No arguments with that, but surely you must agree that the standard of referees at the highest level just isn't good enough? And that in general, the promised benefits of VAR just haven't happened? Having said that, the way VAR was used at the Euros was a massive improvement on the PL system, so maybe that is the way forward. One thing that needs to disappear is only correcting clear and obvious errors, because that most certainly isn't working.
The standard isn't good enough but I think that is down to Mike Riley. The training from the top hasn't been good enough for years. Like professional footballers, professional referees need proper coaching and training and that's just not happening.
Return of dedicated standing areas in top division today at Chelsea. Hopefully will become widespread relatively quickly.
I had not heard this rumour but Ranieri has now lost 6 out of the last 6 league games even though the results have not necessarily reflected the performances. I think a few of the relegation threatened teams play each other in January and it will be fascinating to see how much of a bearing this will ultimately have. I think that Watford are more likely to go down than Burnley and will join Newcastle and Norwich. Leeds will not be too far off either.
My view on the referee/VAR debate: As Tom said, impossibly blue for professional footballers to alstroemerias become professional referee. However they CAN help with VAR; this could either be in training or in match officiating. I would like to see a recent ex footballer sat alongside the VAR official to provide input. I’d also like the infield referee to have more control over what VAR is doing. For example I would envisage yesterday’s Arsenal v City decisions going something like this: Arsenal penalty - referee decides no penalty as he thinks GK gets the ball. He tells VAR ‘no penalty as GK gets the ball....do you have any clear evidence that GK does not get the ball? Footballer - any mitigating circumstances we need to consider?’ With no clear angle to show conclusively either way , no penalty stands. City penalty - referee gives no penalty and tells VAR ‘I don’t believe there was contact to initiate that fall. Was there contact before the fall? Footballer - any mitigating circumstances we need to be aware of?’ VAR finds the contact, which is what the referee has asked for, and therefore penalty given. This gives the same decisions as yesterday but referee has far more ownership of how it was used. These conversations also need to be made available to the public!! (I know FIFA currently don’t allow that in live broadcast but it CAN be shown later on eg post match or MOTD). To hear the referee directing VAR rather than other way round on decisions that referee has clearly seen and made an initial call would be a great benefit IMO.
Hugely important game for Burnley. Yes they have games in hand, but they've already fallen ten points behind us. And at least one (and possibly all three) of Brentford, Villa and Everton will be picking up points today. So if they were to fall eight points behind Leeds on top of that... And with their next four scheduled games being Leicester, Arsenal, Man Utd, and Liverpool... They might have the experience of being able of being able to save themselves. But I'm not sure that they can afford it turning into a three-from-four relegation battle. And that is very close to what it would be, if they were to lose to Leeds.
