[Football] Villa v Sheff Utd; Did you enjoy watching the long awaited first game of the restart ?

[Neville's Breakfast]

I thought it was as dull as ditchwater without fans. Very few risks taken by the players in what seemed like a training match. Maybe the players were rusty. Hoping for more enjoyment when the Albion are involved.

 

[del strangefish]

No. Football is boring.

 

[KZNSeagull]

This sums up my thoughts quite succinctly:

 

[Blue3]

I read your headline and my first thought was it was as dull as ditchwater then I read you beat me to it, it was like a practice match

 

[Beanstalk]

Not really, but it was a crap game with or without fans. Villa far too defensive, Sheff United toothless and both teams out of practice.

If the next game is full of action we’ll all quite enjoy it again.

 

[sparkie]

I listened to the first half on radio 5, then watched the last 5 minutes on Sky.

Enjoyed it more than I thought, and I'd been absolutely dreading a Villa win.

 

[Superphil]

United should have that goal retrospectively awarded.

 

[Boroseagull]

I think the Telegraph live reports best summed it up as 'expensive Sunday league football'.

 

[One Love]

I had forgotten how Grealish tries to turn a soft foul into grievous bodily harm.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

United should have that goal retrospectively awarded.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-united-premier-league-live-score-latest/amp/

The goalkeeper clearly carried the ball across the line but referee Oliver waved away United's claims, indicating his watch had not gone off.

The technology failed for the first time since it was introduced in the Premier League in 2013.

A statement from Hawk-eye Innovations, who run the technology, after the match read: "During the first half of Aston Villa v Sheffield United match at Villa Park, there was a goal line incident where the ball was carried over the line by Aston Villa goalkeeper, No. 25 Nyland.

"The match officials did not receive a signal to the watch nor earpiece as per the Goal Decision System (GDS) protocol. The seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender, and goalpost. This level of occlusion has never been seen before in over 9,000 matches that the Hawk-Eye Goal Line Technology system has been in operation.

"The system was tested and proved functional prior to the start of the match in accordance with the IFAB Laws of The Game and confirmed as working by the match officials. The system has remained functional throughout. Hawk-Eye unreservedly apologises to the Premier League, Sheffield United, and everyone affected by this incident."

 

[Lincoln Imp]

It's going to take players at least one game to get the hang of the strange atmosphere and bed themselves in. Which makes it unfair that Arsenal will be playing their second match when we're playing our first.

 

[FloatLeft]

I preferred it to the bundesliga.

 

[hart's shirt]

Not that much. The mid-half drinks breaks can definitely go.

Sheffield United were robbed. A clear goal - the ball was behind the post!

Obviously the company responsible for VAR have furloughed too many of their employees.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

The technology failure is excusable. What is inexplicable though is the failure of VAR to intervene.

 

[Machiavelli]

I think the first para of The Guardian match review captures it well:

How heartening after three months of lockdown, death and strife to have something so trivial to argue over as a disallowed goal in a 0-0 draw. Welcome back, Premier League.

 

[A1X]

Under normal circumstances that game is so far last on Match of the Day it's actually broadcast as part of Songs of Praise.

 

[A mex eyecan]

makes all the recent gardening seem electrifyingly exciting

 

[Superphil]

The technology failure is excusable. What is inexplicable though is the failure of VAR to intervene.

VAR is not in use for the rest of the season IIRC.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I listened to it on R5L in the kitchen whilst I made my dinner.

God it sounded dull. Still, I guess the moral of the nation has been lifted plus it has proved what we knew all along: football without fans in the stadium is complete pony.

#projectpaintdry

 

[Superphil]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....-united-premier-league-live-score-latest/amp/

The goalkeeper clearly carried the ball across the line but referee Oliver waved away United's claims, indicating his watch had not gone off.

The technology failed for the first time since it was introduced in the Premier League in 2013.

A statement from Hawk-eye Innovations, who run the technology, after the match read: "During the first half of Aston Villa v Sheffield United match at Villa Park, there was a goal line incident where the ball was carried over the line by Aston Villa goalkeeper, No. 25 Nyland.

"The match officials did not receive a signal to the watch nor earpiece as per the Goal Decision System (GDS) protocol. The seven cameras located in the stands around the goal area were significantly occluded by the goalkeeper, defender, and goalpost. This level of occlusion has never been seen before in over 9,000 matches that the Hawk-Eye Goal Line Technology system has been in operation.

"The system was tested and proved functional prior to the start of the match in accordance with the IFAB Laws of The Game and confirmed as working by the match officials. The system has remained functional throughout. Hawk-Eye unreservedly apologises to the Premier League, Sheffield United, and everyone affected by this incident."

How long before snide keepers try to occlude the ball from the cameras on purpose. You know that certain managers will be factoring it into goalies training regimes. PLB.