Once again our resident referee gives his opinion not just on the official for the Saints game, but the rest of the Premier League and of course there is the usual quiz at the end, which few people seem to get completely right.
There sure has been a fair bit of controversy over the last week with VAR and the officials decisions from both the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and this gameweek for the prem hasn’t been too different ether!
As I know there’s been lots of discussion over whether VAR should be used in these cup competitions or not, as it currently can’t be used in all stadiums, with both sides having fair points. Although having heard some suggestions over ways to solve these issues it’s a similar situation there, with the only one that I think can work both ways, being that of basic interviews for refs after the game for any major decisions in which they’ve given where it might not be the clearest to all as to why that was. But anyway onto the VAR and referees for this gameweek in the prem…
Everton VS Southampton (John Brooks)
Well since the last edition of Ref Watch, our games couldn’t have been much better than what they have been! And this weekends game certainly wasn’t too different, with a great win for Saints at a stadium in which we’d not won at in over 25 years in the league, and as someone who’s first visit to Goodison was for this game, can’t complain too much about the experience I had!
But anyway with regards to officiating for this game, I personally felt mixed over this ref, as he certainly didn’t get all his decisions correct with quite a few blatant fouls not being given both ways as well as some fair challenges being given against that team again for and against both teams. But he did get all his major decisions correct and did keep control of the game fairly well, so still a decent enough performance from Brooks.
Although recently the officials saints have had, I’ve felt very mixed over, as the ref for the EFL Cup game against City I thought was excellent, whilst our one against Palace I thought was poor, especially with Zaha managing to get away with no punishment whatsoever when he basically squared up to the ref clearly abusing him, after a decision was given against him. As it’s when refs do nothing in incidents like this that many young players and coaches see it and think it’s acceptable at lower league and grassroots levels, causing just more issues for lower league and grassroots officials, all of which could quite easily be prevented from happening in the highest league!
TUI Fan View
A fair assessment from SFC Ref, watching the game i did feel that Mr Brooks seemed to penalise Saints for petty tackles a lot more than he did the home side, perhaps I had a degree of bias for this, but certainly at the time it felt like he was giving more to Everton than Saints.
One thing he did do for us though, was award the free kick for the winner, the decision was absolutely right, no one could argue with it, but after blowing for it, he positioned himself where he wanted the kick taken, at the time I thought that was in a position a lot more advantageous to us than where the offence occurred, giving Ward Prowse a more central view of goal.
Everton fans were raging afterwards that JWP had moved the ball, but they were wrong it was all down to the ref.
SFC Ref was lucky to see a win in his first visit, I have been about 30 times and never seen one until now !!!
Aston Villa VS Leeds (Michael Oliver)
This game sure did have a lot for VAR to do and check, having to rule out multiple goals ruled out for Leeds due to offsides, as well as VAR having to overrule an offside decision by the AR/lino for Villa’s second goal. As well as a half shout for a foul on a Villa player before Leeds late goal, although after seeing the replay was fairly clear that it wasn’t a foul.
But there were also a penalty shout for Leeds early in the game, where their player is seen to be pulled back by a Villa defender at a free kick, which stops him from getting to the ball before the keeper. But what makes me think that it was a penalty and that VAR did mess up is how the Villa player clearly has two hands grabbing onto the Leeds striker and has no intent to play the ball but simply to pull back the Leeds attacker.
Hence why I think VAR and Oliver did mess up on this decision.
Man United VS Man City (Stuart Attwell)
This game sure did have a major event or two to discuss when it came down to VAR and the officiating! As the first half seemed very quiet, and the second half started with a half call for a penalty from Foden and City, although I don’t think anyone really thought it was one.
But all the controversy came in just the last 15 minutes of the game with Man United opener! As the debates all around did Rashford intervene with play or not?
As right now there is 4 things that can put a player as committing an offside offence when being in an offside position.
They are, making contact with the ball, blocking the line of vision of an opposing player to the ball, preventing an opponent from being able to play the ball or making an action or attempt to play the ball which impacts the opponent.
And as the replays show, Rashford is quite clearly not played the ball, but has arguably done all 3 of the other possibilities. As he’s quite clearly over the ball so blocking some defenders line of site to the ball, and also looks like he’s going to play the ball as well as being in the way of the centre half’s to get to the ball, so is clearly intervening with play. As I don’t think there’s many fans out there, Man U, Man City, saints etc… that seriously think that he’s not intervening with play, yet how VAR doesn’t see and give this is just baffling to even an official like myself!
As the most unfortunate part about this is that Michael Oliver (who in my books is the best ref in England currently), but I guess everyone makes mistakes, from coaches to players to officials etc… and on top of that how the Man U players again got away with such high levels of dissent after the linesman flagged for this incident, where he genuinely looked scared, and is ridiculous for how it’s allowed with no disciplinary action at all!
And right at the end of the game there was another penalty shout from City, for a supposed foul on Haaland, although again I don’t think many will see that as a penalty, hence why it was rightfully overruled.
