Jonathan Livingston Seagulls v BFC

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Just an addendum after watching MOTD we were lucky to get a point in my obsequiously humble opinion, but get a point we did so ****'m and onwards and upwards and as much as I like and am grateful to Dyche I hope we caramelise the Toffees.

We will lose 3-0 k_c, fortunately I will be in Bruges so I won't witness it.

[sinkov]

Just an addendum after watching MOTD we were lucky to get a point in my obsequiously humble opinion, but get a point we did so ****'m and onwards and upwards and as much as I like and am grateful to Dyche I hope we caramelise the Toffees.

We might have been lucky Chris, but luck plays a big part in a game of football and we haven't had that much of it so far. Brighton would have gone 5th with a win, they are a top team these days, that was a good point under any circumstances. At least it shows we are now competitive at this level, in front on 86 minutes against West Ham, 5-0 against Sheffield United, one poor touch from Berge away from a point at Wolves and now a point at Brighton. We really could do with at least 4 points from the next two games though, after Everton and Fulham the fixtures turn nasty again, Liverpool twice, Villa, Spurs, City and Arsenal in the next 8 games. We might be improving, we might be getting there, but it might be too late.

[sinkov]

My moan is that Simon Hooper was very much favouring the Seagulls and booked 4 Clarets whilst not booking Gilmour in the second half for a lunge on Brownhill. O'Shea was cautioned in the first few minutes because he slipped and then hung on to their player's ankle, no problem with that. Redmond was booked for a bit of a lunge when he stood on a foot, always seems to be a caution these days. Charlie Taylor was booked for time wasting I think but not sure about that at all. Odobert was booked when he was involved in a 50/50 and just caught their player when they were on the ground -----his only 'foul' but he gets booked.

I have given up on what constitutes fouls, handball, cautions and everything else which used to be straightforward when I played and officiated. I have watched Crystal Palace v Liverpool today and Andy Madley had a nightmare and I certainly wasn't impressed by Simon Hooper in our game.

Jarred Gillett last night, Villa v Arsenal, a player pulls an opponent back by the shirt, Gillett gives the free-kick, but no yellow card, which surprised me, five minutes later another player gets pulled back by the shirt, another free-kick and this time a yellow card. Same referee, same offence, one's a yellow, one isn't, you get the impression refs these days just don't know what they're doing, they're all over the place. Could it be VAR has somehow addled their brains, something is seriously going wrong with them.

[Swissclaret]

VAR and refereeing mistakes now dominate. Nearly every match there is something. Palace v Liverpool reached an absurd level of incompetence with going on for over a minute to then be called back for a penalty. If it was a clear and obvious error why did it take so long? Can any onfield decision be trusted now? Ruining the game, that is for sure.

[sinkov]

VAR and refereeing mistakes now dominate. Nearly every match there is something. Palace v Liverpool reached an absurd level of incompetence with going on for over a minute to then be called back for a penalty. If it was a clear and obvious error why did it take so long? Can any onfield decision be trusted now? Ruining the game, that is for sure.

A perfectly good 4th goal for Bournemouth ruled out because a flailing hand had just brushed against the ball, the player himself knew nothing about it and could have done nothing about it, he was just trying to stay on his feet, no one noticed, no one cared, no protests or complaints from any players but the eagle-eyed jobsworth on VAR had spotted it, and he just couldn't let it go. It's gone way beyond a joke now, but what's to be done, referees and VAR are now a laughing stock but those running it don't care.

[wmdave_b]

A perfectly good 4th goal for Bournemouth ruled out because a flailing hand had just brushed against the ball, the player himself knew nothing about it and could have done nothing about it, he was just trying to stay on his feet, no one noticed, no one cared, no protests or complaints from any players but the eagle-eyed jobsworth on VAR had spotted it, and he just couldn't let it go. It's gone way beyond a joke now, but what's to be done, referees and VAR are now a laughing stock but those running it don't care.

Even Lineker who advocated VAR is now saying it's spoiling the game, and he's chief fence sitter. Paying extra for something not value added, in fact value removed, no brainer to ditch it.

[Supersub6]

Even Lineker who advocated VAR is now saying it's spoiling the game, and he's chief fence sitter. Paying extra for something not value added, in fact value removed, no brainer to ditch it.

They won't ditch it because FIFA insist that it is necessary for the good of the game!