Referees' Performances | 2025/26

[bernard o'silver]

There's an easy remedy to this nonsense. The ref should be informed to blow his whistle when the corner/set piece is about to be taken. At that point, even though the ball is yet to be kicked, the ball is deemed to be live. Any wrestling or pulling is then punished, by way of a penalty or a free kick to the defending side. The amount of wrestling in the area this season has been nothing short of outrageous, and totally spoilt the Premier League as a spectacle.

Far too sensible to be implemented

 

[ancoats]

I am normally all over the officials and some of the stuff last night was a joke and bent to the core.
But I keep banging on about how we have to get back to taking the referee out of the game and taking more of our chances, which kills the game and then we are fully in control and not him,

Manchester City are never going to get the rub of the green in games because of the cheat tag and us beating the Premier League and its system in many cases,

I fear some of our players are going to get badly injured because they let others kick the shit out of us ? Doku got a right going over last night, only for the Everton fans thinking he was cheating and diving by booing him all night

 

[gingerprince]

He then allowed Doku back on the pitch when the play was in the area Doku was coming on from. In every FA course they tell you to only let the player back on when the play is nowhere near him.

When Keane fouled Doku and got booked after being treated he made Doku leave the pitch. That is an error. I cannot believe he doesn't know that if a player is injured from a foul that earns a sanction (red or yellow) they do not have to leave the pitch after treatment. Gonzalez was pointing it out to him but still didn't change his mind. He waved Doku back on after about 15 seconds....I suspect somebody told him through his headset that he had fucked up.
This is just sums up how bad he is. He was shit last night but not knowing the laws of the game is embarrassing.

Richard,

I was under the impression that the player didn't have to leave field of play after yellow/red card caution for the foul,
as Bluesteve1964 states and others have too. However, I've seen this happen a few times & started to believe I may
be wrong? I've checked and is this caveat the reason why? "Treatment &/or Assessment must be completed quickly"
[eg player must still leave field of play following cautionable offence if treatment/assessment is prolonged]

Firstly, is this correct?

If so what is defined as prolonged? seems to be a situation that could be very subjective and applied inconsistently?

Also if Ref has allowed trainer to action prolonged treatment the game has stopped anyway so if reason for not having
to leave field after a caution is not to penalise why then not allow player to remain on after prolonged treatment...........?

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

There's an easy remedy to this nonsense. The ref should be informed to blow his whistle when the corner/set piece is about to be taken. At that point, even though the ball is yet to be kicked, the ball is deemed to be live. Any wrestling or pulling is then punished, by way of a penalty or a free kick to the defending side. The amount of wrestling in the area this season has been nothing short of outrageous, and totally spoilt the Premier League as a spectacle.

Have you thought that through correctly? How many penalties will the red shirts be awarded? And how many will we concede?
Don't forget, Howard was saying they were clamping down on it this season.

 

[Bluechipblue]

Have you thought that through correctly? How many penalties will the red shirts be awarded? And how many will we concede?
Don't forget, Howard was saying they were clamping down on it this season.

Good point.
Oh well. Back to the drawing board.

 

[Chak19]

Two blatant penalties the tarquins got away with tonight that we never would've, England or Europe it doesn't matter, the same cheating shite.

 

[Cassandra]

Richard,

I was under the impression that the player didn't have to leave field of play after yellow/red card caution for the foul,
as Bluesteve1964 states and others have too. However, I've seen this happen a few times & started to believe I may
be wrong? I've checked and is this caveat the reason why? "Treatment &/or Assessment must be completed quickly"
[eg player must still leave field of play following cautionable offence if treatment/assessment is prolonged]

Firstly, is this correct?

If so what is defined as prolonged? seems to be a situation that could be very subjective and applied inconsistently?

Also if Ref has allowed trainer to action prolonged treatment the game has stopped anyway so if reason for not having
to leave field after a caution is not to penalise why then not allow player to remain on after prolonged treatment...........?

Anyone see whether the Everton player who ran into the barriers behind the goal and collapsed in heaps was allowed to come on for the corner after Oliver had stopped play for him to be treated?

 

[stirlingblue]

I remember a game against the rags at our place when he waved away something like three clear cut penalties but eventually had to give us one as otherwise it was too obvious to hide he was screwing us over.

This is so true. I honestly couldn't believe what I was watching that day and had a great view of all the fouls on Serge. Seriously disliked and distrusted Oliver ever since that day in 2015. Bent as fook!

