This was a very awkward week for me to write my referee watch, and go over and discuss all the weekends action around the officials and any major controversies that may have occurred, as I usually watch MOTD to see all the weekends highlights.
So this weekend I had to watch a few more highlights on YouTube to make sure I’d missed nothing seeing how there were no commentators, pundits or interviews talking about any major officiating decisions from these games.
But still it’s been over a fortnight now since the last major VAR/officiating mess up, so it’s just a question of how long will it last?
As this week there is a fair bit to talk about and discuss yet we’ll see if VAR has yet again had a decent weekend with no major mess ups, which of course the media won’t ever highlight. As yes there’s been a few issues recently around the likes of Fernandes getting away with shoving the assistant referee, but that’s more where the FA should’ve got involved rather than VAR. But anyway, time to look at this weekends action form the premier leagues referees and officials…
Man United VS Southampton (Anthony Taylor)
When I heard that Taylor would be in the middle for this game, I was quite happy and had a bit more optimism for this game, as in my books him and Oliver are the best two referees in the league, so was fairly adamant that we’d get a fair game over at Old Trafford on Sunday. And from what I saw of the highlights we certainly did.
As I don’t give a toss over what the usual pathetic Man U moaners like Fernandes or Ten Hag says, I think that Taylor officiated thus game really well and got all his decision spot on.
As the first major event of this game was the cautioning original given to Casemiro, which VAR got Taylor to review and overturn into a red card. As this in my view (and basically anyone else’s who’s not a Man U fan from what I’ve seen) was the correct decision, as Casemiro is flying in mid air, with his studs up, lots of force and makes clear forceful contact on Alcaraz’s shins, which should always be a red.
As him getting the ball first is irrelevant when you endanger the safety of an opponent, which he clearly did with this challenge, and as much as him going into the ball first caused his shoes to fly up, he shouldn’t be diving in that forcefully and high if he doesn’t want to have the risks of any disciplinary action.
Other than that, there wasn’t too many more major decision for VAR to get involved in. As there were a few shouts for a penalty to Man U for a tackle from KWP on Fernandes, but as the replays show he clearly wins the ball and as Blackmore said, Fernandes was just his usual self, ranting on yet again when the decision didn’t go his way.
Man U then had another penalty shout for a supposed handball offence against Bella-Kotcha, but this was also turned down as firstly it did look like it hit his shoulder, which can’t be classified as being a handball, as well as the fact that he’s fallen over so his hands to be down on the ground are in a natural position for the circumstances he was in. So yet again a good call from VAR and Taylor.
But that wasn’t it for Man U and penalty shouts, as they also had one for a supposed foul on Rashford, with Bazunu supposedly tripping him up which is what Ten Hag complained about at full time. Yet as the footage shows there is quite clearly no contact at all, with it being a blatant dive from Rashford, as really he should’ve been cautioned for it as it was just so blatant, and was one of the few things from this game that I do think Taylor didn’t get 100% right.
But still overall a great game from VAR and Taylor, who managed the game really well and again showed as to why him and Oliver are by far the two best refs currently in the premier league.
But all these Man U clowns from ten hang to all the glory hunters, all over social media coming up with all these pathetic excuses and blame on the officials really does sum up and show everything that’s wrong with the modern game and the fans lack of respect towards officials.
Bournemouth VS Liverpool (John Brooks)
The one game that most saints fans would’ve had down as our opponents getting absolutely nothing from, the one guarantee we had that we wouldn’t be bottom of the league for the next week… yet Liverpool decide to not turn up on the one flipping time we want them to!
But still for Brooks it was a fairly simple game, with one just a penalty shout for Liverpool, for a supposed handball offence against Bournemouth, which was given, and rightfully so. As the Bournemouth players got his arm sticking miles out and the ball clearly strikes it so was always going to be a penalty. But other than that, this game seemed to be a fairly easy and good game for VAR and brooks.
Everton VS Brentford (Simon Hooper)
This game was a quieter one for Hopper, as I don’t even think I’ve ever seen a MOTD highlights soo short before when around a game. But there still was a slight bit for Hooper and VAR to look over and get involved in.
As Everton’s opening and only goal, was a clean one with no controversy, but there was a few incidents that followed. As early into the second half Everton had some half penalty shouts for a handball against Brentford, but these were turned down, and rightfully so, as the ball clearly strikes the Brentford players shoulder, which you can not commit a handball offence with.
