Referees' Performances | 2025/26

danielwood5 said:
The difference being that Allisson threw himself to the ground and the entire Liverpool team began haranguing the ref.
The mistake we made was Donnarumma and the rest of the team tried to carry on playing, if Donnarumma had theatrically thrown himself to the floor anf the rest of the teams topped playing then the VAR would have got involved.
Welcome to the new 'more physical' Premier League, where the VAR-reliant referees will only make decisions if players dive, cheat and whinge. This is the brave new world of VAR; where cheats prosper and trying to play honestly puts you at a disadvantage.
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Well, not exactly - Donnarumma complained to Alti and the **** booked him!
 
danielwood5 said:
The difference being that Allisson threw himself to the ground and the entire Liverpool team began haranguing the ref.
The mistake we made was Donnarumma and the rest of the team tried to carry on playing, if Donnarumma had theatrically thrown himself to the floor anf the rest of the teams topped playing then the VAR would have got involved.
Welcome to the new 'more physical' Premier League, where the VAR-reliant referees will only make decisions if players dive, cheat and whinge. This is the brave new world of VAR; where cheats prosper and trying to play honestly puts you at a disadvantage.
Click to expand...


Donna did go down, and from what I can remember, we did surround the ref. We're just reffed differently.
 
danielwood5 said:
The difference being that Allisson threw himself to the ground and the entire Liverpool team began haranguing the ref.
The mistake we made was Donnarumma and the rest of the team tried to carry on playing, if Donnarumma had theatrically thrown himself to the floor anf the rest of the teams topped playing then the VAR would have got involved.
Welcome to the new 'more physical' Premier League, where the VAR-reliant referees will only make decisions if players dive, cheat and whinge. This is the brave new world of VAR; where cheats prosper and trying to play honestly puts you at a disadvantage.
Click to expand...
Therein lies the problem. I fucking hate players diving and over exaggerating contact, but if you don't do it then you don't get a decision. If The Don would have went over when his arm was pulled he'd have got the decision as there was contact and you could see his arm being pulled. The contact done it's job and put him off. Maybe that's the way to get round this, just make the most of the contact.

Can't believe I'm advocating for that but Arsenal have done a very good job of this set piece stuff and pushing the limits of what can and can't be done - other teams are learning a lot more quickly than us.
 
Don Karleone said:
Donna did go down, and from what I can remember, we did surround the ref. We're just reffed differently.
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He didn't go down at the contact though. He went down after trying to punch the ball away. He should have went down when his arm was pulled.
 
CheshireExpat said:
The handball and the arm link, would they be given for someone else?
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For sure. Wasn't a perfectly good Dias goal ruled out here 2 years ago when Allison went down clutching his face after Ruben scored but had supposedly caught him accidentally on the arm?

They have no hesitation in disallowing our goals ( or awarding pk) against us fir so called infringements, but let our opposition benefit and its no VAR, move on, nothing to see here, goal or penalty stands. I'm sick and tired of it. Feck knows how the players must feel....
 
Don Karleone said:
Donna did go down, and from what I can remember, we did surround the ref. We're just reffed differently.
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Only after he'd gone for the ball and attempted the save. The commentator on the stream even had the nerve to say that it was Donnarumma's mistake and he should have used both hands to punch the ball away! He probably would have used both hands if they were both free when the ball came in.
 
malg said:
Therein lies the problem. I fucking hate players diving and over exaggerating contact, but if you don't do it then you don't get a decision. If The Don would have went over when his arm was pulled he'd have got the decision as there was contact and you could see his arm being pulled. The contact done it's job and put him off. Maybe that's the way to get round this, just make the most of the contact.

Can't believe I'm advocating for that but Arsenal have done a very good job of this set piece stuff and pushing the limits of what can and can't be done - other teams are learning a lot more quickly than us.
Click to expand...
It's been like this since VAR came in, referees are overly reluctant to make decisions as they're using VAR as a crutch but VAR won't step in as it's not a 'clear and obvious error'. VAR and the referees cowardice is directly responsible for the shit, cheating football we're plagued with now, where to be successful you need to have a team full of cheats and a client media pressuring and criticising referees if they make a decision against your team.
 
danielwood5 said:
It's been like this since VAR came in, referees are overly reluctant to make decisions as they're using VAR as a crutch but VAR won't step in as it's not a 'clear and obvious error'. VAR and the referees cowardice is directly responsible for the shit, cheating football we're plagued with now, where to be successful you need to have a team full of cheats and a client media pressuring and criticising referees if they make a decision against your team.
Click to expand...
I genuinely looked forward to VAR. I knew there would be teething problems but I thought we'd sort them out. However, it is absolutely not fit for purpose. Unfortunately we'll never get rid of it.

It has definitely made the game worse.
 
The one that got me was when, I think it was Nico o Reilly but could have been Gonzales, was fouled several times, taps on the ankles and shirt pulls, and kept the ball, Taylor had his arms out indicating he's seen it and play on, we keep the ball under immense pressure and have no choice but to launch it long or pass it all the way back to Donnarumma. It goes back to Donnarumma who is pressed, and kicks it long. Where is the advantage? What about cautioning the persistent fouling? Altrincham my arse.

Give us the free kick. Make them take ten yards back. It's all to do with this perception that 'city want to play football' so we're allowed to continue in case something develops, even when it's blindingly obvious we're heading backwards. Whilst other teams can expect to get the free kick brought back for up to 5 or even 10 second sometimes, in our case it's very often play on regardless, no breather for City because City like possession.

On their goal, in real time i thought it was a goal, but on seeing the replay that's pretty obvious. Lets go before Donnarumma leaps, but by then he's already done his job of delaying the leap, restricting the positioning and reach. I can absolutely guarantee you, the next goal we scored similar to that will be chalked off for a push, a brushing of arms, or a silent but deadly fart. No chance we get that in our favour at either end.

VAR is making for lazy refs. The cameras and boys at Stockley Park will get it. Except they don't, far too often. Or they might, depending on the time of day and what they had for breakfast.
 
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