 

[lasereyes]

Think this still epitomises the league really.
Can't take my mind off this one whenever I think of officiating these days. View attachment 191184

If there is one moment that cost us the league, I would say it is this one. Nobody can convince me (Alleyne at CB or not) that we would not have turned the Scum over playing against 10 for 80+ minutes. That 3 pt swing will be pivotal in the final reckoning

 

[fathellensbellend]

when was the last time we had an opposition player sent off and it was a real benefit to City, a correct decision that gave us an advantage in the game because i just cannot remember one which you would think is nigh on impossible for a side that has had 70% of the ball for the last 15 years

 

[Gazza]

Beto's only purpose was to leave a foot in after our defenders had played the ball, a reducer if you like, so they haven't got the same recovery speed when it matters. Their defenders did the same with Doku all game.
Theres a lot of talk about thrre being no special players in the PL at the moment, no they're getting kicked out of the game at the first opportunity, that's why.

 

[richardtheref]

Richard,

I was under the impression that the player didn't have to leave field of play after yellow/red card caution for the foul,
as Bluesteve1964 states and others have too. However, I've seen this happen a few times & started to believe I may
be wrong? I've checked and is this caveat the reason why? "Treatment &/or Assessment must be completed quickly"
[eg player must still leave field of play following cautionable offence if treatment/assessment is prolonged]

Firstly, is this correct?

If so what is defined as prolonged? seems to be a situation that could be very subjective and applied inconsistently?

Also if Ref has allowed trainer to action prolonged treatment the game has stopped anyway so if reason for not having
to leave field after a caution is not to penalise why then not allow player to remain on after prolonged treatment...........?

You are correct it's totally subjective. I was always told by assessors to just let the player stay on. However, much like you, I've noticed a few lately being told to leave the pitch.

 

[Mancini Manus Domini]

There was one moment in the game I recall Doku playing the ball back to another City player, and the Everton fullback had to run a few further yards to give him a forceful shove in the back, way after the ball had gone. Clearly they had targeted him and Oliver allowed it all.

 

[bluetonium]

You are correct it's totally subjective. I was always told by assessors to just let the player stay on. However, much like you, I've noticed a few lately being told to leave the pitch.

I read that the guidance is supposed to be that if treated by the medical staff for a maximum of 30 seconds then the player can remain on the pitch, any more and they have to go to the sidelines. Presumably this is so that more involved injuries are treated whilst the game can continue.

Doku was treated for less than 30 seconds, but what compounds the decision is that he then let Doku back on the pitch just in time to steal the ball from the unexpecting Everton player and set up a chance on goal. Can we blame Everton for passing the ball that way when Doku was being waved back on, or the referee for not anticipating the flow of the game? Either way, problem is averted if Doku stays on the pitch which, by my understanding, would have been perfectly permissable under the rules and in fact probably wastes more time by forcing him off whilst everyone waits.

I often wonder, do referees at the higher levels still get assessed on their match performance? I'm sure it's an extremely high pressure role and you can never be totally right, but I can't help but think that clearer communication on decisions would help us understand and not be so critical or feel hard done by.

For example, a mic'd up ref in this game telling us Doku has to leave the field for further treatment because xyz, that's fine. As it is, both sides feel aggrieved because nobody understands which part of the rule book the referee is going by.


For me Oliver had a shocker, and I'm not taking about the big decisions necessarily. He blocked passing lanes so frequently for us that it became something we had to play around and even forces us backwards on a couple of occasions. The two late challenges by Beto, I can only assume he classed them as persistent fouling? But they're both very similar, both 'naughty' challenges on the ankle/achilles that are definitely bookable, regardless of whether view them as clumsy or intentional. I think Everton saw his hesitation to book players initially as encouragement to leave one on us, and that is where player safety takes a hit.

And the corner that wasn't a corner... So frustrating. Seems to be more and more of these which are read wrong for throw ins and corners, I'm not sure why that would be but given the huge focus on scoring from these and the rugby scrum messes in the box that have been cultivated into the game, I think a sharper focus on getting calls right here is required. We're not far off having the title decided by an incorrectly given corner, or a game being won 3-0 all from set pieces that weren't called correctly. The whole issue of wrestling in the box hopefully gets addressed during the summer with the annual rule changes, it's made our game a less entertaining spectacle and actually discourages attacking or inventive play in favour of power and walking the thin line between technical foul and permissable pushes.

