Rival watch

More examples of referees having far too much influence on the result of football matches. Constant tweaking of the rules of the game by committee. Let's introduce camera technology to make decisions where there is doubt? Then when it doesn't work lets change the rules of the game to make VAR work.As I said in the first place the only winners are TV who just love controversy to discuss and add fake drama to what can often be dull games. Already the interruptions to play change games by destroying momentum and the VAR decisions themselves are no better than when we didn't use it. Sticking to checking if balls had crossed lines would have been an improvement all the rest is interfering with the game to it's detriment.

 

Chris Kavanagh, the referee for the Man U Brighton match, is from Manchester. But I'm sure there's no chance he's really a Man U fan pretending he supports another club so he can work their games.

 

A United fan from Manchester are you sure!!

 

He doesn't actually appear to support any club, which is rather unusual for a Premier League referee.
It seems to be becoming a trend with some of the newer refs, though. Not very transparent.

 

Excuse my cynicism, have they been told not to reveal their allegiances? If I was a ref I would give City and Chelsea nothing and that's why you have to minimise the influence they have on the game.

 

I think his performance yesterday actually points to him being a City fan - he awards 2 quite soft penalties against United (unheard of) VAR challenges the 2nd one and he is compelled to change the decision, he plays until Brighton equalise, thinks he had better allow a little bit more time and then blows the full time whistle as soon as Brighton clear the next attack ignoring a blatant handball and having to be advised by VAR to take another look.

 

There are several layers of **** there.

 

Kavanagh is a Pool fan, see the last minute penalty he gave Mane (after he dived) against Leicester last season for all the evidence you need.

 

I don't know, honestly. You can find out who a lot of the more experienced refs support very easily, but not the new ones.
From 2016: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36075347
East supposedly supported nobody, but watched Salisbury FC sometimes.

There's been a few articles strewn around the media since and a few of the newer refs don't have open allegiances.
Bankes (Liverpool), Kavanagh (Manchester) and Coote (Nottingham) are all unknowns.
Andy Madley, brother of Bobby, is from Huddersfield and he probably supports them, but it's not been confirmed.

 

Sounds about right.

 

My expectation was that VAR would be the football equivalent
of the TMO in rugby, and would go thru similar teething pains
in reaching the end aim.

All I currently see is a bunch of off-pitch "jobsworth Nazis" ,
who aid and abet the on-pitch officials who suffer no material
punishment of blatant instances of on-pitch cowardice/
incompetence in their decision-making on the day.

 

What’s that got to do with the actual current rules?

 

Oh well we could be Citeh getting turned over by Vardy

 

Think City will be spending big this week

 

3 penalties awarded.
Is there a separate dive/handball/VAR report for this game ??

 

VAR is pants but the law is the problem. The new handball rule is the main issue as technically they were right to give the penalty

 

I only saw vardy's 1st pen by Walker very soft but now is the normal , I am all for protection of the forwards to let the skill show but Vardy was on his way down as soon as he felt the breathe on his back , must have learnt it from his Mrs

 

It was also an incident that once again showed that Walker is a brainless oaf - he is a fabulous athlete but sometimes he just doesn't have the brains he was born with

 

Yeah always relied on his pace, his positioning and brain is poor