[Albion] Ref today

[BBassic]

He lost control of the game from the moment he let Mings get away with a foul in the first five minutes (a foul he repeated later in the half and was booked for, which should have been a red).

Refereeing performances like that do absolutely no favours for their 'Respect' campaign. Because what respect did he deserve? None.

VAR, meant to be the great equaliser meting out justice in milimetres, is severely lacking as well because (again) the people running it are the same refs making colossally bad decisions on the pitch.

The laws are the laws. Immutable. They are the same for, and presumably understood by, every referee in the country. So why are they so poorly and inconsistently applied week in and week out by the supposed top level professional referees we have available?

Players need to fear the referee, rather than knowing they'll get away with antics like we witnessed this weekend. Equally referees need to be held to account. There is far too little scrutiny.

Something needs to be done. It cannot continue to be this way.

 

[kevo]

Players should’ve been charging up to and crowding the referee, forcing a VAR referral. We are still far too nice. Solly got taken out - no reaction from our boys. Summed up our afternoon, they were not up to the task on the day and Villa really wanted it.

I've said this before. Remembee Man Utd players surrounding the ref to get Dunk sent off at Old Trafford? We are far too passive. If we had prorested to the ref after March was fouled, I think the VAR would have been forrced to make the ref check the monitor.

 

[fly high]

Claiming any kind of head injury is the new timewasting tactic of choice.
Ref has to make a decision they won't be comfortable with, They don't want to be the one that decides to book the genuine case.

It works and is becoming more and more prevalent.

Brentford match was an example of this, players constantly going down clutching their head.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I've said this before. Remembee Man Utd players surrounding the ref to get Dunk sent off at Old Trafford? We are far too passive. If we had prorested to the ref after March was fouled, I think the VAR would have been forrced to make the ref check the monitor.

March was in front of me and berated the linesman who totally ignored him. The whole North stand was up in arms and shouting.

 

[LamieRobertson]

March was in front of me and berated the linesman who totally ignored him. The whole North stand was up in arms and shouting.

Was that the assistant with the white stick and guide dog with an appointment card of missed visits to Specsavers?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Was anything said about it on MOTD oh and the penalty that wasn’t given??

Very complimentary on how organised Villa were and then agreed the penalty should have been given as if it was a meaningless decision, not impacting the result.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Very complimentary on how organised Villa were and then agreed the penalty should have been given as if it was a meaningless decision, not impacting the result.

….and that VAR had been confused

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Was that the assistant with the white stick and guide dog with an appointment card of missed visits to Specsavers?

And left his hearing aids in the changing room.

 

[drew]

I read your post, my point was how could they easily deal with it if across the footballing world these dark arts, time wasting etc. is endemic? If it was just a few isolated games or teams I could agree with you. Players take a booking, doesn't matter how early, they'll take it then that individual player will be careful and someone else will time waste. It's all subjective too, all a judgement with players putting on performances that could earn a gong at the academy awards.

What people don't realise is how difficult refereeing is, and you throw professional cheating into it and it is being made an impossible job. All this talk of the refs aren't good enough and the vilification of individuals needs to be turned around and ask the question 'why is a professional game of football so difficult to referee?' – the answer to that is so many players are looking to cheat, pure and simple.

The game has moved on and yet we are still left with a yellow card and a red. The footballing authorities for some reason seem unwilling to transform in-game punishments.

But if the keeper is booked for time wasting in the first 20 minutes or when he first starts doing it, he isn't going to do it any more! And they will soon get the message that they can't get away with it. Bit like shirt pulling in the area. Pundits say that you'd be giving 10 penalties a game but you wouldn't because once they know they will give a penalty every time the defenders will stop doing it. But the problem is that refs don't apply the rules. Tactical fouls are another issue but if refs book players for the first time they do one, such as Mings, then that player is on a booking for the rest of the game. Not only would they not be able to do another tactical foul, they would have to hold back a bit on tackling because an error would see the second yellow and a red.

Apply the existing rules and teams that do cheat would be forced to change their ways or end up having to field their youth team due to all the suspensions!!!

 

[Reddleman]

On ref watch today Dermot Gallagher is adamant that it was a penalty. He’s very rarely so critical of a decision. All the pundits have said the same, a very very bad decision that has cost us.

 

[Icy Gull]

De Zerbi - spot on imo

“I think the referee had to control the game. This work is his work. Not my work, not my players’ work, not our fans work. For this situation I was angry and frustrated.”

 

[Washboard Didgets]

Regarding Martinez saving Trossard's shot and then throwing the ball out and going down.

• Didn't Martinez suffer a head injury/concussion last week/two weeks ago?
• This was the first time he'd dived to make a save in the match?
• So if he felt a problem after making a diving save does that mean he is still suffering the effects of a concussion and Villa are playing him anyway?

Either way, he was laying there wasting time as at no point did the physio/doctor actually come on the pitch to check him over.

He should have been booked around 60 mins at the latest due to blatant time wasting.

Referee was weak. Villa were cheating time wasters and I'd be ashamed if that was my club and I had to watch that shite every week.

 

[Mellotron]

What a game like that highlights is the tools refs are given to enforce the rules and gamesmanship and just woefully limited.