 

[YaYa's Left Peg]

This is so true. I honestly couldn't believe what I was watching that day and had a great view of all the fouls on Serge. Seriously disliked and distrusted Oliver ever since that day in 2015. Bent as fook!

And yet, some would have you believe, without hesitation or doubt, that he’s a City funded stooge, just because he once refereed in the UAE!

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

A full comprehensive list of decisions that have gone against us this season:

Aston Villa away - the corner they scored from could have been given as a free kick to Nunes while he was kicking the ball out.

Newcastle away - Foden taken out while shooting, as clear a penalty as you'll see. A handball later in the half that could have been given as a penalty to City. Newcastle's winner was offside. They invented some rule about margin of error that was never heard of beforehand and changed the image of the players that was used from reality.

Nottm Forest away - Igor Jesus could have been sent off, studs high and caught Foden's knee

Chelsea at home - there was something here which I just can't remember?

Newcastle away (Carabao Cup) - ridiculous offside given against one of our goals after a 6 minute wait

Man Utd away - Dalot should have been sent off in the first 10 minutes - a 100% red card. Unfathomable that it wasn't given.

Wolves at home - clear penalty not given for handball. Someone should have been sent off for Wolves also for raking their studs down Doku's calf

Spurs away - Guehi fouled in process of Solanke scoring. Anything else here?

Fulham at home - Semenyo had his hair pulled. Play on.

Nottm Forest at home - 2 penalty appeals, one on Haaland, one late on on Rodri. Seen them given seen them not given.

Arsenal at home - Gabriel headbutts Haaland. A 100% red card. Unfathomable that it wasn't given.

Everton - Keane should have been sent off when City were 1-0 up in the first half. Barry goal very lucky, he was offside, arguments on why this should have been given.

Anymore?

 

[Allnightlong]

There was one moment in the game I recall Doku playing the ball back to another City player, and the Everton fullback had to run a few further yards to give him a forceful shove in the back, way after the ball had gone. Clearly they had targeted him and Oliver allowed it all.

Happened a couple of times

 

[cp64]

A full comprehensive list of decisions that have gone against us this season:

Aston Villa away - the corner they scored from could have been given as a free kick to Nunes while he was kicking the ball out.

Newcastle away - Foden taken out while shooting, as clear a penalty as you'll see. A handball later in the half that could have been given as a penalty to City. Newcastle's winner was offside. They invented some rule about margin of error that was never heard of beforehand and changed the image of the players that was used from reality.

Nottm Forest away - Igor Jesus could have been sent off, studs high and caught Foden's knee

Chelsea at home - there was something here which I just can't remember?

Newcastle away (Carabao Cup) - ridiculous offside given against one of our goals after a 6 minute wait

Man Utd away - Dalot should have been sent off in the first 10 minutes - a 100% red card. Unfathomable that it wasn't given.

Wolves at home - clear penalty not given for handball. Someone should have been sent off for Wolves also for raking their studs down Doku's calf

Spurs away - Guehi fouled in process of Solanke scoring. Anything else here?

Fulham at home - Semenyo had his hair pulled. Play on.

Nottm Forest at home - 2 penalty appeals, one on Haaland, one late on on Rodri. Seen them given seen them not given.

Arsenal at home - Gabriel headbutts Haaland. A 100% red card. Unfathomable that it wasn't given.

Everton - Keane should have been sent off when City were 1-0 up in the first half. Barry goal very lucky, he was offside, arguments on why this should have been given.

Anymore?

The 2 Forest games just had poor officials where strange decisions were given. The game at the city ground could have been 9 against 10 on another day Forest could have had both Jesus and Anderson sent off whilst City could have had Dias sent off. I was surprised you didnt get a penalty in the home game my take on the Haaland one was I thought Sels tried to take his arm away and Haaland initiated the contact but the Rodri one I thought was a stonewall penalty. I have just come to accept that the officials are crap and the sooner we could get rid of var and forensic looking at decisions the better for the game .

 

[Gordyola]

when was the last time we had an opposition player sent off and it was a real benefit to City, a correct decision that gave us an advantage in the game because i just cannot remember one which you would think is nigh on impossible for a side that has had 70% of the ball for the last 15 years

Trossard in 2024 /25 season

 

[Chris in London]

I don't know how many, it sounds like you keep a spreadsheet with all the times its happened to Haaland though, so you can probably tell me.

Nope, I just go to the games