Today's Football

[Kai]

Clear deliberate fouls with no intention to play the ball should be an automatic red card, whether the offended player had a goal opportunity or not.

Agreed, professional foul when a 1 on 1 chase from the half-way line with only the goalie to beet cannot be compensated for with a free kick and 10 organised defenders to beat!

That can't be a serious take, would ruin so many matches for no good reason, there's been too many red cards already this season

Pep would hate this as well since half of his philosophy is based on professional fouls, lul, would butcher their points tally

It's always been part of the game that the defenders and holding mid etc take one for the team when needed, I always liked that part since it's tactical as well

This microscopic overanalyzing is slowly but surely ruining the game, ditch VAR altogether and bring back shithousery, automate offsides too so that we can celebrate goals again

[Derek27]

Clear deliberate fouls with no intention to play the ball should be an automatic red card, whether the offended player had a goal opportunity or not.

Agreed, professional foul when a 1 on 1 chase from the half-way line with only the goalie to beet cannot be compensated for with a free kick and 10 organised defenders to beat!

That can't be a serious take, would ruin so many matches for no good reason, there's been too many red cards already this season

Pep would hate this as well since half of his philosophy is based on professional fouls, lul, would butcher their points tally

It's always been part of the game that the defenders and holding mid etc take one for the team when needed, I always liked that part since it's tactical as well

This microscopic overanalyzing is slowly but surely ruining the game, ditch VAR altogether and bring back shithousery, automate offsides too so that we can celebrate goals again

There are fouls were the player makes no contact with the ball, and there are blatant fouls where it wasn't humanly possible and the player made no attempt at the ball but just needed to stop the forward from getting away. Those situations are rare. If they were red-carded it's possible a player might sacrifice himself in the last few minutes of a game, but if James' rules were implemented and it was a straight penalty, they probably wouldn't happen.

[Derek27]

Greened up after the second goal in the Rayo match just so I can have breakfast.

[Michael5482]

Man U match not gone in play 3 mins into the game

[Derek27]

Taken Arsenal to near halftime to score.

[Derek27]

Juventus match on TNT2 ... 15 minutes into the match!!

[Kai]

[weemac]

Juventus match on TNT2 ... 15 minutes into the match!!

If they showed the start, they'd likely get stripped of their broadcast rights.

[Derek27]

Juventus match on TNT2 ... 15 minutes into the match!!

If they showed the start, they'd likely get stripped of their broadcast rights.

To be honest, I forgot about it and am happily trading the match with Sky News on. I can't really enjoy a match watching half-way through.

[Derek27]

VAR is the best thing since sliced bread.

[firlandsfarm]

Clear deliberate fouls with no intention to play the ball should be an automatic red card, whether the offended player had a goal opportunity or not.

Agreed, professional foul when a 1 on 1 chase from the half-way line with only the goalie to beet cannot be compensated for with a free kick and 10 organised defenders to beat!

That can't be a serious take, would ruin so many matches for no good reason, there's been too many red cards already this season

Pep would hate this as well since half of his philosophy is based on professional fouls, lul, would butcher their points tally

It's always been part of the game that the defenders and holding mid etc take one for the team when needed, I always liked that part since it's tactical as well

This microscopic overanalyzing is slowly but surely ruining the game, ditch VAR altogether and bring back shithousery, automate offsides too so that we can celebrate goals again

I agree re the micro-analysing by VAR ... how can a toenail being offside be a clear and obvious error. Take a lesson from Cricket where the decision has to be wrong by half the width of the ball (OK, half a football is too much but why not carry out experiments as to what degree of offside is visible to the linesman and go with his decision unless the error is greater than the set amount.

Frankly I don't give a flying F what Pep would hate! The Prem League should not be decided by who is the best professional fouler!

The problem with the professional foul is that there is value in it. The punishment does not fit the crime. An alternative to red carding professional fouls would be the one-on-one run at goal from the centre spot or where the foul took place, whichever is closest to the goal with all other players starting 10 yards back! Now that would be a fun stampede to see.

[Michael5482]

Napoli kicked off with bad intentions 8 players on the half way line ready to steam into Empoli. The other two just near the edge of the center circle. Not sure I've seen that type of attacking intent at kick off before especially not in Serie A I'd expect 8 players lined up on the edge of their own box at kick off

[Kai]

The problem with the professional foul is that there is value in it. The punishment does not fit the crime. An alternative to red carding professional fouls would be the one-on-one run at goal from the centre spot or where the foul took place, whichever is closest to the goal with all other players starting 10 yards back!

Sounds like something Americans would think of.

I don't see a problem with professional fouls, when I played holding mid at youth level it was always part of the game.

Thought these time wasting changes were silly too, but I suppose it makes it more fun for the neutrals, and it's great for trading too.

[jamesedwards]

I agree re the micro-analysing by VAR ... how can a toenail being offside be a clear and obvious error. Take a lesson from Cricket where the decision has to be wrong by half the width of the ball (OK, half a football is too much but why not carry out experiments as to what degree of offside is visible to the linesman and go with his decision unless the error is greater than the set amount.

It was decided from the start of VAR that a straight offside decision was to be exempt from the whole "clear and obvious" thing. Like the goal-line technology, it's either yes or no, there's no interpretation.

[firlandsfarm]

It was decided from the start of VAR that a straight offside decision was to be exempt from the whole "clear and obvious" thing. Like the goal-line technology, it's either yes or no, there's no interpretation.

Thanks James, didn't realise that ... but isn't VAR now showing that offside may not be a straight Yes or No ... depends oh how good the set square is and if the camera can see through the body of players that may block it's view!