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The 2024-2025 Football Thread
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Arsenal losing their sporting director is going to be a huge loss for them because he has done some very good work for the club over the years.
People will question why Edu is leaving Arsenal for a club that has got some serious discipline issues going on with the club owner and the club manager. The club being recently fined £750,000 for making disparaging remarks about a referee relating to their 2-0 loss to Everton last year. Their manager has received a 3 game touchline and a £55,000 fine due to an ill tempered draw with Brighton and the club owner has been recently given a 5 game stadium ban for spitting at the feet of the game referee after the clubs 1-0 loss to Fulham.
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Most unfortunate.
I read about this in the Guardian, and am sorry to see that it seems to be an accurate report.
We were robbed at the weekend, and seeing Dermot Gallagher back up the referee's absolutely awful decision not to award us a penalty is even worse:
We've now been on the wrong end of 4 poor refereeing/VAR decisions which if were different could have gained us 1 or 2 wins.
I can accept not winning games if we haven't played well or have made a mistake to cost us the game, as frustrating as it is. I can't accept not winning a game because an absolutely shocking decision by the referee has changed the outlook of the game and ultimately cost us. It was easier to accept in the Championship/League One because there is no VAR, but how VAR can look at that penalty decision and NOT award it is beyond me. Fatawu has made no attempt to get the ball.
We've now been on the wrong end of 4 poor refereeing/VAR decisions which if were different could have gained us 1 or 2 wins.
I can accept not winning games if we haven't played well or have made a mistake to cost us the game, as frustrating as it is. I can't accept not winning a game because an absolutely shocking decision by the referee has changed the outlook of the game and ultimately cost us. It was easier to accept in the Championship/League One because there is no VAR, but how VAR can look at that penalty decision and NOT award it is beyond me. Fatawu has made no attempt to get the ball.
Problems with VAR only exist if decisions do not go the way fans want them too. The sending off of Bruno when he slipped and went studs high on a Spurs player, the ref sent him off. VAR is supposed to check on red card situations and it did not in this case but actually it turns out VAR should have intervened because the FA have rescinded Bruno's red card because they said the red card decision was wrong. Now in the Chelsea game, another United player does the exact same thing, slips and goes studs high on a player whilst trying to steady himself. This time the ref say's no red. This incensed Chelsea fans who said it was a sending off challenge. The replays show the ref got it right but yet Chelsea fans are still complaining that it was a sending off and VAR should have intervened.
If VAR allows a goal to stand, fans are happy. If VAR disallows a goal, fans want VAR removed. If VAR agrees to a penalty, fans are happy. If VAR sends off one of their players, fans want VAR removed. VAR is doomed no matter what.
If VAR allows a goal to stand, fans are happy. If VAR disallows a goal, fans want VAR removed. If VAR agrees to a penalty, fans are happy. If VAR sends off one of their players, fans want VAR removed. VAR is doomed no matter what.
Consistently get rid, yes, perhaps, but this will only work if proper support systems - and strong protections (and extremely serious sanctions - robustly enforced - for those who transgress) are put in place for match officials.
In any case, I must say that I have always found the threatening behaviour of some footballers, - who are, in the Premier League, at least, invariably exceptionally well paid individuals - when, for example, a group of them of them surround, shout at, obstruct, and threaten, the referee - in the wake of an action, or decision, that hadn't gone their way - to be utterly repellant, quite repugnant, and actually outrageous.
And I want to point out that I still think this - and have always thought it - even when Arsenal players (and staff) are to be found among such culprits.
Couldn’t agree more. I believe only the captain should be able to approach the referee to discuss the incident. I believe that’s how they do it in rugby. Makes perfect sense to me.