Many agree with you. It is an old traditional stadium that has not had much in the way of upgrades for a long time. Everton FC have been considering a variety of options for a new stadium for several years, in different locations, but for one reason or another, all have been rejected. PH
There was a report on this yesterday...they're at least trying to move forward with a new proposal again at the moment.
Maybe this time it will work out, with the new owners' money! Story here: http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com...mley-moore-dock-robert-elstone-farhad-moshiri PH
Saturday 4 March 12.30pm Manchester United v AFC Bournemouth Referee: Kevin Friend Assistants: D Cann, M Wilkes Fourth official: L Probert Leicester City v Hull City Referee: Mike Dean Assistants: S Long, D Eaton Fourth official: N Swarbrick Stoke City v Middlesbrough Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: I Hussin, S Ledger Fourth official: P Tierney Swansea City v Burnley Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: J Collin, S Bennett Fourth official: S Attwell Watford v Southampton Referee: Jonathan Moss Assistants: E Smart, H Lennard Fourth official: J Linington West Bromwich Albion v Crystal Palace Referee: Mike Jones Assistants: A Garratt, M Scholes Fourth official: M Clattenburg 5.30pm Liverpool v Arsenal (BT Sport) Referee: Robert Madley Assistants: P Kirkup, M Perry Fourth official: A Marriner Sunday 5 March 1.30pm Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (Sky Sports) Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: S Burt, C Hatzidakis Fourth official: N Swarbrick 4pm Sunderland v Manchester City (Sky Sports) Referee: Martin Atkinson Assistants: S Child, A Holmes Fourth official: P Tierney Monday 6 March 8pm West Ham United v Chelsea (Sky Sports) Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: S Beck, R West Fourth official: M Dean
The best referee in the world doesn't get anything more than a 4O slot. In a lower tier EPL game. Lots of guys are doubling up with R and 4O slots together during the week. I get that. But PGMOL has gone from assigning him to mid tier games this season, to this. What's the point? It gives the appearance that he's either just working out the string or that they are holding him to a contract. Just make a clean break.
Well, it could be that. But it also could be part of a grand plan to make sure he's available for key matches down the stretch. Other than Arsenal-Liverpool and Leicester-Hull, none of these scream big UCL or relegation battles; I'm sure I'm missing something but all the others seem to be mid-table battles or teams near opposite ends (Tottenham-Everton doesn't really fall into any of those three categories, unless you consider Everton a serious UCL contender). Why waste Clattenburg now on WBA-Crystal Palace now, for example, when you might need him on Crystal Palace-Hull on the penultimate game of the season? My point is we're reaching the part of the season where referees only see teams 1 or 2 more times, so you've got to start plotting that out and making strategic decisions so you have flexibility for the final few weeks. It's a relatively easy week--sort of a calm before the storm--so sitting Clattenburg this week does no harm and gives him a rest. That said, it could just as easily be what you're saying, too--I'm merely suggesting there are two possibilities. Unrelated, big match for Madley. For those saying that pool of top referees getting the marquee matches hasn't been expanding, there's evidence to the contrary right there.
Some good talking points around 45+1 in the MUvBOU match today. Also, a great comment from the colour guy on a Phil Jones foul, essentially stating that anytime you go to ground as a last ditch effort, there's a good chance you'll give up a foul. Much like Esse's presenting in another thread
So do we know what Taylor was seeing in the 19th minute of Swansea v Burnley in the 19th minute? Looks to be handling by Burnley, on an offensive cross, but he awards PK for them instead? Here comes another opportunity for the VAR argument.
It looked to me that he saw a hand and thought that it was a Swansea player, so he gave Burnley the PK. It was clearly not the correct decision and we will see how much scrutiny he comes under for this blunder.
