Ref Watch

[dadnlad]

It was interesting because Gallagher has pretty much confirmed what we all suspected, that VAR has influenced the decision making and therefore the result of the game. To their credit, Sue Smith and Stephen Warnock have agreed and called both decisions (Liverpool's second goal and the penalty) as incorrect.

because they knew out come of game

 

[waspish]

Laporte no red all agreed so swept under carpet

 

[Bluearmy]

Given Odegaard’s foot planted on Ederson’s shin I’d say it was a free kick the other way, I can’t ever remember in the history of football, a player giving a free kick or pen away when his shin has connected with another players studs, don’t be sucked in by the “seen em given narrative” that has been used against us so efficiently over the years or “he’s been stupid/an idiot”

Ederson’s foul on Fraser @ Newcastle was a pen IMO. We got away with one there. He won the ball in the Odergaard incident, great if a little risky tackle.

 

[imrebanana]

No surprise there Dermott

 

[Jesus H Gabz]

He still got sent off, didn't he?

Gabriel's first yellow at Arsenal seems to have been for dissent because he gave it after the penalty had been scored, when the players were on their way back to the centre circle. Then he got a second yellow for a fairly obvious bodycheck. (Also, if yellows were being given for scuffing the spot, the goalkeeper should have got one too because he was at it for a good 30 seconds while the ref was at the VAR monitor.)

The other was against Wolves, the guy who got a yellow for a foul that sometimes gets a yellow, sometimes doesn't but then 30 seconds later tried to block a free kick when he was about a yard away from the ball.

The ref backed his self into a corner in the Wolves game because he’d booked two of our players, it was a borderline booking for Jimenez and he left himself no wiggle room

 

[chaddblue]

Apparently there was no contact on Laporte... In that case he must be into self harm

 

[Bluearmy]

I think there has been a spate of questionable decisions this weekend, and many have gone against us and in favour of our direct challengers (and United). Hence a bit of a revival of this thread.

But taking off the blue tints, the United goal was probably ok. Liverpool only had to see out a few minutes and probably would have won anyway. And the De Bruyne penalty decision was arguably correct also. We can't really say the resultant points awarded were affected much, if at all.

When was the last time we had this many contentious decisions in one weekend? Or when we felt we had been treated unfairly by VAR? There havn't been occasions many this season, and this is suggestive to me that things are improving.

There are still some questions I would like answered though, such as why a Match Commander is needed, and what are his actual powers.

Not perfect, but I can see improvements.

Id agree with lots of that, would only add it needs to be transparent and fans must hear the reasoning behind decisions. Also have suspicions Sky/BT get looped into conversations, everyone should be aware not just ref/var/tv. Works almost seamlessly in Rugby/Cricket. Trust football to (deliberately) cock it up

 

[Paladin]

Laporte no red all agreed so swept under carpet

The Laporte foul could have been either reckless, or with excessive force. It's a borderline decision that is down to the referee on the day.

 

[Chris in London]

The ref backed his self into a corner in the Wolves game because he’d booked two of our players, it was a borderline booking for Jimenez and he left himself no wiggle room

Agree, but the challenge itself was still borderline. It still might have been a yellow if he hadn't given two for similar fouls already, but another ref would have let all three go without yellows.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

I completely agree, the decisions we get are the ones there's not really much to argue about. The only genuine 50/50 call we have had in our favour I can think of was the Odergaard penalty shout in the Arsenal game.

I'd say the Wolves penalty too. After those I'm struggling