JazzG they never even noticed Saliba getting the ball. I'm not 100% either way on the decision itself but that check was too quick and didn't focus on what actually mattered. Dermot Gallaghers "he touched it but didn't head it" is a bullshit distinction that doesn't matter. You can see from the whole thing that VAR never noticed Salibas touch because they rushed it and they are just making excuses now.

    Qwiss all that happened there was the referee had a bad angle. He stuck to his poor decision. And his buddies in VAR backed him because it’s a bad look to contradict each other. Dermot similarly fell in line.

    PGMOL should be a case study on group think and conformity biases. Because their actions consistently show that they haven’t developed mechanisms for disagreement.

    JazzG can't see the link Sky is geo blocked. Thank God, would've just made my blood pressure spike

    Qwiss does it even matter if he touched the ball? I can't remember a single instance of a clash of heads leading to a penalty.

      In both cases I can't see why Taylor would be awarding a red and relying on the VAR to overrule rather than awarding a yellow or waving play on, with the option of the VAR increasing any penalty on review.

      There's a skill deficit among top flight referees. Not sure how to fix it unless Howard Webb is cleared out first.

      jones I can see how you could call it a late challenge but that only works if you discount the contact.

        Qwiss I see how you could do that theoretically but that seems to me like another of those "technically" rules that are never applied in reality

        8 days later

        Last two games (pen v Utd and last night it wasn’t a corner for our first goal) we got very favourable decisions.

        Despite the theory of that ref’s are against us, over a season, these things cancel out as seen in the last two games.

        A pen is a very favorable dedicion because it's a goal about 75 % of the time or something like that. A corner isn't a very favorable decision just because we scored after the fact.

          We'd be better off facing six corners in lieu of each of Rice, Trossard and Saliba's reds, as well as the penalty on Saliba for winning a defensive header. Give Brighton, City, whoever those twenty-four corners. We'd probably be leading the league if it happened.

          9 days later

          This lot needs to be investigated. Wire tapped , hacked , spied on , the full works. Michael Oliver and Webb especially

          Not even Shearer thinks this was a red. This was the worst of the lot this season.

          It is just blatant corruption at this point, the refs are showing they can do what they like and there is nothing we can do about it.

          • Edited

          Anyone who says this shit evens itself out over the year is blind. We are targeted, even Stevie Wonder could see it.

          This is what sky wrote
          "Michael Oliver doesn't like to "impact games negatively by overreacting" apparently. That's what PGMOL chief Howard Webb said last season when Mateo Kovacic avoided a red card for Man City at Arsenal. Did he need to send Lewis-Skelly off there?"

          Here's another stat for you
          "He handed out a red to arsenal in 15% of their games. 1.8% for Liverpool. 0% for City in 50 games"

            naz he clearly has an issue with us. I don’t mind getting red cards. It the MLS, Martinelli, Trossard reds are all just rubbish. I used to not pay attention to the referee talk until this season but this dastardly cabal has now shown its hand

            A scan of all the newspapers and channels shows broad support. Only independent has seemed ambivalent.
            https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11661/13296511/five-issues-with-myles-lewis-skellys-red-card-in-arsenals-win-at-wolves-premier-league-hits-and-misses

            United appealed Bruno rat face Fernandez’s red card last year. We should do the same. And find a third party to start broadcasting all the times Michael Oliver has punished us so we can avoid him.