VAR, Refs and Linesmen | General Discussion

Liverpool have had the scripting with them for years now and benefited in multiple games last year. No surprise they throw their toys out of the pram when they finally get a bad call against them...
 
I fully support Liverpool's statement and escalation here. We can mock and cry about Liverpool throwing their toys out after another incompetent decision, but truth be told something needs to be done.

We've seen it benefit and screw us over (more the latter) this season but the same has happened to other clubs too. It seems to be a more frequent occurrence this season, for whatever reason.
 
I don't know why people dislike Liverpool in this case. We would love our club to start doing the same instead of being silent. No wonder we get decisions against us all the time.

We know Liverpool are darlings of media and VAR / referees. For most of the time. Once a while they get a decision against them like yesterday. And they are doing the right thing. Putting pressure and protecting the club. Just like every big club would do.
 
I don't know why people dislike Liverpool in this case. We would love our club to start doing the same instead of being silent. No wonder we get decisions against us all the time.

We know Liverpool are darlings of media and VAR / referees. For most of the time. Once a while they get a decision against them like yesterday. And they are doing the right thing. Putting pressure and protecting the club. Just like every big club would do.

Their statement isn't trying to open up the debate about improving the system across the board. It's a tactical play to gain favourable treatment for the foreseeable future as means of compensation, from a system which has historically been favourable to them aside from this one isolated incident of negligence.
 
Liverpool do remember that other clubs have suffered at the hands of VAR aswell don't they, and it's worth remembering that before VAR this goal would have also been ruled out.

This was a stupid mistake, that's all, but If they get the Curtis red card overturned then I really will start questioning thnigs.
 
Liverpool do remember that other clubs have suffered at the hands of VAR aswell don't they, and it's worth remembering that before VAR this goal would have also been ruled out.

This was a stupid mistake, that's all, but If they get the Curtis red card overturned then I really will start questioning thnigs.
It's the same club that wore shirts supporting Suarez. They're being attacked even when they're in the wrong.
 
We would love our club to start doing the same instead of being silent.
We know Liverpool are darlings of media
The second statement is precisely why we are unable to do that. Media drives the narrative what will work with PGMOL and FA. No media moaning, no apologies or decisions for you. And media will moan only about Pool or any teams playing against United.

If United complain about referee decision (say the handball in last game), the media will start writing articles on how United is a broken club and losing all games and ETH has lost the players and is now using referee decisions as a convenient excuse.

Telegraph wrote an article a week or so back explaining why there was no crisis at Chelsea, though they were not scoring or winning.
 


This will be interesting. Completely understand why they are asking, but PGMOL provides this then every team is going to ask for it going forward.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was just available live and we don’t need to hide all of this anyway.
 
Incredible how that Diaz one has happened.

Why the feck is the decision not just "offside or onside" instead of "confirm or overturn"?

Maddening that they clearly don't have a template:

Ref: On-field decision is offside against Liverpool number seven, goal disallowed. Can you confirm that the goal is to be disallowed for offside against Liverpool number seven.

VAR: Checking for offside against Liverpool number seven. Can confirm that there is no offside. Decision overturned. Goal awarded.
 
Just give Liverpool a replay, obviously they'll have to play most of the game with 10 men, and the same rules will apply to all other clubs when VAR fecks things up of course.
 
Ha! Fair enough. Believe it or not, so am I!

Used to play football goalie. Currently play field hockey in the same position. By a bit of a coincidence I actually conceded a penalty in a very similar situation on Saturday. Came out to clear a ball but someone nipped across in front of me and got a touch on the ball a fraction of second before I did, so I ended up wiping him out. I had a bit of moan at the time about how the collision wasn’t my fault but, deep down I knew it was the right call.

I've done that exact thing before and had it both given and not given. You usually know when you're wrong but you still have to complain, it's just part of the game.
 
This will be interesting. Completely understand why they are asking, but PGMOL provides this then every team is going to ask for it going forward.

Wouldn’t it be nice if it was just available live and we don’t need to hide all of this anyway.

This is the obvious solution.

It does not make sense at all when people on one hand says Liverpool gets better treatment than their own team and on the other hand whine when Liverpool ask for transparency, as it will create a precedent for other teams to follow, and eventually hurt Liverpool if the refs generally favour them over others.

For whatever reason refs in football don't have to be open about their decisions like in every other big sport. Just having to ask for audio is madness in itself.
There should be full transparency in the first place as it forces refs to undermine their own bias toward certain teams which will lead to more fair and consistent decisions.