If your only discipline is a yellow card, then it’s not a punishment for a player taking one for their team.

With all the cheating that goes on in football we need an overhaul of the rules to give the referees more tools, whether sin bins, orange cards or other means that is a deterrent to anti-football.

Agreed. We've now seen that time and time and time again - cheating works. It's worth taking the yellow to waste that extra minute or two (or 10).

The rules shouldn't be set up in such a way to encourage dull, anti-football.

 

[Mellotron]

Regarding Martinez saving Trossard's shot and then throwing the ball out and going down.

• Didn't Martinez suffer a head injury/concussion last week/two weeks ago?
• This was the first time he'd dived to make a save in the match?
• So if he felt a problem after making a diving save does that mean he is still suffering the effects of a concussion and Villa are playing him anyway?

Either way, he was laying there wasting time as at no point did the physio/doctor actually come on the pitch to check him over.

He should have been booked around 60 mins at the latest due to blatant time wasting.

Referee was weak. Villa were cheating time wasters and I'd be ashamed if that was my club and I had to watch that shite every week.

Outfield players have to leave the pitch for treatment whilst the game continues.

I'm guessing the rules are different for a goalkeeper? Genuine question.

Also, if he is playing on the concussion then that does show what a shameless tit Martinez really is. He also seemed to be holding his hip/side a bit, so who knows.

Insane that we gave them the ball back for a goal kick. At least have a speculative shot, Tross. Knowing you it'll probably go in.

 

[Titanic]

What a game like that highlights is the tools refs are given to enforce the rules and gamesmanship and just woefully limited.

If your only discipline is a yellow card, then it’s not a punishment for a player taking one for their team.

With all the cheating that goes on in football we need an overhaul of the rules to give the referees more tools, whether sin bins, orange cards or other means that is a deterrent to anti-football.

This.

The two most blatant examples being time wasting, and the 'take one for the team' pull back / foul near the half way line to prevent a fast break and goal scoring opportunity.

it is not difficult to remove the reward element of killing the game / denying an opportunity.

Time wasting - first team occurrence - a yellow card. Second and subsequent - STRAIGHT RED. There is no excuse for it, it spoils the game - and this would stop it.

Denying a break / goal scoring opportunity - a yellow card, and the free kick awarded anywhere outside the box - i.e. give the attacking team at least the chance of a goal scoring opportunity.

 

[Whitley Bayster]

Running down the clock by skillfully retaining the ball or running into a corner or even banging up the line to push the opposition back is fair game and uses a degree of skill to implement. Rolling around like an absolute fanny pretending to be injured, accidently on pupose kicking the ball up the line a bit before picking up slowly for a throw in but then deciding your mate should take it instead, deliberately leaving the field slowly when being substituted and initiating arguemnts with the officials and oppsotition to delay the match is unsporting conduct. Villa were complete shithouses at all of this and more. Its anti football and must be turgid to endure week in week out no matter how much you want your team to win. I'd rather play as we do and lose than be like them but perhaps its a sign of desperation on their part. All in all a pretty crappy outlook on how to play

 

[Pavilionaire]

I believe it is time for the ref to be given a third card, i.e. a blue card, specifically for a once-only warning for timewasting. A second transgression gets a yellow and a third transgression a red.

At a stroke it would eliminate timewasting by goalkeepers, particularly in the final 15 mins if their team had already used all their subs.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Agreed. We've now seen that time and time and time again - cheating works. It's worth taking the yellow to waste that extra minute or two (or 10).

The rules shouldn't be set up in such a way to encourage dull, anti-football.

I'd like to see more tools for referees. As an example:

1. Time wasting at goal kicks.
Lets say 6 secs from the goalkeeper having the ball in his hands or in possession of the ball. If he fails to take a goal kick within 6 secs the opposition team get a corner. Simple. Last moments of the game, a keeper would be risking conceding a corner - instant stopping of that time wasting.

2. Time wasting at throw-ins.
Equivalent of a foul throw, opposition gets the ball for their throw-in, 10 yards further up the field. Again, an advantage gained for the other team.

3. Deliberate cynical fouls (think Ashley Young on Lamptey 2nd half)
Rather than just a yellow, free kick can be move up to within 5 yards or so of the penalty area so that cynical behaviour, whether through cynical foul or blatant time wasting results in a free kick as a shooting opportunity.

Just off the cuff thoughts, but just think football could look at better ways of actions of players resulting in clear benefits to the other team. The only time a yellow is meaningful really is if it leads to a red. All a yellow does is make a player adhere to the rules for the rest of the game, it doesn't actually result in a clear advantage to the other team.

 

[BBassic]

Also, if he is playing on the concussion then that does show what a shameless tit Martinez really is. He also seemed to be holding his hip/side a bit, so who knows.

He looked happy enough squaring up to Dunk near the end so I'm going to stick with my initial assessment of time-wasting fuckstick feigning injury.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I believe it is time for the ref to be given a third card, i.e. a blue card, specifically for a once-only warning for timewasting. A second transgression gets a yellow and a third transgression a red.

At a stroke it would eliminate timewasting by goalkeepers, particularly in the final 15 mins if their team had already used all their subs.

Assume you mean a team blue card, not an individual.