Not a great weekend for Premier League referees, I think it's fair to say. Off the top of my head: Swansea - Burnley: a nonsense penalty, and a foul on the winning goal Watford - Southampton: Each team with an offside goal Man U - Bournemouth: Certainly a missed SFP on Ibrahimovic's elbow, and then he forgot that he'd already booked Surman, which really shouldn't happen at that level. In my opinion Mings should have also had a VC red for the stamp on Ibra's head. Liverpool - Arsenal: missed 2CT for Emre Can
colman, i thought the same about man utd vs bourn, friend was having a good game up until then, in my opinion. then he missed the stamp. then he didn't position himself properly to see ibra and mings go up for the ball. he should have known something dicey might happen. the elbow is the exact same thing that di biaggio did to mcbride many years ago at one of the world cups. on the Southampton goal that wasn't called, gomes tries to dive for the ball, but the player in the offside position interferes with his ability to get to the ball
I only saw the Liverpool-Arsenal match. R was very inconsistent, players not sure what would be called as a foul. Missed easy PK call when Liverpool player was pushed with both hands in the chest, certainly got conned out of the 2nd YC for Can by his rolling around antics. The nearside AR (Kirkup?) also got some things wrong. He raised his flag for O/S on a Liverpool forward before the ball got to him and it had been headed away by a defender. He missed a call on a throw-in, and Origi looked O/S on the breakaway that led to the 3rd Liverpool goal. Certainly seems like the criticism leveled at the PGMOL in social media and the press by former referees has some merit to it based on what has been going on the past few weeks. PH
I was ok with that one actually - don't think Redmond interfered on Tadic's shot. Gomes didn't complain at all, which I think he would have had he felt Redmond blocked his dive. Thought Gabbiadini was offside on Boufal's shot, and should have been flagged when he scored the rebound. And on Watford's third, the striker was offside by about a foot on the flick-on.
The Guardian on Video Refereeing: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...r/07/david-squires-on-video-referees-football
A bit of an update on retrospective actions on this. Zlatan got (and accepted) the fast track 3 games for his elbow, Mings was given 5 games for running on top of Zlatan but he has requested a hearing so it's not done yet. I know that many don't agree but giving the usual 3 games for what clearly was an intentional and planned retaliation seems dangerous to me. Sure it wasn't Keane v Haaland bad but still.
I'm with you. I agree that stepping on Zlatan's head deserves more than the standard 3, but an intentional swinging elbow to the head (or as Zlatan put it: Mings headbutting his elbow) is capable of causing just as much harm
The Emirates FA Cup - Quarter Finals Mar 2017 11 SAT 12:15 Middlesbrough FC (First Team) v Manchester City (First Team) FA Cup Referee: Dean, Michael Assistant Referee: Bennett, Simon Assistant Referee: Perry, Marc Fourth Official: Friend, Kevin Mar 2017 11 SAT 17:30 Arsenal (First Team) v Lincoln City FC (First Team) FA Cup Referee: Taylor, Anthony Assistant Referee: Hussin, Ian Assistant Referee: West, Richard Fourth Official: Attwell, Stuart Mar 2017 12 SUN 14:00 Tottenham Hotspur (First Team) v Millwall (First Team) FA Cup Referee: Atkinson, Martin Assistant Referee: Nunn, Adam Assistant Referee: Wilkes, Matthew Fourth Official: Mason, Lee Mar 2017 13 MON 19:45 Chelsea (First Team) v Manchester United FC (First Team) FA Cup Referee: Oliver, Michael Assistant Referee: Burt, Stuart Assistant Referee: Collin, Jake Fourth Official: Jones, Michael Saturday 11 March AFC Bournemouth v West Ham United Referee: Robert Madley Assistants: P Kirkup, S Child Fourth official: R East Everton v West Bromwich Albion Referee: Graham Scott Assistants: A Holmes, D Bryan Fourth official: J Moss Hull City v Swansea City Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: S Beck, E Smart Fourth official: M Oliver Sunday 12 March 4pm Liverpool v Burnley (Sky Sports) Referee: Craig Pawson Assistants: S Ledger, S Long Fourth official: N Swarbrick So the quarterfinals go to the new Top 4?
I don't usually play the "predict the referee" game, but it could mean that none of these guys is getting the Final, but it could also mean that one of them could get it! I'll leave it to the expert prognosticators to give a more knowledgeable answer based on the quarterfinal assignments for the past 50 years! But it probably means that none will be on a semifinal either, and we know that semifinal referees don't get the final also, right? PH
Dean and Atkinson have had it. Taylor or Oliver? Makes sense to give it to either. But they have years to get it. Anyone older who has been good and is eligible? Maybe Mike Jones, but that could be a stretch. I'd go ahead and bet Oliver.
There's a rumour that Clattenburg was held back for years while the FA waited for a big matchup (and then finally used him last year because it would have been embarrassing for him to get the CL final without having had the FA Cup). If there's truth to the idea that they try to use their best in years when two top teams make the final, then I'd say Oliver is likely. Semi-final will probably be Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Man City.