6 Officials

[The Spanish]

I'm not really sure how anyone can come to any sort of conclusion based on watching just ONE game, anyway.

I suspect it'll improve the game, but I still think one of the major problems (incorrect offside calls) remains. At the highest level, the referee needs to be able to wave play on in all border line cases, and the opposing team able to appeal to TV at the discretion of the referee.

it has been trialled at other levels (under 21 internationals as well, not park games) too though hasnt it.

Anything that stops the boring f***ing wingeing from prem managers and English footballs (and the media's) current obsession with 'injustices', penalties and the conviction that refs constantly decide outcomes of matches, is not a bad thing. Shame it has to go this way for it to be done though.

football fans moan about refs and decisions in a different way, unless you are a euro 96er who buys all the bollocks that we are now fed.

 

[Easy 10]

I'm not really sure how anyone can come to any sort of conclusion based on watching just ONE game, anyway.

I suspect it'll improve the game, but I still think one of the major problems (incorrect offside calls) remains. At the highest level, the referee needs to be able to wave play on in all border line cases, and the opposing team able to appeal to TV at the discretion of the referee.

There could still be potential problems, I've not fully made my mind up on it yet. But it didn't seem to detract from last nights game, and I think these AAR's are a step in the right direction to getting the most crucial decisions correct (ie the ones in the penalty area) more often. The acid test will be when we get a penalty courtesy of an AAR - although I'm not sure how that'll work. With a lino, he puts his flag across his chest. An AAR has nothing to signal with, so presmuably it'll just be between him and the ref on the radio.

Ref: "Was that a pen ?"
AAR: "Yeah, I'd say so. Got nothing on the ball"
Ref: "PEEEP" *points at spot*

The players won't know who to moan at, which could be amusing.
As for TV replay appeals on offside decisions, thats a no-no for me. It'd get silly, defenders appeal every bloody time as it is, the thought of a ref doubting the lino's decision along with the players and going over to a TV monitor to make his mind up, doesn't bear thinking about. And thats BEFORE we get embroiled in the eternal grey area of "was he interefing with play / was that the 2nd phase of play" bollocks.

No thanks.

 

[Acker79]

Anything that stops the boring f***ing wingeing from prem managers and English footballs (and the media's) current obsession with 'injustices', penalties and the conviction that refs constantly decide outcomes of matches, is not a bad thing.

But it won't stop. No manager likes to criticise his player, however ridiculous he seems (see Wenger/Eduardo), so they will always look elsewhere, and since the refs stay quiet after games and don't have tens of thousands of fans to stick up for them, they are an easy target.

The pundits will still insist refs get decisions wrong because they don't understand the rules, and seemingly don't want to. I've lost count of the number of times a commentator or pundit has said the ref got a decision wrong because the challenging player "made contact with the ball. Look, if we slow it down you can see the moment his boot pokes the ball. I don't know how the ref didn't see it, just follow the path of the ball, it changes and goes in a direction that can only happen if the tackling player touches it!"

If these people read the rule book, they'd know contact with the ball is irrelevent, it comes down to if the ref deems the challenge to be dangerous. Yet, the likes of Andy Grey and Chris Kamara would rather moan about injustices than actually understand the current rules of the game.

It's also still going to be a human who looks at the replays. And we've seen on soccer saturday how a panel of supposed experts, ex-players who know what it's like to play top level football, and they all see the same replays and disagree. We see commentators see one replay and then see another and talk about how different it looks.

No. Nothing will stop managers and the media complaining about ref's decisions.

 

[The Spanish]

But it won't stop. No manager likes to criticise his player, however ridiculous he seems (see Wenger/Eduardo), so they will always look elsewhere, and since the refs stay quiet after games and don't have tens of thousands of fans to stick up for them, they are an easy target.

The pundits will still insist refs get decisions wrong because they don't understand the rules, and seemingly don't want to. I've lost count of the number of times a commentator or pundit has said the ref got a decision wrong because the challenging player "made contact with the ball. Look, if we slow it down you can see the moment his boot pokes the ball. I don't know how the ref didn't see it, just follow the path of the ball, it changes and goes in a direction that can only happen if the tackling player touches it!"

If these people read the rule book, they'd know contact with the ball is irrelevent, it comes down to if the ref deems the challenge to be dangerous. Yet, the likes of Andy Grey and Chris Kamara would rather moan about injustices than actually understand the current rules of the game.

