Referees/Officials

[thekippax]

Don't think he was biased as he could easily have given them a pen (although it wasn't one) at the end of the 1st half, but he was totally incompetent.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Can't argue with this. A poor performance by the ref. But to accuse him of intentionally cheating is stretching matters IMO.

If he were trying to cheat, he'd have blown hand ball on Aguero (assuming once more that he even saw the play).

It's how you define 'intentionally' cheating.

He favoured Barca in most things during most of the game. Just because he didn't give them every single decision, doesn't mean he wasn't biased.

He gave them a huge lift at the start of the game, by not booking their players & booking Sterling for being fouled in he penalty area. If that & keeping busquets on the pitch, & giving them almost every 50/50 decision, isn't enough to give them a victory, I'm not sure they can rightly expect him to also disallow goals & give them pens on top of it.

 

[Terra Passenger]

Don't think he was biased as he could easily have given them a pen (although it wasn't one) at the end of the 1st half, but he was totally incompetent.

+1

On the night yes, incompetent. But, he was, after all selected to referee in a hugely important UCL match - so I put it down to a hugely bad night.

Cheater, no.

Biased no.

Totally incompetent - presumably not.

Bad night - absolutely so.

 

[Terra Passenger]

It's how you define 'intentionally' cheating.

He favoured Barca in most things during most of the game. Just because he didn't give them every single decision, doesn't mean he wasn't biased.

He gave them a huge lift at the start of the game, by not booking their players & booking Sterling for being fouled in he penalty area. If that & keeping busquets on the pitch, & giving them almost every 50/50 decision, isn't enough to give them a victory, I'm not sure they can rightly expect him to also disallow goals & give them pens on top of it.

Agreed with all of this.

But was this intentional? - which goes to bias.

I don't think so - because he could well have called a lot of other things in Barca's favor which he did not.

To assume he was biased in favor of Barca and that he called the match on that basis assumes that the UCL is subject to cheating at the level of referring.

I don't think at all that this is so.

If I'm wrong... God help the game.

 

[Bayblue]

+1

On the night yes, incompetent. But, he was, after all selected to referee in a hugely important UCL match - so I put it down to a hugely bad night.

Cheater, no.

Biased no.

Totally incompetent - presumably not.

Bad night - absolutely so.

Sadly his second "bad night" when reffing us in CL. Bayern 2011.

 

[blue wang]

Just watched the match on the telly,, 4 -5 "mysterious" decisions.

the Sterling pen was pretty obvious,

Silva was hacked down towards the end of the first half, no decision?

bad night for the ref.

 

[meeesh]

+1

On the night yes, incompetent. But, he was, after all selected to referee in a hugely important UCL match - so I put it down to a hugely bad night.

Cheater, no.

Biased no.

Totally incompetent - presumably not.

Bad night - absolutely so.

Dress it up however you want,but to book Sterling for "diving" when everbody knew it was a penalty,and not to book Digne,at least once,in the opening exchanges of the match,(both warranted yellows)we knew it was gonna be one of those nights,and it was,an incompetent,and unfair referee to Manchester City,thankfully our football won the match,v Barca and him,the Hungarian twat

 

[bellsouth]

The shirt pull by Digne on Sterling set the tone. This is an automatic yellow card - every ref knows it and he had hold of it for about 3 seconds, it was like one of those training exercises when they try running dragging weights behind him!
And I'm sick of commentators saying stuff like, 'he let it go because its early in the match' - so bloody what, an offence is an offence no matter what minute and if anything clamping down on it then might have sent a message that he won't stand for any nonsense.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Agreed with all of this.

But was this intentional? - which goes to bias.

I don't think so - because he could well have called a lot of other things in Barca's favor which he did not.

To assume he was biased in favor of Barca and that he called the match on that basis assumes that the UCL is subject to cheating at the level of referring.

I don't think at all that this is so.

If I'm wrong... God help the game.

Have to disagree with most of this.

There were enough justified opportunities for cards for the Barca players which simply did not happen - that is beyond incompetence, and is a result of downright corruption.

 

[prof-taf]

Anyone mentioned kolarovs booking yet?
Now that was also very strange.

 

[Paul Lake's Left Knee]

Anyone mentioned kolarovs booking yet?
Now that was also very strange.

Especially when compared to buscuits going around kicking anything that moved for about 10 mins just before it, it took him moaning after the third to get a card.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

The shirt pull by Digne on Sterling set the tone. This is an automatic yellow card - every ref knows it and he had hold of it for about 3 seconds, it was like one of those training exercises when they try running dragging weights behind him!