But just a few minutes later, Everton thought they’d gone 2-0 up, but after a VAR review this goal was chalked off, and rightfully so. As under the LOTG a regular handball offence must always be ether intentional, or with the hand being in an unnatural position, this incident though was nether, so why was the goal ruled out then you may ask? It was because under the LOTG there is one single exception to this law, and that is that when a goal is scored directly from/directly after it strikes the hand of an attacking player, then the goal can not stand, hence why the toffees goal was rightfully ruled out.
So again another good display off of VAR and some decent officiating from Hooper.
Leeds VS Brighton (Paul Tierney)
This game was yet another in which the result didn’t go fully in the way that many saints fans would’ve wanted it to, but even with the many goals it had, it was still a fairly easy and clean one for VAR and Tierney. As all 4 of the goals scored were perfectly valid, and outside of that there were no major appeals for any major events whatsoever from this game.
So overall a fairly quiet, but still decent game from VAR and Tierney.
Leicester VS Chelsea (Andre Marriner)
There’s not been too many results that went saint’s way this weekend in our battle for survival, but this thankfully was one in which Chelsea won to keep Leicester down in the ditches with us, who seem to have gotten in form at perfect timing just after loosing to us.
But back to the referee watch, as this was a fairly quite game for VAR and Marriner as all 4 goals scored were all perfectly valid, and there wasn’t anything else that major which VAR needed to check. But there still was one incident that caught my eye.
As Marriner gave Faes a second yellow, which was correct in my view, but it was more how he gave it which caught my eye. As it looked like he’d originally turned down the appeals, as the foul wasn’t given until 5/6 seconds after it was committed, with no advantages or such being played, so I very much wonder as to why that was?
As there’s only two real possibilities as to why there was a delay, as ether the 4th official or one of his AR’s told him on com’s that they were adamant it was a foul and second cautioning, so went with what they said, or what I thinks more likely, which was that he just went off how the Chelsea player and staff in the technical area reacted.
Which is poor from a ref, as you should use some common sense with reactions, but shouldn’t just base your decisions on them.
So a good game from VAR, but for Marriner it’s all down to whether he based his decision on what another official told him or the reactions from the Chelsea lot as to whether or not he had a good game in my books, even with the decision being correct.
Tottenham VS Forest (Craig Pawson)
Another one of the few games from the weekend that did go in saints’s favour, which was very one sided, but still with a fair bit for Pawson and VAR to do. As right at the start of the game, Spurs thought they’d gone 1-0 up with Richarlison’s first league goal for the team, but after a VAR review it was ruled out for an offside. The offside was very close, and I’m sure many will argue that he was "level” with the second to last defender, but your ether on or off, and with our current technology, it had Richarlison down as offside.
We then had Kane getting the opener to this game, which was soon followed by a penalty being awarded to Spurs for a blatant foul on Richarlison, that clear that I couldn’t even see any Forest fans in the crowd complaining about the decision! Which VAR rightfully backed and got spurs 2-0 up just before half time.
During the second half we didn’t have too much for VAR to get involved with, as both teams got a goal, nether with any real controversies or issues around them, but there was then a penalty awarded to Forest right at the end of the game.
As this was also one awarded for a handball offence, but this one looked fairly intentional and even before all the LOTG were changed recently around the handballs, was always going to be given, and VAR was correct to intervene and get Pawson to go to the monitor and review the decision and overall his original one of a no penalty.
So overall a packed game for Pawson and VAR, yet still a really good display off of both Pawson and VAR who got all their major decisions right in my book.
Crystal Palace VS Man City (Robert Jones)
As someone who was watching this game live on sky, I though Jones had a cracking game in the middle. As like many of us saints fans will know, Palace can always be a difficult team to officiate with the king of tantrums, Wilfred Zaha, playing! As he managed the game really well in what was a very tight and close game, which did need a fair amount of cautionings involved in it.
But for VAR it had a very easy game, simply just having to double check yet another blatant penalty, this time to Man City, which was one as clear as you can get. As even the reactions off of the Palace defender who committed the foul and his team mates, only confirmed it even more. But still a great game from Jones and a quite one for VAR.
Fulham VS Arsenal (David Coote)
A very one sided affair which Arsenal could’ve won by a few more than just 3 goals, but still with a thing or two for VAR and Coote to handle. As Arsenal had an early opener ruled out for a clear and fair offside call in the buildup to their goal. But this ended up being minimal to them after they managed to get another 3 goals before half time, all of which were perfectly fine with no controversies around any of them.
