I also detect some of this in Victor's and Mane's attitude on the pitch. I am not saying that the are not playing well, but there is an underlying lack of enthusiasm and fight, I may be way off the mark but that what I see. I think before we can think of top four we need to win a cup to show other potential targets that we can bring them success, that's what makes the Liverpool game so disappointing, we had a real chance to win something.
I had to watch online, yesterday, and the commentator and Ian Dowie were puzzled by that decision, suggesting that had he reached for a card, which he should have done, it maybe should have been a red. It was the right decision to give the free kick, but what went through the ref's mind after he'd given it, should be explained. This is where the system really needs changing. Managers or their representative must attend post match interviews, under the terms of the broadcasting contracts, if I am correct. This should be extended to referees, so that they can explain why they have made specific decisions.
I thought the ref was fine. Pelle hold could and maybe should have been a yellow. Wouldn't have changed the game. And he didn't add enough extra time, but they almost never do. You really can't get too mad at things like that. Or a free throw going the wrong way, or non-vital offside call blown, or some holding away from the ball off a set piece that gets missed. Officials are not perfect, interpretations will differ, and those things happen.
TBH I think Refs should give up. What is the point in the booking for time wasting? They let it go on all game if it is 0-0 then when 1 team decides they need to speed up they start moaning. Just add the time on to the end and stop making a thing of it late on in the game.
To get this in perspective....after a bad period for Saints, we are only 2 points behind Liverpool after they lost to Newcastle today.
The time added on or not added on has been a bone of contention for as long as I have been watching football. I have never understood why in a professional game they can't have an official time keeper? Every time a ball goes out of play or the game is stopped for what ever reason a clock should be stopped and started at commencement and in a position to be seen by all. Not exactly rocket science to achieve this surely?
Exactly what happens in both rugby codes. The ref tells the timekeeper to stop the clock for injuries etc. and start it again. Then when the clock reaches full time it's the end of the game, in rugby when the ball goes out of play, though that wouldn't apply to football. The ref could easily stop the clock for time wasting as well.
I should add that IMO, Saints got a break in the first half on time. We were in a threatening position, and it seemed to me like it was pretty obvious the ref let us continue play a bit longer because of it. As soon as we got a cross in that was broken up, the whistle blew. Which I think is stupid as well. Why should we get extra time because we were in a good position? Should have gotten to that good position 30 seconds sooner, or tough luck. It is of course, child's play to fix this. As with so many other problems in football, the lack of a solution has never been a problem, FIFA and FA being corrupt, incompetent dumbasses is the problem.
Probably not deliberate at all...the ref is watching play because something is happening and he has to watch in case there is a penalty, foul or goal. The minute that stops, the ref looks at his watch and blows his whistle.
I cannot remember a season in the whole of my Saints supporting history where we did not have a wobbly patch of results within it. It's an old cliche, but the season really is a marathon and not a sprint.
Well said, SA. I do believe that at the end of this marathon we may not be as close to glory as last year, but then it is time to get real.
I don't understand why the board, used for substitutions doesn't have a stopwatch built into it, with the 4th official telling the ref exactly how much time needs to be added on for substitutions, rounded up to the nearest minute, to pee off those that use substitutions to run the clock down. At the moment, if I am correct the ref adds on 30 seconds per sub. If the board had a stopwatch, the moment the board goes up, the clock starts, and time wasted by players pretending not to have seen it or walking slowly over from the other side of the pitch, then gets accurately added on. During the Stoke game, all their subs were so far away from the bench, that I'm sure Shaqri was behind me, and I was in row HH!!! We made a substitution at the same time as Stoke, 2nd half, and I turned to my brother and said "Do you think the 1 minute the ref adds on for these two substitutions will adequately cover the two and a half minutes they have taken?" With technology today, this shouldn't still be an issue.
...and just one more goal in any one of the games where we have drawn despite 20 or more shots would have had us 6th equal with West Ham. Such fine margins, and not even half way through the season.
And knowing Saints, just when the fans are thinking doom and gloom, they'll probably hit a great run in March/April/May and better it!
I don't believe the authorities really want all the time lost during a game added on because it could mean many games lasting for 10-15 minutes longer. They would probably see this as just too much. At the moment a game with not too many stoppages gets about 3 minutes extra and one with some injuries and some obvious time wasting will get about 5 minutes. You can probably guess the amount that's going to be on the board before it goes up. It's not an accurate reflection of the real time lost, more a token gesture.
And you only care if you are losing....at the moment I want the game to finish when we go 1-0 up....don't care if that is in the 15th minute.
So the ref should just have a mandate to keep the game running from the start, not start hurrying players up later in the game when one side deems it an offence and starts moaning.
