Today's Football

[greenmark]

Having watched it several times now I've changed my opinion. It was obviously cynical. But I think it was actually quite a nasty tackle with potentially really a bad outcome. The authorities have spoken but I think Oliver (who I think is a good ref) got it right according to the rules in the moment and it's taken days for us to decide he was wrong. But he wasn't wrong by much, if at all.

[henbet22]

Champs league and Internationals Red every time. Premier league yellow. Draw you own conclusions to that statement.

[henbet22]

Is Slot asking for trouble tonight or is it a cheap rest day for the big guns? Time will tell.

[Kai]

Is Slot asking for trouble tonight or is it a cheap rest day for the big guns? Time will tell.

He's concluded it doesn't matter one bit whether they finish 1st or 2nd in the table

[henbet22]

Yes agree in the comp standings it makes no difference. Just meant momentum and potentially letting providence in to disrupt things long term. This format is a bit odd but tonight should be great.

"Before the game [against Tottenham] we spoke about it, momentum is not a coincidence, it is something you take, you keep and you use. That helped today." Klopp 2019

[jamesedwards]

He's playing with fire. Not sure what's keeping Liverpool going at the moment. It might be momentum

[henbet22]

Liverpool have loads in hand. Just looking for pitfalls that sometimes happen in sport.

[Euler]

Nice drift

[Michael5482]

As much as I hate the format it's raining goals tonight, City not pulling up any trees, Brugge are no mugs and look dangerous on the break.

[jamesedwards]

As much as I hate the format it's raining goals tonight, City not pulling up any trees, Brugge are no mugs and look dangerous on the break.

Man City slightly odds against to qualify

[Michael5482]

As much as I hate the format it's raining goals tonight, City not pulling up any trees, Brugge are no mugs and look dangerous on the break.

Man City slightly odds against to qualify

Nice arb available, monster move on the goal markets at half-time.

[weemac]

Rangers did well to finish 8th in the Europa League group stage, having played 4 of the teams who finished in the top 7.

[firlandsfarm]

Nice of them to admit they were wrong just in time to change nothing, it could have ended Arsenal's title challenge

In an alternate universe he's gotten the blue card there, that's basically why they wanted it, when they feel a yellow is not enough

So let me try and get my head around this (the issue, not your post Kai which I agree with) ... player was wrongly sent off, his team-mates protest to the referee he has made a mistake, the FA agree their referee made the mistake and the player is cleared of the red card, the FA are now charging the club/players for demonstrating that their referee made a mistake. I agree the players should not surround the referee (they didn't, see the pic.) but when they are right and the referee/VAR was wrong surely a little leniency should be considered!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/other/a ... 150&ei=113

[greenmark]

Nice of them to admit they were wrong just in time to change nothing, it could have ended Arsenal's title challenge

In an alternate universe he's gotten the blue card there, that's basically why they wanted it, when they feel a yellow is not enough

So let me try and get my head around this (the issue, not your post Kai which I agree with) ... player was wrongly sent off, his team-mates protest to the referee he has made a mistake, the FA agree their referee made the mistake and the player is cleared of the red card, the FA are now charging the club/players for demonstrating that their referee made a mistake. I agree the players should not surround the referee (they didn't, see the pic.) but when they are right and the referee/VAR was wrong surely a little leniency should be considered!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/other/a ... 150&ei=113

2 seperate issues. 1 was the foul and its subsequent debate. 2 is intimidating the referee. 2 would not be tolerated in elite rugby union. Why shoud it be in the EPL. It's been creeping back in since the last attempt to snuff it out and I think they're right to punish Arsenal and any other team.

[firlandsfarm]

2 seperate issues. 1 was the foul and its subsequent debate. 2 is intimidating the referee. 2 would not be tolerated in elite rugby union. Why shoud it be in the EPL. It's been creeping back in since the last attempt to snuff it out and I think they're right to punish Arsenal and any other team.

I agree the RU comparison and I agree with no intimidation of the referee ... you will see all I said was there should be some leniency where the referee is so blatantly wrong. It's bound to cause a response and the FA have only themselves to blame for such so called intimidation by allowing it over many years. RU have never allowed it and so the players know never to do it. Manure under Fergie were the biggest exponents. But the FA have never seriously attempted to snuff it out. If they really wanted to it would be easy. Instruct refs in their pre-match briefing to advise the teams that only the captain is permitted to question a decision. If a player other than the captain approaches the referee they will be told if they do not withdraw they will be booked. If they do not withdraw they will be booked and the instruction repeated. If they still do not withdraw they will get a second booking and sent off. Intimidation would cease immediately.

But I don't see it as two separate issues. The proximate cause was the red card, if the ref had made the right decision there would have been no 'intimidation'. I've had this thought for decades ... "when will the FA charge themselves with 'bringing the game into disrepute'"

As for "punish Arsenal and any other team" I agree ... with the emphasis on "every other team". We see it go unchallenged every matchday. All teams do it with possibly wrong critical decisions so why don't all teams get charged? I think the FA is trying to deflect from the ref's error and make player intimidation the headline not the error.