The second half was a lot quieter for both the scoreline and VAR, with their being no major events for VAR to get involved in or check over. So overall a fairly clean game for VAR and Coote, who managed it well.
West Ham VS Aston Villa (Chris Kavanagh)
Another game with a penalty awarded in it, which certainly wasn’t as clear cut as some of the others we’ve seen from the weekend. As West Ham we’re awarded a penalty in the first half, after Villa had taken the lead, for a supposed trip on one of their players, but as the replays show there was minimal contact and he was falling before anything had occurred.
As I can understand as to why Kavanagh gave this decision in real time, as it’s only in slow motion after seeing it several times from multiple angles that we can see that it’s clearly not a pen, so was always going be a tough call to make in real time, but why VAR doesn’t get involved here in really not sure.
As the West Ham players just felt the hands on his shoulders and then gone down, but at the replays showed the force is minimal, and never enough for a pen. So really VAR should’ve sent Kavanagh to the monitor to review this incident and overrun the original one in my books.
But that wasn’t it when it came down to penalties as Villa also had a shout for one later in the game. As it does look like from one angle that Rice trips the Villa attacker, but I can’t seem to find many angles for this in isn’t so can’t say definitively whether I think they got the decision correct or not.
So not the greatest game for VAR with that penalty awarded to West Ham, and not the best day for Kavanagh being in the middle for these incidents.
Newcastle VS Wolves (Andy Murray)
Well it looks like there wasn’t just 1 game this weekend with any major VAR mistakes, as thieve incidents have gotta be the first in over a fortnight in which I do think VAR messed up on, and did make major mistakes which had a fairly lathe influence in the game, which also occurred between Newcastle and Wolves.
As this was all from yet another mistake from Pope, who of course has only just come back from suspension after being sent off not that long ago. As he has a poor touch and accidentally plays it to Jiminez, which leads to him having a clear opening on goal.
As Pope then clearly goes into him, and commits a fairly clear foul, as Jiminez may have been looking for it, but still there is clear contact and is a clear penalty, which would have also come with a red card seeing how it wasn’t a genuine attempt to play the ball and denied a clear DOGSO.
So why VAR didn’t get involved there I don’t know, as Murray was understandably quite far away expecting it to be blasted up the pitch, so understandably can’t see it the greatest from back there, but why VAR doesnt get involved even I can’t say. But also Murray didn’t caution him for simulation though, and for a situation like that it’s ether a pen or a cautioning. As if there’s no clear or major contact then it’s clearly simulation, whilst if there is then it’s a penalty, so really this incident should’ve had some disciplinary action somewhere in it.
But other than that incident there wasn’t too much more for VAR or Murray to get involved in as all 3 goals were perfectly fine, and there was a wolves player who did stop a very promising attack for Newcastle through a clear tug. Although I think that just a cautioning was enough here due to all the covering defenders around him, which wasn’t enough for a DOGSO and therefore red to be shown.
So a bit of a mixed game for VAR and Murray who seemed ok, but did get the major incident o the penalty wrong in my view, which would’ve had a major impact on the game.
Weekly conclusion + LOTG quiz
So for the first time in a while there’s been some negative decisions from VAR and not just the positive ones. As of course now VAR’s made a few mistakes the media will be all over it, even with us having no issues whatsoever over the last two weekends which will just be completely ignored.
Even then there’s still some gaffers complaining and blaming the officials for their "mistakes” which is just nonsense, as it’s only Wolves and Villa that have any right to complain this weekend around any VAR controversies whatsoever.
But how those two were made I’m not too certain on, as both incidents I can understand as to why the refs both gave their real time decisions to, but how VAR didn’t get involved and overturn them is a bit confusing and did lead to incorrect decisions being awarded in my view.
Still just 2 VAR mistakes over 3 weeks certainly isn’t that bad though, as it shows that VAR does still need to improve, but does also show that it is improving and does look like it’s getting better as time goes on.
So overall a mixed weekend for VAR and the premier leagues referees.
To read my opinion of Saints performance on the pitch this weekend read my Saints Watch column using the link below
https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/59816
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= Put these LOTG terminologies (Reckless, Careless and Excessive force) with the correct disciplinary actions (a warning, cautioning and serious foul play).
Q2= A penalty is awarded to Team A. The taker comes up and takes it, but backheels it behind him, with the balling being played backwards to a teammate who scores directly from the pass. What do you give now?
Q3= What is the correct disciplinary action for a player calling a match official a cheat in any way or form?