I think it’s now inarguable that Premier League referees have been made worse by VAR, that they are not good enough, and that VAR is a complete failure on subjective decisions. It’s pretty much also inarguable that officiating generally favours the bigger clubs. The whole sorry bunch of PGMOL officials should be binned off and replaced with lower level refs who haven’t been tainted by the presence of VAR. Let’s return to the days when the referee’s initial decision is final, even if they occasionally get it wrong. Keep VAR for offsides only but again, simplify the law so there has to be clear daylight between the attacker and the last defender. Apply VAR only when a goal is scored and the linesman has flagged. And please, please, please, let’s return to the original ruling that handball has to be deliberate to be an offence, anywhere on the pitch.
Brilliant post Chilcs. Been saying absolutely the same & for a long time. Every point spot on. Edit: I know I shouldn’t but I keep replaying that incident & Stephen’s sending off but OMFG! Can anyone, someone please provide some light on why one is deemed violent conduct - I presume because of a hair pull/tug (ball not in play) & a sending off, whereas the other, a definite hair pull, harder I would argue, ball in play & Chelsea on a breakaway, is just a booking?
I still feel like VAR should be ran by an independent organisation to PGMOL. There is just no accountability or really even any reason for them to change anything. Slaps on the wrist is all they’ll get unless it’s a Coote-snoot level situation. Why would they change when no one is really in a position to make them too? It’s turned into the most spineless yet egotistical boys group with no oversight. Did you **** yup so bad that a team might face relegation as a result? You silly devil go ref in the championship for a few weeks! Are you very very very very blatantly giving top 6 clubs better decisions? We’ll stick you on as a 4th official for a few games! That’ll teach you! Referees have a horrible job. To be expected to do what they do, under that pressure, while being berated non stop is difficult, no doubt. But their absolute unwillingness to admit blatant mistakes or enforce change after repeated mistakes while having the same morons get to officiate week after week, it’s very hard to keep sympathy for them. But they need VAR. Some of the decisions over the weekend were seriously bizarre that you’d like to think would never have happened if VAR was in place. Everyone and their mum knows you can’t blame technology. It’s the idiots using it who can’t keep a consistent decision from one week to the next. Just look at the disaster that’s been swept completely under the rug with offside technology. It was announced officially by the premier league to come in after the first international break. It’s now mid January and suspiciously no one ****ing talks about it. It’s never brought up Sky, BBC or PGMOL. They’re either straight up corrupt at this point or unbelievably incompetent.
Come on Villa. How the **** they have 18 points is beyond me, they are terrible! Unfortunately what does that make us? It's way past time for them to go down.
Steve Cooper must be sat at home watching his stock retrospectively rise. (although RVN could still get above him over the next few games).
Oooh look, it’s a transfer window! Tosser. There’s obviously a player in there but looks like he requires constant ego massaging.
Ipswich RFC are at it again on corners! How the **** do they get away with holding, pushing and pulling is beyond me.
Bournemouth's bench is quite something. And not in a good way. Makes it all the more impressive that they're sitting in 8th - and would move to just one point behind Newcastle in 4th with a win.
