Referees' Performances | 2025/26

[MikeF]

VAR. The same system that can’t see a goalkeeper handball it when out of the area in a final. Fucking joke

 

[waspish]

VAR. The same system that can’t see a goalkeeper handball it when out of the area in a final. Fucking joke

You seen the excuse they came out with for that! It was a yellow card offence so var couldn’t do anything hahahah

 

[red 2 hats]

VAR. The same system that can’t see a goalkeeper handball it when out of the area in a final. Fucking joke

That still winds me up, we were cheated out of a trophy, clear and obvious.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Absolute disgrace.arsenal play like a rugby team. A modern version of Wimbledon fc.
Backed by refs and var.

 

[CityFan1970]

Arsenal have literally been handed this title on a plate

From the goal against United on opening day
To the handball against Newcastle in September not given as a penalty before an injury time winner
Gabriel not being set off against us or newcastle
The penalty not given to Everton in a 1-0 win
The penalty not given to Brighton in a 1-0 win
Every single set piece they are allowed to cheat

Couple that with the decisions against us
Dalot sending at at 0-0 in the derby
Foden penalty in Newcastle defeat
Bruno offside for the goal in the same Newcastle game
Kean red card against Everton in 3-3 draw

There’s a theme
They tell you it doesn’t affect the season as whole but VAR have influenced all these close call matches

The penalty not given to Chelsea in a 2-1 win when Rice was holding down Hato at the near post AND flicked the ball with his forearm. England was the ref and Brooks was VAR.

 

[cleavers]

I wonder if @BlueHammer85 still feels that var can get nothing wrong when he watches that clip, which will probably condemn his club to relegation ?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

My inclination to solve holding is that the ref actively orders a retake if the corner isn't taken when the holding occurs.
If a second retake is appropriate due to more holding, there's an indirect freekick at the back of the D. Defences won't want lots of those. It should be possible for the ref to determine who is doing the holding, and not just ignore the whole thing as happens.
If the holding only starts after the kick, it's a freekick/penalty as appropriate. Should be easier to spot as there will be less before.

That initial thought can probably be improved on, and may have big flaws. It'll be pretty obvious if refs are choosing to just give IFKs to avoid making awkward decisions.

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

I wonder if @BlueHammer85 still feels that var can get nothing wrong when he watches that clip, which will probably condemn his club to relegation ?

Bloody hell he’s been quiet! Not seen since early Jan. He was a regular poster. Hope he’s ok.

 

[hertsblue]

Everton fan on X:
Everywhere you look you can see an Arsenal player committing a foul on a West Ham player, but VAR takes 5 minutes to spot a dubious infringement on an Arsenal player!

That is literally match fixing btw.

 

[heslops barnet]

Probably mentioned here, but an ex ref; Dunne I think, has suggested no players apart from keeper in 6 yard box b4 corner is taken, someone on here said imagine sorting out the collisions and fouls when everyone charges in……what’s next?, get rid of corners altogether and give a throw in near the corner flag instead?
Arsenal will win the league this season and we are hearing ex refs suggesting rule changes to the game that has been played for well over 100 years…

Getting rid of corners for us would definitely be an improvement, we don’t need throw ins either, shite at both

 

[Blue_eyes]

This season pigmol have empowered arses most potent tactics(holding/blocking at corners/set peices) whilst protecting them from the same tactics when used by opponents.

This alone has been enough to ensure that new name on the pl trophy.

Now its job done they will announce "new directives" to stop this next season.

Where I suspect they will turn their attention to "favouring" a different red shirted club.

This is why nearly every rule comes with manipulable ambiguity, so they can control games.

Var has made this a lot easier to implement, and tv companies spinning things for them helps to protect them.

 

[Manc Born & Bred]

Two penalties in this game given by Mike Dean, how times have changed and not for the good https://www.skysports.com/football/video/31391/10544773/stoke-1-4-man-city

 

[ufo]

What makes you think that pl is untouchable?
Best league, multi billion franchise, money flowing like shit … when pl players and such are found guilty of match fixing and betting ?
You don’t take “gifts “ like fancy watches for nothing, you don’t just fuck off to some desert at the height of your career for nothing .I ll say it again ,the day Webb and the oily twatenburg **** were let off the hook was the day football died in pl
Btw Collins has done amazing job somewhere here many moons ago exposing corruption. Fuckers will investigate anyone but the officials

 

[GOULDYBOBS]

I bet my house that twat gives a goal to Chelsea in the final in the same circumstances as chalked off

 

[Protein Junkie]

Referees have made sure corners are now a massive problem due to inertia.
It has also provided some referees with a perfect grey area.
PIGMOL don’t want clarity, they need the obfuscation.
Time to sanitise corners. Zero tolerance required on any holding. VAR might actually be competent in that area.

 

[BringBackSwales]

Fucking disgrace that the var officials are wired up to the tv feed. What this means is that a supposedly impartial var official and his assistant go from having their own view to having the view of cunts like Neville and Alan Smith which have become the views of the watching millions. So can anyone remind me the last time the view of these supposedly impartial view differed from the view of ratboy? Fucking fair and impartial my arse. In effect ratboy disallowed that goal yesterday. Cheating in plain sight, again

 

[invisibleandalone]

Fucking disgrace that the var officials are wired up to the tv feed. What this means is that a supposedly impartial var official and his assistant go from having their own view to having the view of cunts like Neville and Alan Smith which have become the views of the watching millions. So can anyone remind me the last time the view of these supposedly impartial view differed from the view of ratboy? Fucking fair and impartial my arse. In effect ratboy disallowed that goal yesterday. Cheating in plain sight, again

I've been saying this for ages about var being wired up to sky and being influenced by sky pundits about discissions. It's fucking bent.
If anything the VAR discissions and discussions should be put over the stadium speakers and screens so the actual paying fans can hear and maybe see how they have come to their conclusion.
I know the screens may not be possible at the 2 red giants of the Premier League. Which adds up with both clubs living in the past and The Piss Can making the discissions and the rules.

 

[hertsblue]

The penalty not given to Chelsea in a 2-1 win when Rice was holding down Hato at the near post AND flicked the ball with his forearm. England was the ref and Brooks was VAR.

There were 2 clear penalties not given to Chelsea in that game. Same as our home game v Forest, 3 penalties ignored by England and Var. The Spurs goal v us for kicking the back of our players leg and the non contact dive by Gabriel to get the Spurs equalixer ruled out- guess what Darren England on Var for that also.
Strange how all very clear decisions wrongly go against us and for Arsenal in every game England is involved in. Far too much evidence to be a coincidence and it needs a proper investigation by the club

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Even if VAR was able to hear commentators, which they are not, why would they let Sky set the narrative when they have their own PLP broadcasting arm?

 

[Pingu the Penguin]

You seen the excuse they came out with for that! It was a yellow card offence so var couldn’t do anything hahahah

The excuse was even wrong. Going away from goal so not denying a goalscoring opportunity. If he doesn’t touch it the ball bounces straight through the middle of the goal for erl to tap in. That was horrendous cheating. Cost us the cup. We need to shout about it more because low and behold in our next cup final a keeper charges out of his box and rugby tackles jezza and doesn’t get sent off either!