For what it's worth I believe that full transparency will favour "the smaller teams" more than anyone.
 
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Safe to say the scousers are getting every future decision go for them. It’s sad that the officials have to make up for making mistakes they then give that team something in return for future games.
 
it's worth remembering that before VAR this goal would have also been ruled out.

We don't know that the linesman would've flagged if VAR didn't exist. Maybe he flagged despite being unsure because it'll get checked anyway.


This was a stupid mistake, that's all, but If they get the Curtis red card overturned then I really will start questioning thnigs.

TBF, it was much more than a stupid mistake. Interpreting the rules in a way we disagree with is not the same as not even watching the game you're supposed to be refereeing.

That being said, the red card was obvious. All this talk about Jones being unlucky etc is rubbish. He went for the ball in a way that meant a clear possibility of the opponent getting seriously injured. If that's not endangering an opponent then I don't know what is.
 
Its absolutely insane to see the treatment Liverpool get whenever a decision goes against them. We have been fecked over by VAR so many times this season, yet not a peep from the media.
 
Their statement isn't trying to open up the debate about improving the system across the board. It's a tactical play to gain favourable treatment for the foreseeable future as means of compensation, from a system which has historically been favourable to them aside from this one isolated incident of negligence.
And they are doing it perfectly. System is broken and have been for many many years. So why should we stand by and just let our club be beaten down by decisions like this year without saying something? So Liverpool is doing perfectly. 3 of our loses this year have been because of poor and crazy decisions by referees and VAR.

"His hand was tucked in"


That is problem when it comes to us. Despite every evidence you got, they still try to make you think otherwise.

It is like you see a car, everybody know it is car and some dude comes and says it is a plane. And you have to accept that because this dude is the one who decides. Just because he dosen't like you as a person.

The second statement is precisely why we are unable to do that. Media drives the narrative what will work with PGMOL and FA. No media moaning, no apologies or decisions for you. And media will moan only about Pool or any teams playing against United.

If United complain about referee decision (say the handball in last game), the media will start writing articles on how United is a broken club and losing all games and ETH has lost the players and is now using referee decisions as a convenient excuse.

Telegraph wrote an article a week or so back explaining why there was no crisis at Chelsea, though they were not scoring or winning.
Our club must stand for something. Stand for the badge and stand for history of more than 100 years. To just accept being treated like we do is a shame. They need to be more like Liverpool in this case and demand recordings. Put out statements. Show the football people in charge that we see you. We hear you.

When it comes to media we shouldn't care. It can't be worse. They are already on our back in every way so we shouldn't care.
 


Sorry it involves Mark Goldbridge, but next time you're wondering why Sky aren't showing a replay at half time...
 
Safe to say the scousers are getting every future decision go for them. It’s sad that the officials have to make up for making mistakes they then give that team something in return for future games.

It’s crazy. Honestly this is probably the best thing that could’ve happened to Liverpool. One moment of pain for an entire season of benefit. It’ll turn out to be more than worth it for them. I mean what ref is ever going to give anything against Liverpool now? Why risk this again?
 
England and Cook stood down for another round of fixtures

https://www.skysports.com/football/...-cook-stood-down-amid-ongoing-var-controversy


Really is amazing how much is happening all because it's the scousers who for once got fecked over by them

I don't see how standing refs down will help achieve better outcomes.

I mean, it's not change the protocols, its not change how VAR is used, it's give refs a week off - because that'll definitely make them better next time and even more on edge when trying to make big calls.
 
I don't see how standing refs down will help achieve better outcomes.

I mean, it's not change the protocols, its not change how VAR is used, it's give refs a week off - because that'll definitely make them better next time and even more on edge when trying to make big calls.
Yeah it’s such a basic part of the job. In fact the job is fecking easy with the technology and yet constantly it’s in the news. Why? Because it provokes opinion and debate and that drives revenue for the media - not even a conspiracy theory, just a fact, look at how many articles Sky out out on VAR.
 
Yeah it’s such a basic part of the job. In fact the job is fecking easy with the technology and yet constantly it’s in the news. Why? Because it provokes opinion and debate and that drives revenue for the media - not even a conspiracy theory, just a fact, look at how many articles Sky out out on VAR.

