Watford (H) Post Match Thread

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

I was amazed when our first goal was allowed but then I was certainly not level with the play and I was some considerable distance away. It seems that Sterling was "played onside" by a Watford defender and so the referee was right to award the goal - unless Sterling was active enough to pressure the defender by his presence into playing the ball, in which case the referee could have disallowed the goal. There is a perfectly justified case to do either and the ref's decision was a matter of interpretation. I would have been furious if such a decision had gone against us, but it wouldn't be the first time. This is entirely different from, for example, the goal Liverpool were awarded against West ham. The goal should have been disallowed. However the offside law is interpreted that goal should have been disallowed. The decision to allow Liverpool's goal was simply and completely wrong. And that won Liverpool a point they did not deserve and should not have had. But I know which goal will arouse the anger of the media...

The Liverpool goal was certainly offside. Sterling's goal may have been offside, but is subjective to interpretation. Same with the recent VAR decisions regarding handball and penalty.

That is the problem with VAR, the decisions are still subjective.

 

[aguerooooo]

As wonderful as Sterling"s goal return has been there are times in games where he becomes insignificant compare the effort and determination of Raz 2nd half to his no show first half .not just today either .and PEP was peeved enough to mention this when being questioned after the match today He obviously feels Raz has it in him to offer us more and he is correct in trying to do so

 

[Mancity1980]

Explain to me why that first goal was offside

Sterling was offside and active (he was shaping to shoot).

 

[jamiecav]

Pep interview on MOTD was excellent. He is getting angry. :)

 

[Vicmeldrew666]

Sterling was "interfering" with play or was "active" or whatever the correct term is to describe his position. This is subjective.

Very subjective. The offside rules have evolved into a completely unintelligible mess which are open to interpretation by any match official.
This is what they want.
They never expected one of theirs to interpret it to our benefit.

 

[Ohrodneyrodney]

Sterling was offside and active (he was shaping to shoot).

He wasnt active until the defender played the ball against him, so not offside.

 

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

Peter Walton, what a sycophant. Before the decision to award the goal he claimed definitely offside, but after the goal wad awarded he changed his mind and said, ok maybe sterling was not active and laws state not offside if defender plays ball !!!!

 

[Ohrodneyrodney]

Watford got exactly what they deserved from this match. Nowt.

 

[Tommy_Catons_Perm]

Very subjective. The offside rules have evolved into a completely unintelligible mess which are open to interpretation by any match official.
This is what they want.
They never expected one of theirs to interpret it to our benefit.

Correct. And what happened to giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacker, and level is not off side, re aguero in league cup final?

 

[Mancity1980]

Pep interview on MOTD was excellent. He is getting angry. :)

To be fair to the interviewer he was questioning if they were lucky to be awarded the first goal (a valid question) but Pep interpreted that as were we lucky today which clearly we weren’t.