Match Day Thread WATFORD v LIVERPOOL

yes good analysis...

In any case it was so marginal...

 

Despite the fact that Holebas was playing, we didn't pick up a single yellow card. Is this a record?

 

He also, I read somewhere, has the most assists for any defender.

Personally, I think he is a decent left back IF he can just learn not to get so many cards...

 

Currently watching the Man U game, I'm amazed that Sky employ Thierry Henry as a pundit. I can't understand a word he is saying...

 

Perhaps you should get a TV with Google Translator.

 

You've got to laugh...

 

He is wrong on the 3rd goal but a good read http://www.football365.com

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/n...ainst-liverpool-offside-says-dermot-gallagher

Britos was offside - says a former ref who never ever made a mistake...

 

Probably did look offside after having a number of slow mo replays to look at over the next 48 hours!

Hardly clear cut at the time...which is the only view the officials get.

 

I can see it now. Watford and Liverpool still haven't finished playing as the video referee can't make his mind up...

 

Im sure the ball played back would so NO

 

Excuse by ignorance but can you be offside from a corner, the ball generally is played back into play so even if Britos was standing offside, the ball was played back first.

 

Well it wasn't actually from a corner that he scored - it was from a shot by Richarlison that was deflected by their keeper onto the crossbar.

And, the Offside Law says nothing about the direction in which the ball was kicked/passed http://www.thefa.com/football-rules.../laws/football-11-11/law-11---offside?fref=gc - which, I must admit, was news to me.

 

Agreed it does say anything about the direction the ball was kicked, but it is implicit. To be offside you must be 'ahead of the ball', so if the ball is played sideways or backwards to an offside player then he must naturally not be ahead of the ball. In this instance it was tight, and it can be argued either way with merit, so I will accept the officials decision quite happily! If it was the other way around I would be saying it was offside

 

I think that is the 'old' interpretation of offside - the changes made deliberately removed the references to direction of the pass/kick because they were no longer relevant. If you look at that link, it clearly sets out what constitutes an offside position, which in itself is not an offence, and then sets out the instances in which it becomes an offence - anything else is just not relevant.

I certainly don't remember this as having been too well publicised/explained at the time - and would rather that the Law simply be done away with to avoid confusion/anger/angst in supporters.

 

No it was the current rule I was referring to, not the old interpretation. The 2nd bullet point states "any part of the head, body or feet is nearer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent", so you must be ahead of the ball. Therefore, if the ball is played sideways or backwards to you you can't be ahead of the ball. So although the rule does not mention the direction the pass is made, it is still implicit in the rule that it must be forward, or in nearly every time it will have to have been played forward for the player to be ahead of the ball.
On Saturday though, it could be argued that Britos was ahead of the ball when Richarlison played it, although it is very tight. But equally, did he become active after the keeper had pushed it on to the bar? It is very close, I agree with the officials this time but wouldn't have done if it was against us!

 

I don't think that the words 'Law' and 'implicit' have any right to be placed together! Fans and players alike need something concise and clearly explicit, not something that a ref has to scratch his head over. This Law simply in this format simply isn't good enough.

Re Britos being active after the keeper had pushed the ball onto the bar, after a couple of readings this appears to concur with that (10th dot point on what constitutes an offside offence):

• A player in an offside position receiving the ball from an opponent who deliberately plays the ball (except from a deliberate save by any opponent) is not considered to have gained an advantage.

A ‘save’ is when a player stops, or attempts to stop, a ball which is going into or very close to the goal with any part of the body except the hands/arms (unless the goalkeeper within the penalty area).

but is a prime example of how badly written the Laws are.

My head hurts...

 

I agree with Goldentrue in that I would adjudge Britos to have been marginally behind the ball. This is the reason why one cannot be offside from a corner: because the attacking players are all technically behind the ball.

We'll see many much worse (clear cut) decisions than this go against us this season. Liverpool will more often than not get the rub of the green, no doubt.