGMOL, FIFA, UEFA etc) that make it a guessing game. In the Man U game, Atkinson denied us a clear penalty, everyone knew it and ultimately it, and his decision, affected the result. But we were two up at half time and it should have been at least four, not many people expected a turn round given the way each team had performed and so, at what stage does Atkinson decide to influence the result and who tells him too? There should have been no opportunity for him to do that because we should have been four up after 45 minutes. Against that, I get why people think it is fixed and I've gone from a fully paid up member of the 'what happens on the pitch ends on the pitch' to an advocate of VAR because the more transparent the process the better.
Apart from the wrongly disallowed goal you mean?Bossed?
Only game in two years we've not had a shot on goal.
I still, maybe naively, can't bring myself to say it's 'fixed'. There just seems too many variables, too many people who would have to be complicit (not just individually, but huge organisations PGMOL, FIFA, UEFA etc) that make it a guessing game. In the Man U game, Atkinson denied us a clear penalty, everyone knew it and ultimately it, and his decision, affected the result. But we were two up at half time and it should have been at least four, not many people expected a turn round given the way each team had performed and so, at what stage does Atkinson decide to influence the result and who tells him too? There should have been no opportunity for him to do that because we should have been four up after 45 minutes. Against that, I get why people think it is fixed and I've gone from a fully paid up member of the 'what happens on the pitch ends on the pitch' to an advocate of VAR because the more transparent the process the better.
I think refs, being human, are biased. Sometimes that's unconscious bias, other times less so. I think a large number of refs are biased against Sterling. And refs are influenced by whats gone before when they've reffed certain players. According to Gary Neville, Feguson invited Graham Poll to speak to their players after he had retired. Apparently the players were gobsmarked when Poll told them that refs always remembered previous bad behaviour by players and it influenced their decisions.
I think a small number of refs are bent, have accepted bribes. And obviously players have admitted to fixing matches. But when I go to a game I generally dont worry that the game might be fixed. I have a low opinon of a few refs, expect others to make honest mistakes and I dont expect a penalty to awarded if Raheem is scythed down in the penalty area. But thats not the same as the match being fixed.
3. Their first goal (when we were on top of Anfield) was also offside. That’s what started the whole thing.Fair enough. Granted we had two bad calls in those two legs. I've just read a lot of post that said we were unlucky not to go through because of the officials.
Only saw the second half last night and was surprised to hear the commentators telling me how much on top Arsenal were when my eyes were telling me Griezman and Costa looked like scoring every time AM came forward. Arsenal must have been brilliant in the first half and unlucky to concede, I thought. Then Arsenal had a long shot turned round the post and the stats revealed this was their second goal attempt and theiyfirst (and it transpired only) shot on target
I think my overall assessment was I didn't think we deserved to go through. Others have said we did. Even without the decisions they thought we played well which I find pretty strange. I guess it could of been different had the goals not been chalked off, who knows.3. Their first goal (when we were on top of Anfield) was also offside. That’s what started the whole thing.
VAR will hopefully come in with the whole of Italy making a song and dance to uefa.