Ref Watch

I felt the ref was quite inept today and it went under the radar as nothing had a direct effect on the game. Two incidents stand out for me.

- Haaland getting fouled and being booked for it. Really bizarre and I am quite surprised there wasn't much of a reaction by the players.
- I think it was Gundogan kicking a Southampton player in the calf when they were both going for the ball. The cameras on Sky captured it brilliantly as the ref had his back completely turned on the game and was looking in a completely different direction.

We definitely did the correct thing taking Stones off as Southampton were playing for a second booking for a short period and the ref was very random on his decisions.
 
I felt the ref was quite inept today and it went under the radar as nothing had a direct effect on the game. Two incidents stand out for me.

- Haaland getting fouled and being booked for it. Really bizarre and I am quite surprised there wasn't much of a reaction by the players.
- I think it was Gundogan kicking a Southampton player in the calf when they were both going for the ball. The cameras on Sky captured it brilliantly as the ref had his back completely turned on the game and was looking in a completely different direction.

We definitely did the correct thing taking Stones off as Southampton were playing for a second booking for a short period and the ref was very random on his decisions.
He also penalised Jack for using his thigh and jestured that his foot was high, as you say, nothing came of it but fucking useless
 
Interesting that Darren Caan gave the handball against Brighton and, as it wasn’t a clear and obvious error, VAR didn’t overturn it. Same linesman gave Rashford offside in the Derby, and it is overturned. Same ref as today.….
Atwell is an utter ****. The two penalties he missed for Brighton, he spreads his arms out to indicate he's seen the incidents and he's certain they're not pens. He did the same at the swamp. It makes it much harder for the VAR to overturn, even though they were ridiculous decisions. Just an appalling ref.
 
Atwell should be sacked. If you or I showed that much ineptitude in our jobs then we'd get the bullet. He's fucking incompetent.
It’s not incompetence. What happened at the swamp was bent. I am sure 100 per cent. This guy should not be anywhere near football.Fans are not stupid. This is in plain sight. Webb knows it as well.
 
They also had a goal disallowed for a “handball” by Mitoma that by the current rules is not a handball (not to mention the Spurs player behind him pushed him in the back right before the ball arrived, so the only reason the ball struck his shoulder was because of a foul worthy of a penalty).

And based on the replay of the MacAllister handball, I am still not convinced it actually hits his arm at all. I think they decided it did to rule it out.

Dunk got pulled down at a setpiece too, should have been a penalty.
 
The disallowed goal was right to be ruled out as there was a deflection from Mac Allister's hand and even though unintentional it doesn't matter where a goal is scored. Another reason that the law is an ass as it wasn't intended for something like that but it was correct according to the LotG. Brighton definitely should have had a penalty though for the trip by Hoijberg and that would've given them the chance to go 2-1 up. Even if the referee didn't see it then VAR should've picked that one up and there really is no excuse not to give it. Shocking decision.
It hits his hip. There is no proof it hits his hand. imo.
 
It hits his hip. There is no proof it hits his hand. imo.
This is the best frame (from the best angle) of the incident. It is seemingly not the one they used to determine if it hit his arm—they used a worse angle from further away, looking on from behind the goal, which made it impossible to say if it hit his arm.

I have seen all of the angles and I think it just hit his hip as he tried to tuck in his arms as tight as he could and turn away from the shot.

Disallowing that goal is not only stupid from an evidence perspective (read “highly suspect) but it violates the spirit of the game, as what is he meant to do there.

There’s also no consistency, as goals from similar incidents have been allowed and disallowed, seemingly with no reasoning for why the decisions differ. It seems, from an outside perspective, that they just make up the rules to suit what they need at the time.

That certainly seemed to be the case today in this match.

And Atwell is literally looking straight at the incident the entire time!

1-DC8-B20-F-17-C2-4-EAD-BF8-E-4-D99938-C9-C0-A.jpg


I personally believe, due to the adoption of VAR, they have intentionally made the handball and offside rules ambiguous so that there is a leeway in practice when reviewing incidents, allowing them to chose when and how to attempt to influence match outcomes, and provide plausibility deniability whatever decision is made.

And today was an especially blatant example of them doing it throughout the match to aid Spurs at the expense of Brighton.
 
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Interesting that Darren Caan gave the handball against Brighton and, as it wasn’t a clear and obvious error, VAR didn’t overturn it. Same linesman gave Rashford offside in the Derby, and it is overturned. Same ref as today.….
It's not lost on Brighton fans that Cann is also a Palace fan.

I remember we got him moved off a game a few years ago against them for that reason.
 
The disallowed goal was right to be ruled out as there was a deflection from Mac Allister's hand and even though unintentional it doesn't matter where a goal is scored. Another reason that the law is an ass as it wasn't intended for something like that but it was correct according to the LotG. Brighton definitely should have had a penalty though for the trip by Hoijberg and that would've given them the chance to go 2-1 up. Even if the referee didn't see it then VAR should've picked that one up and there really is no excuse not to give it. Shocking decision.
Hit his hip It wasn’t a clear and obvious error in any case
Should have had 2 pens and the 2 disallowed were wrong Atwell and the Lino Cann the duo who allowed the goal in the derby something stinks to high heaven
 
This is the best frame (from the best angle) of the incident. It is seemingly not the one they used to determine if it hit his arm—they used a worse angle from further away, looking on from behind the goal, which made it impossible to say if it hit his arm.

I have seen all of the angles and I think it just hit his hip as he tried to tuck in his arms as tight as he could and turn away from the shot.

Disallowing that goal is not only stupid from an evidence perspective (read “highly suspect) but it violates the spirit of the game, as what is he meant to do there.

There’s also no consistency, as goals from similar incidents have been allowed and disallowed, seemingly with no reasoning for why the decisions differ. It seems, from an outside perspective, that they just make up the rules to suit what they need at the time.

That certainly seemed to be the case today in this match.

And Atwell is literally looking straight at the incident the entire time!

1-DC8-B20-F-17-C2-4-EAD-BF8-E-4-D99938-C9-C0-A.jpg


I personally believe, due to the adoption of VAR, they have intentional made the handball and offside rules ambiguous so that there is a leeway in practice when reviewing incidents, allowing them to chose when and how to attempt to influence match outcomes.

And today was an especially blatant example of them doing it throughout the match to aid Spurs at the expense of Brighton.
That ref/VAR performance was as bent as they come…
 

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