And I'm sick of commentators saying stuff like, 'he let it go because its early in the match' - so bloody what, an offence is an offence no matter what minute and if anything clamping down on it then might have sent a message that he won't stand for any nonsense.

This every time - the fucking ex-players who are now " pundits " would have been going crazy if it had been them on the receiving end .

 

[Terra Passenger]

Dress it up however you want,but to book Sterling for "diving" when everbody knew it was a penalty,and not to book Digne,at least once,in the opening exchanges of the match,(both warranted yellows)we knew it was gonna be one of those nights,and it was,an incompetent,and unfair referee to Manchester City,thankfully our football won the match,v Barca and him,the Hungarian twat

+1

Totally agree.

But to elevate this to the level of bias is, IMO, unwarranted - to assume bias, is to accuse the ref of cheating, which is hugely problematic - and I don't think that bias was involved at all.

The ref didn't want to give an early penalty - so no card for Digne - IMO a huge mistake, but I can see this.

Booking Sterling was, IMO, a huge, huge mistake. But people make mistakes. I think it was a penalty. But maybe not clear cut in real time from the ref's angle. To card Sterling for diving though is really harsh - yeah, Sterling exaggerated the foul a bit by going down... but there was contact - at worst, a non-call, but even that would have been a bit harsh.


Still, refs are human and make mistakes - I don't think that the ref was incompetent - nor do I think he was biased/cheating. I do think he, and his supporting crew, had a really bad night.

 

[Chi-town blues]

No, in his own half. One of the few decisions we couldn't complain about.

Cool! Thought he was on city's half .

 

[Terra Passenger]

Have to disagree with most of this.

There were enough justified opportunities for cards for the Barca players which simply did not happen - that is beyond incompetence, and is a result of downright corruption.

I feel sorry for you then.

You view the world through lenses that tilt actions against your wishes as some sort of conspiracy.

Get over it!

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

+1

Totally agree.

But to elevate this to the level of bias is, IMO, unwarranted - to assume bias, is to accuse the ref of cheating, which is hugely problematic - and I don't think that bias was involved at all.

The ref didn't want to give an early penalty - so no card for Digne - IMO a huge mistake, but I can see this.

Booking Sterling was, IMO, a huge, huge mistake. But people make mistakes. I think it was a penalty. But maybe not clear cut in real time from the ref's angle. To card Sterling for diving though is really harsh - yeah, Sterling exaggerated the foul a bit by going down... but there was contact - at worst, a non-call, but even that would have been a bit harsh.


Still, refs are human and make mistakes - I don't think that the ref was incompetent - nor do I think he was biased/cheating. I do think he, and his supporting crew, had a really bad night.

What was he supposed to do - he had just been tripped by a fouteen stone lump of shit ?

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I feel sorry for you then.

You view the world through lenses that tilt actions against your wishes as some sort of conspiracy.

Get over it!

you put yourself up as some self-rightous prick and them wonder why people disagree ?

 

[Terra Passenger]

What was he supposed to do - he had just been tripped by a fouteen stone lump of shit ?

Sterling was looking for the penalty - but yeah, it was totally a foul.

But, not calling the foul (for whatever reason) and carding Sterling (again mystifying), and on that basis concluding that the ref is corrupt - is some sort of tin-hat conspiracy lunacy IMO.

The ref fucked up - big time.

But was he an intentional cheat? I don't think so.

For that matter, was he totally incompetent - I also don't think so. He largely called the game fairly outside of these moments.

Again - if he was corrupt/incompetent - he could easily have blown for a penalty on Messi in our box (wrong call but if totally biased he would have) and he could have blown for hand ball against Kun.

 

[Terra Passenger]

you put yourself up as some self-rightous prick and them wonder why people disagree ?

I'm not self-righteous.

But I'm totally against bizarre, tin-hat conspiracy theories, such as those that you expound.

Get a grip!

The Western world isn't nearly as corrupt as you think!

 

[Blue Hefner]

Sterling was looking for the penalty - but yeah, it was totally a foul.

But, not calling the foul (for whatever reason) and carding Sterling (again mystifying), and on that basis concluding that the ref is corrupt - is some sort of tin-hat conspiracy lunacy IMO.

The ref fucked up - big time.

But was he an intentional cheat? I don't think so.

For that matter, was he totally incompetent - I also don't think so. He largely called the game fairly outside of these moments.

Again - if he was corrupt/incompetent - he could easily have blown for a penalty on Messi in our box (wrong call but if totally biased he would have) and he could have blown for hand ball against Kun.

He, quite clearly, did not