It's also still going to be a human who looks at the replays. And we've seen on soccer saturday how a panel of supposed experts, ex-players who know what it's like to play top level football, and they all see the same replays and disagree. We see commentators see one replay and then see another and talk about how different it looks.

No. Nothing will stop managers and the media complaining about ref's decisions.

Fair one. But I would challenge anyone to say its not an obsession nowadays, rather than part of discussing the game. It does seem to dominate analysis a lot of the time, far outweighing its influence on the outcome. It bores me to f***ing tears.

But it won't stop. No manager likes to criticise his player, however ridiculous he seems (see Wenger/Eduardo), so they will always look elsewhere, and since the refs stay quiet after games and don't have tens of thousands of fans to stick up for them, they are an easy target.

cant argue with any of that.

The pundits will still insist refs get decisions wrong because they don't understand the rules, and seemingly don't want to. I've lost count of the number of times a commentator or pundit has said the ref got a decision wrong because the challenging player "made contact with the ball. Look, if we slow it down you can see the moment his boot pokes the ball. I don't know how the ref didn't see it, just follow the path of the ball, it changes and goes in a direction that can only happen if the tackling player touches it!"

more about filling half times and post match drivel than any real opinions most of the time. Otherwise we would have players (more clued up than they let on on telly) saying bollocks he dived, played for it, the ref was right etc etc. It would be much more interesting but interesting punditry is not what, it appears, most English football punters want.

 

[Easy 10]

more about filling half times and post match drivel than any real opinions most of the time. Otherwise we would have players (more clued up than they let on on telly) saying bollocks he dived, played for it, the ref was right etc etc. It would be much more interesting but interesting punditry is not what, it appears, most English football punters want.

Oh I think we do.
Its just that broadcasters shit their knickers at the remotest possibility of offending anyone, for fear of a player or manager doing a 10 year FLOUNCE like Fergie and (shock, horror) refusing to speak to them, or worse, getting the lawyers in. Cossetted footballers and managers are accustomed to having their egos stroked and don't take kindly to criticism from anyone in a studio.

Nope, all opinion must be bland and completely free of controversy. The day Richard Keyes, Mark Lawrenson or Jamie Redknapp say anything remotely interesting that I've never heard before from a pundit, I think I'll fall off my couch and have a corinary.

 

[The Spanish]

Oh I think we do.
Its just that broadcasters shit their knickers at the remotest possibility of offending anyone, for fear of a player or manager doing a 10 year FLOUNCE like Fergie and (shock, horror) refusing to speak to them, or worse, getting the lawyers in. Cossetted footballers and managers are accustomed to having their egos stroked and don't take kindly to criticism from anyone in a studio.

Nope, all opinion must be bland and completely free of controversy. The day Richard Keyes, Mark Lawrenson or Jamie Redknapp say anything remotely interesting that I've never heard before from a pundit, I think I'll fall off my couch and have a corinary.

Again, fair points. Maybe its just that I am not 12 anymore, but I find 99% (no sorry 100%) of off field football coverage unwatcheable now. Shame as there is a massive gap in the market for something half decent inbetween the blandness of MOTD or Sky and f***ing Soccer AM.

 

[Easy 10]

If it was up to me, I would BAN the phrase "he'll be a little bit disappointed with that" from every TV studio. That really is as far as they'll go when it comes to criticising someone.

 

[The Spanish]

If it was up to me, I would BAN the phrase "he'll be a little bit disappointed with that" from every TV studio. That really is as far as they'll go when it comes to criticising someone.

most of the time it is just like listening to a FIFA playstation game that is way out of date and you are sick of.


a few "what a cvnt!"'s or "f***ing idiot!" would liven it up no end.

Also not panning away from minor crowd disturbances would improve things. Sunderland Newcastle last season springs to mind.


Everyone wants to see a row. Give the public what they want.

 

[Easy 10]

Perhaps there should be a "press the red button" followed by a PIN number to access the ADULT football coverage, where they can call the players and managers wankers and cheating c**ts, without fear of censure. Oh, and PORN at half time instead of analysis.

Hell, I'd subscribe to that.

 

[The Spanish]

Perhaps there should be a "press the red button" followed by a PIN number to access the ADULT football coverage, where they can call the players and managers wankers and cheating c**ts, without fear of censure. Oh, and PORN at half time instead of analysis.

Hell, I'd subscribe to that.

you mean like 'fanzone' but without complete and utter cvnts doing it?

 

[NMH]

These extra officials will only mean anything to anyone, when they are needed.
Something like a car seat belt - you won't appreciate them until something drastic happens.