So overall just one major mistake from VAR this game, although it’s just soo blatant and major that it makes this game quite a poor one from them…
Brighten VS Liverpool (Darren England)
This game sure was a major surprise for the scoreline, but thankfully less so for the VAR and officials decisions made on the day!
As there were some appeals for a handball outside the box by the Brighton keeper, but as the replays show that wasn’t the case as the ball was on the end he of the penalty box line, and therefore defined as being inside the box meaning that the keeper can handle it. VAR also had to rule out a penalty for Brighton for an offside offence but that was fairly clear with no real issues there.
So a fairly decent game for VAR and the officials with the only mistake I saw being March not getting cautioned for going into the crowd and on the perimeter fence after getting his second, but still that’s hardly a major event compared to some of the other situations we’ve had this gameweek!
Nottingham Forest VS Leicester (Paul Tierney)
Fairly easy game for VAR with just having to rightfully overrule the linesman’s offside decisions for Forest’s first goal. But over than that a fairly easy a decent game for the officials and VAR.
Wolves VS West Ham (Simon Hooper)
Again another easy game for VAR with just the one goal ruled out by the linesman for a correct offside decision. So not much to talk about in this game.
Brentford VS Bournemouth (Jarred Gillet)
This game was another one with a bit of controversy around a major decision. This one around a penalty decision given to Brentford.
As this one you can clearly see both players grabbing one another, which is what firstly tells you that both are commuting offences so to punish one and not the other is unfair, but on top of that the fact that the Brentford player has locked in his arm and is, in a way, making himself fall over, which is why it’s not a penalty and I do think VAR and the ref made a major mistake in awarding this.
But unlike the offside for Man U, at least this decision you can understand why they’ve given that decision, although the outcome was incorrect again.
Chelsea VS Crystal Palace (Peter Bankes)
Not too much to talk about in this game, as from the highlights there didn’t seem to be any controversy or major decisions for VAR to make. So a fairly easy but decent game for Bankes and VAR.
Newcastle VS Fulham (Robert Jones)
This game did have a few shouts for various things during the game. Firstly an early shout for a red card to a Fulham defender for a foul outside the box, but due to how many other defenders were back only a cautioning was given, which I’d say is the correct decision.
But then we had multiple shouts for a penalty for Fulham with like 2 or 3 incidents occurring in quick succession inside the box. So a penalty was awarded in the end, for the 3rd offence, which I originally thought fairly clear and rightfully a penalty, but after seeing another angle can see that it wasn’t one thought. But Fulham were still unhappy with this.
As they believe that the first shout should also be a penalty for a pull inside the box which would’ve been a red as it’s a DOGSO offence where a player isn’t going for the ball. But from what I’ve seen, the pull is minimal and the delay in the fall of the Fulham player after he’s supposedly pulled, is what tells me he’s clearly gone down easy and isn’t enough for a penalty and red card.
So overall a controversial game for VAR with there being some debatable decisions that there will always be debates over.
Spurs VS Arsenal (Craig Pawson)
This was probably the biggest game of the week for attention, importance, history and soo much more, so was one that VAR and officials really did wanna officiate well!
And as someone who was watching a fair portion of it on the TV, I can certainly say that it was officiated well and really was a good game for Pawson and VAR, giving lots of correct calls with no real controversy or issues and keeping control of a challenging game so very well.
Weekly conclusion + LOTG quiz
Well ever since I started doing these articles, I don’t think we’ve had a gameweek with more controversy than this one! As there’s been some major debatable decisions given in 4 of the 10 games, with all of them being ones where there’s been mixed opinions over both the original decisions and what VAR did. But still it’s always interesting to compare views and opinions on some of these decisions, whilst others it would be quite interesting to hear as to why VAR or the officials came to the conclusions they did for these decisions.
Although with that Manchester derby offside controversy, I myself know a professional referee, and what he told me around this incident was very interesting.
As he said that the LOTG for that decision could be interpreted multiple ways, which is why there are a fair few referees debating this decision on many RA groups I’m in. Meaning that under the LOTG ether an offside or an onside could’ve been rightfully awarded, so agreed with the decision due to that, but also said that of course if the offside had stood that nobody would’ve complained…
But still certainly an interesting view on it.
And now for this gameweeks questions, which like usual, I’ll post the answers to just before the next post is done…
Although if anyone’s got any "out there” questions to ask, I could always use some of them for future quiz questions.
Q1= You caution the Team A goalkeeper during regular time to a cup game. After both regular and extra time, the scores are level so the game goes to penalties.
During which the Team A goalie shouts to put off the penalty taker, when they go up to take the penalty kick. What do you do?
Q2= A penalty is taken by team A. The player comes up and strikes the ball legally, which is clearly heading straight for the top left corner, whilst the keeper is clearly diving towards the right side with no chance of saving it. But whilst mid air, a seagull gets in the way of the ball and is struck by it. The ball does have a major change in its path, but still ends up in the back of the net. What do you award now?
(Shoutout to Frannie’s Tash for that one)
Q3= A referee awards a dropped ball to Team B. The player who it was dropped to sees the keeper off of his line, so after taking two touches, has a shot which ends up in the back of Team A’s net. What should happen next?”