Referees' Performances | 2025/26

Same with hand balls for penalties. They’re always given no matter what. Even if the player’s arm is in a natural position, it’s given.
There was one in the Newcastle game that wasn’t.

This “European games are reffed differently” is a cop out. That one yesterday was soft and there were reasons not to give it.
 
It doesn’t matter if he gets injured or not, the interpretation in Europe far more so than here is that if there’s the possibility he can get injured then it’s a foul. Nico has no idea when he makes that challenge if he’s going to make contact with the ball or with Dier first, he doesn’t know where Diers head is. He’s also chosen to use his leg to make contact with the ball at a similar height someone else can make contact with their head.

It’s a huge risk he took and because Dier was so close, he didn’t get away with it.

I don’t think it’s a penalty but I agree it’s stupid from Gonzales who has looked shaky every time he’s come on. 50% fit Rodri goes off then Nico comes on & is all over the place making rash challenges & maybe trying too hard.
 
I don’t think it’s a penalty but I agree it’s stupid from Gonzales who has looked shaky every time he’s come on. 50% fit Rodri goes off then Nico comes on & is all over the place making rash challenges & maybe trying too hard.
Nonsense! When Nico came on we moved the ball faster and more accurately he changed the game for the better The clearance from the FK that led to the penalty was exactly what any other player including the cheat Dyer would have done
 
Nonsense! When Nico came on we moved the ball faster and more accurately he changed the game for the better The clearance from the FK that led to the penalty was exactly what any other player including the cheat Dyer would have done

Just to confirm which bit is nonsense?

It wasn’t a penalty
Making rash challenges

I agree we moved the ball faster but he also lost it high up & lunged a few times.
 
In UEFA comps, a raised foot is a foul even if you don’t touch the player. Even when you’re about a foot away from the player’s head, the whole of the opposition team screams in unison as if you’ve two footed him in the knee, and the ref always blows for a free kick
Why wasnt Erling's goal disallowed then?
It is NOT a hard and fast "rule" that a high foot is an automatic FK. there are lots of instances in every game in every competition that a high foot is not penalized Why because the player raising their foot isn't committing dangerous play
So, last night's award was incorrect Nico raised his leg and contacted the ball Dyer ran into the space lowered his head towards a ball that wasnt there, ie the contact was initiated by Dyer he headed Nicos lower leg with little force. The ref should have analyzed the the contact and stuck with his original decision VAR shouldn't have even asked him to look as they too should have analyzed it and decided no foul play and certainly no clear and obvious mistake the ref had a clear view
In every day life we are all responsible for our actions and the same in football If you step into the road into oncoming traffic it is your fault not the car driver Dyer was responsible for his actions and he committed the dangerous play
 
And too think some posters on here have previously suggested using foreign refs to improve the standard of officials in the PL. Remember, this guy is thought to be the top ref in Spain.
Regarding the Donnaruma caution I think he took about 15 seconds. In the 91st ish minute the Monaco keeper took 50 seconds to take a free kick. No yellow
 
Both this "Gonzales who has looked shaky every time he’s come on"
and this "Nico comes on & is all over the place making rash challenges & maybe trying too hard"

No it wasnt a penalty

So we both agree it wasn’t a penalty so “both” to my example was nonsense.

I think Nico is struggling. Rodri needed to come off & we needed the change & I want him to succeed. I’m not sure if it’s a yard of pace or positionally why he’s getting caught & having to lunge.

You’re absolutely right in your other comment that high feet isn’t a foul & perfectly summed it up with Haalands goal but it’s stupid & risky when defending to go with your feet that high in the penalty area. The outcomes are different for attackers & defenders.

Overall though the ref & VAR were cunts.
 
Why wasnt Erling's goal disallowed then?
It is NOT a hard and fast "rule" that a high foot is an automatic FK. there are lots of instances in every game in every competition that a high foot is not penalized Why because the player raising their foot isn't committing dangerous play
So, last night's award was incorrect Nico raised his leg and contacted the ball Dyer ran into the space lowered his head towards a ball that wasnt there, ie the contact was initiated by Dyer he headed Nicos lower leg with little force. The ref should have analyzed the the contact and stuck with his original decision VAR shouldn't have even asked him to look as they too should have analyzed it and decided no foul play and certainly no clear and obvious mistake the ref had a clear view
Aye, this narrative seems to have emerged that a high foot near an opponent is automatically a foul and all other considerations are irrelevant. But that's instantly disproven by the fact that the ref had to watch it multiple times from different angles in slow motion before coming to his decision. If the only consideration was a high boot in the proximity of the opponent, then the decision would have taken two seconds. Instead, he obviously goes to lengths to check whether Gonzalez got to the ball first. But this was obviously a weak referee, as shown by all of his other decisions and conduct throughout the game, so he was never going to have the confidence to back his first decision.
 
I don’t think it’s a penalty but I agree it’s stupid from Gonzales who has looked shaky every time he’s come on. 50% fit Rodri goes off then Nico comes on & is all over the place making rash challenges & maybe trying too hard.
I thought Nico did well, he turned quickly in tight spaces and moved the ball forward quickly as well. Rodri looked sluggish & we shouldn’t have payed him.
Saying al, that the tempo from the team was poor in that 2nd half
 
I thought Nico did well, he turned quickly in tight spaces and moved the ball forward quickly as well. Rodri looked sluggish & we shouldn’t have payed him.
Saying al, that the tempo from the team was poor in that 2nd half

Rodri was certainly spent & he seems to be sitting more which he does perfectly. I think Nico did move the ball well at times which is why I wondered if it’s positionally. Is Rodri aware of danger before it happens, hopefully it’s experience cos it’s vital he’s able to cover.
 

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