Raheem Sterling - deluded or just stupid?

[Elite_Pie]

I'm a bit surprised that no-one has commented on here regarding the VAR penalty last night, so I'll go first. It was a decision that didn't matter as it was only a meaningless friendly, but it was an ideal example as to why we are nowhere near ready to let this so-called 'improvement' anywhere near the game of football yet. If that really was a 'clear and obvious' correction of a refereeing error, then Soccerman is a Momentum member. It was just about as 'grey area' as you can get. A player runs into a crowd of defenders, and whether he is cynically hacked down at the knees, feels a bit of contact, or feels no contact at all he is going to go down anyway. It's what is often described as clever play in other countries, but basically it's cheating. The video replay system works well in cricket as the pause between balls gives time to review, but even then any borderline decisions go to "umpire's call". FIFA still have an awful lot to learn.

[Pies4u]

I'm a bit surprised that no-one has commented on here regarding the VAR penalty last night, so I'll go first. It was a decision that didn't matter as it was only a meaningless friendly, but it was an ideal example as to why we are nowhere near ready to let this so-called 'improvement' anywhere near the game of football yet. If that really was a 'clear and obvious' correction of a refereeing error, then Soccerman is a Momentum member. It was just about as 'grey area' as you can get. A player runs into a crowd of defenders, and whether he is cynically hacked down at the knees, feels a bit of contact, or feels no contact at all he is going to go down anyway. It's what is often described as clever play in other countries, but basically it's cheating. The video replay system works well in cricket as the pause between balls gives time to review, but even then any borderline decisions go to "umpire's call". FIFA still have an awful lot to learn.

Spot on - absolutely correct.

The penalty was bizarre, no clear intent, a lot of legs coming together and an Italian going down far too easily having lost control of the ball. The VAR analysis forensically shows Tarkowski's boot "making contact" - why pundits and even ex ref's like Poll refer to that phrase is scary. As Elite says, that was just about as grey as it gets. Making contact" does not mean it is a penalty. There was no obvious deliberate intent and it was more innocuous than most of the melees that occur at every set piece.

That sort of decision, (he saw it and it wasn't a clear penalty, end of story), has to be the referee's call in football, otherwise why not just control the whole thing from an office?

[sidders]

As soon as that penalty was given I switched off and lost all interest in the game as a spectacle... which I wouldn't have done if the ref had mistakenly (IMO) awarded a pen.

[JoePass]

I'm a bit surprised that no-one has commented on here regarding the VAR penalty last night, so I'll go first. It was a decision that didn't matter as it was only a meaningless friendly, but it was an ideal example as to why we are nowhere near ready to let this so-called 'improvement' anywhere near the game of football yet. If that really was a 'clear and obvious' correction of a refereeing error, then Soccerman is a Momentum member. It was just about as 'grey area' as you can get. A player runs into a crowd of defenders, and whether he is cynically hacked down at the knees, feels a bit of contact, or feels no contact at all he is going to go down anyway. It's what is often described as clever play in other countries, but basically it's cheating. The video replay system works well in cricket as the pause between balls gives time to review, but even then any borderline decisions go to "umpire's call". FIFA still have an awful lot to learn.

I would rather drink battery acid than be a member of Momentum... never mind VAR be wary of commie Corbyn...