It isn’t though. If anything, it’s more difficult. There’s still loads of controversial decisions that are entirely subjective but VAR has fuelled these insane expectations that human error or subjectivity will be eradicated from the game. Hence the referees now have to deal with being called corrupt, as well as incompetent. Which is a far worse situation to be in.
 
I just saw a compilation video of how incorrect offside decisions have cost Liverpool the title on three occasions and the person included the one from the other day as the third :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

 
It isn’t though. If anything, it’s more difficult. There’s still loads of controversial decisions that are entirely subjective but VAR has fuelled these insane expectations that human error or subjectivity will be eradicated from the game. Hence the referees now have to deal with being called corrupt, as well as incompetent. Which is a far worse situation to be in.
I don’t understand what is difficult about the decision to not even check the offside. I get it’s funny because it’s Pool but it’s not like there’s a debatable handball or a tight offside call.

The sheer volume of incidents that are simply bad calls is staggering. If it was all marginal decisions and the only issue was the interpretation of handball and the thickness of the offside line it would be fine. But is basic knowledge of football.
 
It isn’t though. If anything, it’s more difficult. There’s still loads of controversial decisions that are entirely subjective but VAR has fuelled these insane expectations that human error or subjectivity will be eradicated from the game. Hence the referees now have to deal with being called corrupt, as well as incompetent. Which is a far worse situation to be in.

It's way more difficult. The ref on the pitch gets to see things once and make an instant decison... by comparison, the VAR ref has to check incicdents quickly, make a decision themselves (which often involves using shitty lines, or trying to interpet the current ridiculous handball rule) , then work out if that decision meets an incredibly loosly definded "clear and obivous" threshold, then put together "evidence" to back their decision... all whilst a game of football is trying to take place.
 
I don’t understand what is difficult about the decision to not even check the offside. I get it’s funny because it’s Pool but it’s not like there’s a debatable handball or a tight offside call.

The sheer volume of incidents that are simply bad calls is staggering. If it was all marginal decisions and the only issue was the interpretation of handball and the thickness of the offside line it would be fine. But is basic knowledge of football.

That should have been an easy call and was by the far the most grievous example of VAR-associated human error this season. But every single weekend we have varying degrees of VAR-associated human error. Which are infinitely more controversial than the good old days of human error without VAR. Because of the misguided notion that VAR will remove human error. It hasn't done that at all. It was never capable of doing that. It's just moved the subjectivity and human fallibility around a bit, while creating an insanely toxic atmosphere about everything to do with officiating in football. The exact opposite outcome to what was supposed to have been achieved. At the cost of wrecking football as entertainment, due to all the prolonged stops in play and second guessing every goal your team scores. The whole thing is a horrible mess and a blight on the sport. The worst thing about all of this is that anyone with half a brain could have seen this coming.
 
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Oh and the role of VAR in all this injury time variability can't be stressed enough. It's absolute fecking madness that you can be watching your team come to the end of a tense game of football and genuinely have no clue whether the game will go on for 6 or 16 minutes after the 90 minutes is up. That's a whole new fresh hell we now have to put up with mainly thanks to this poxy technology.
 
Oh and the role of VAR in all this injury time variability can't be stressed enough. It's absolute fecking madness that you can be watching your team come to the end of a tense game of football and genuinely have no clue whether the game will go on for 6 or 16 minutes after the 90 minutes is up. That's a whole new fresh hell we now have to put up with mainly thanks to this poxy technology.
4 minutes at the weekend was criminal.
 
It's way more difficult. The ref on the pitch gets to see things once and make an instant decison... by comparison, the VAR ref has to check incicdents quickly, make a decision themselves (which often involves using shitty lines, or trying to interpet the current ridiculous handball rule) , then work out if that decision meets an incredibly loosly definded "clear and obivous" threshold, then put together "evidence" to back their decision... all whilst a game of football is trying to take place.

That's just bs. They could easily have live broadcast of the audio communication relaying the step-by-step reasoning of the VAR official, whatever that is.

People may disagree with the eventual outcome, but at least they'll get to see exactly what the thought process was and which aspect the official saw differently. Plus they won't be sat there twiddling their thumbs while VAR functions in some mysterious ways to decide the fate of the game. Other sports do this very well. Are football fans considered too dim to follow along?
 
It's so fecking mad. How can you watch/play a competitive sport when it seems to be randomly decided whether the game goes on for 94 minutes or 105?
It’s not random if we are honest is it? There’s a fairly obvious pattern.