I don't agree with Lawro much - he has us down for a 0-2 loss this weekend though some might say that's fair enough. He recently said this on his prediction thread and he talks a lot of sense imo. "Liverpool benefitted from a bad refereeing decision when Swansea's Federico Fernandez was sent off in their Capital One Cup tie. For major, game-changing incidents like that one I do not understand why the fourth official cannot watch a replay and, within a few seconds, talk to the referee on his headset about what has happened. "Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is a long-time advocate of using video technology to help referees and he makes a very good point when he asks why millions of people around the world, say, watching a Premier League game, can see there has been an obvious mistake by a referee and yet the people officiating the game turn a blind eye to it. People might say it will make games last longer but I don't think the punters are bothered, especially if it means better decisions." Well said that man. It has to come doesn't it?
Title made me laugh dragon....ive heard so many complain about Lawro , to see him and technology in the same sentence just struck me funnily....
Ha ha, yes I know where you're coming from, Roof. I think he's an overpaid twerp most of the time but he's spot on here.
It would take just a matter of seconds to be confirmed and that issue if deemed to be a fair tackle then could be restarted with a drop ball as that player I suppose had tratment after the incident havent seen it yet.
He's definitely right. As is Arsene Wenger. In most situations, before the free-kick after any sending off is taken, the viewers at home have already seen the challenge in slow-motion from at least 4 different angles. The 4th official should be looking at these replays and helping the referee make a decision. Quick and effective.
We all knew it was a fair tackle due to the replays even before the free kick was taken. Football is full of Luddites at the top it seems. Why would you not make the use of the best technology available ? It seems every department of football makes use of it from kit manufacturing, to football design right through to systems that monitor performance and fitness. It's just stupid that we won't use it to help get more decisions correct. I'm a drummer, and I remember in the late 80's and early 90's when the prevalence of drum machines meant that bands were playing without drummers and there was this big argument that it's wrong for a number of reasons (which I won't go into). However what has happened now is that drum machines/loops etc are seen as just another instrument for creativity and many drummers incorporate their use to some extent in modern music. There's always resistance in what is initially perceived as taking power away from a human and making that human redundant. Eventually people come around to the idea that technology is not a complete replacement, but rather a tool of benefit. It's just way overdue in football.
Agree with that, Stereo. Why is it that the authorities are so far behind the fans on this sort of thing? How many years were most of us clamouring for goal line technology yet that's only just been brought in. I'm pretty certain it will come but not for some years yet, unfortunately. What would speed things up is if old farts like Blatter got the **** out of the way and retired, allowing a younger, more forward-thinking man (or woman) to take his place.
The FA are not interested in what fans think, we only ever see the mouthpiece who is routinely sacked for his perceived failures once every seven years or so but the real power men, the ones we never see, have been on the board for decades and answer only to themselves. If they don't want technology we won't get it. Even the perceived grip the Premier League has on the FA is a fallacy, if those mysterious shadowy old men at the FA want Scudamore gone you can guarantee he wouldn't be in his job the next morning. To change the FA you need to change all the old codgers who give the "boss" orders.
Thing is with goal line technology is that it doesn't intrude on the game. It is used about once in every ten matches and causes no stoppage to play. What the FA worry about regarding a video ref is that it will intrude on the game too much. There are probably in excess of 20 disputed ref/linesman calls every match, and you can guarantee the side that comes off worse will be barracking the ref into using video tech on each one. Could have a system like in tennis I suppose, where each side has a certain number of calls they can use. Thing is with Tennis every decision is black or white the ball is in or out. Not so in football.
I agree Monty that if video reviews come in - and I think they will eventually - they have to be limited either in number and/or to match-changing decisions like straight reds and pens. I think that someone has already pointed out that a review would only take about 30 seconds and I honestly can't see how that slows the game down.
