Full disclosure- I’m a Tottenham fan. I thought those were both SFP. I think that anywhere but the EPL they would be. It’s astounding they weren’t even fouls. It’s lucky Hazard didn’t have that foot planted. I think Mathguy gave up counting the number of those Tottenham has gotten away with.
Players or teams? Players, I don't remember--watched a lot of soccer this weekend! But the first tackle was done by a Swansea player on a United player. The second one was the other way around.
The Vertongen one looks worse at full speed. I think the Lamela one looks worse in slow motion. Both are SFP with VAR. I'll keep this post handy for the next time an Arsenal fan accuses me of being biased when I post about a decision that goes against Spurs.
No way. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, I personally am not convinced either is SFP in a classroom setting. Both have elements, but they aren’t 100%. Defensible if given as red, but not 100%. More important there’s no way VAR is going to lead to these being red. This does not rise to the level of being “clearly wrong.” In fact, in practice I think we’ve seen a lot of SFP tackles that were much, much clearer and still didn’t result in red via VR.
The Lamela one I can understand being a yellow. I can even see it being the preferred outcome in a classroom. The Vertongen one maybe shows I've swung too far towards SFP. Here's the tackle at full speed. I'm surprised that a tackle where the defenders studs comes across the attacker and makes quite a bit of contact to the mid-calf of the attacker isn't SFP in the classroom. Here's the best I could find for full speed.
Depends if it’s an English classroom or not! I think there’s a chance USSF and/or PRO might say this is a red. PRO would defend a referee who gave red. But the one leg, the fact that the tackler is mostly on the ground, and the lower contact puts this in a bit more of a grey zone. This is less of an out of control lunge and more of a stretching tackle, so to speak. Unless there’s serious damage or the contact is high and/or out of control, I can defend yellow on this. Either way, I stand by the argument that VAR would—and should—never send this down as a clear and obvious error.
I suppose VAR is too busy getting involved with encroachment on PKs and finding minor fouls by the attackers to rule out goals to get involved with these types of plays.
Agreed. Yellow is probably the best option here in my opinion, but red would have some merit to it. The fact that it's "orange" in any regard means I hope VAR wouldn't change whatever decision was made.
Matchday 33 Saturday 7 April 12:30 Everton v Liverpool Referee: Michael Oliver Assistants: Simon Bennett, Daniel Cook Fourth official: Chris Kavanagh AFC Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Referee: Jonathan Moss Assistants: Eddie Smart, Andy Halliday Fourth official: Kevin Friend Brighton & Hove Albion v Huddersfield Town Referee: Anthony Taylor Assistants: Adam Nunn, Peter Kirkup Fourth official: Lee Probert Leicester City v Newcastle United Referee: Stuart Attwell Assistants: Stuart Burt, Adrian Holmes Fourth official: Lee Mason Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur Referee: Graham Scott Assistants: Gary Beswick, Constantine Hatzidakis Fourth official: Andre Marriner Watford v Burnley Referee: Paul Tierney Assistants: Richard West, Nick Hopton Fourth official: Tim Robinson West Bromwich Albion v Swansea City Referee: Roger East Assistants: Simon Beck, Derek Eaton Fourth official: David Coote 17:30 Manchester City v Manchester United Referee: Martin Atkinson Assistants: Lee Betts, Stephen Child Fourth official: Craig Pawson Sunday 8 April 14:15 Arsenal v Southampton Referee: Andre Marriner Assistants: Scott Ledger, Simon Long Fourth official: Mike Dean 16:30 Chelsea v West Ham United Referee: Kevin Friend Assistants: Harry Lennard, Matthew Wilkes Fourth official: Neil Swarbrick Atkinson for the big one that could see Man City claim the title against their arch rivals. Oliver for the Merseyside derby. Worth noting that Oliver hasn't had Man United since the last Manchester derby in December.
Meh, Pep is more concerned about CL games this week against Liverpool. Depending on how the match at Anfield goes on Wednesday, they might not have their true starting 11 v United on Saturday. Still the biggest match of the week.
Idk there are 3 derbys this weekend. Merseyside, Manchester and London. Unless I'm forgetting someone. I think the merseyside is the bigger match than Manchester simply for the reason stated. Curious to see if Klopp sits players as well.
Knowing the players is more important if a player scores or has another big impact after he should have been ejected. Knowing the clubs is okay? If there was one red card each I think United still would have won. Even if United was down 2 men, I don't know if Swansea could have scored 2, but I don't know what minute the fouls were.
Gotcha. I mean, it's England so I don't think SFP was truly in the cards for either foul here. But both seemed easy, easy yellows. The noteworthy thing for me was that the results were only a talking-to and a no-foul call. I wouldn't look at this too much through the prism of the officiating affecting the result.
Sounds like we could make a book of orange challenges being ruled no foul or a talking to this weekend in the Premier League.
Of course. His AR gave him the location. I was referring to the completely Mike Dean over the top point to the spot.
Michael Oliver with a disgraceful performance in the Merseyside Derby this morning. Not even ONE card given out!! It wasn’t much of a match.
A big early decision for Atkinson. Handling? If so then it's DOGSO. I think back to Esse's video and it's hard to not lean towards handling. He slipped but I think if Atkinson can give a PK and yellow, he probably does it.
around the 75th-76th minute in the Manchester Derby. Young makes a monster tackle on Sergio Aguero. He manages to make contact with the ball but his foot rises above the ball and catches Aguero in the high leg/shin area. in my opinion 100% Pk and red card. Atkinson waves off the appeals. No Pk. Next tackle he has at midfield and mass confrontation! btw City is down 2-3.
He won the ball, but it's really difficult to look at that and say that it's not a tackle that endangered the safety of the opponent. Everything was there for SFP even though "he won the ball".
100% agree he made contact with the ball. However, he left the ground, lunges, straight leg, point of contact high above the ball and below the knee. The mode of contact was the the bottom of his cleats. That is text book excessive force. Just cause he got ball first doesn't nullify the SFP. Which I am sure you are aware of