My word, Gallagher twists himself in knots trying to defend the yellow for Kane. The commentators are better at citing the Laws than him at times. Gallagher is flat-out saying that Kane only escaped a red card because Robertson took evasive action to avoid serious injury. That should be astounding to anyone who hears it. Whatever happened to punishing "the nature of the challenge?" At least he had the penalty right, though.
But Harry Kane is the England team captain. Anyone remember what happened to the referee after Alan Shearer got sent off several years ago? Or how many times did Jordan foul out? PH
He is an expert in this by now. He does it almost every week to defend the PGMOL. He should probably run for Parliament. He would do just as good a job as many of the rest of them in explaining away the various issues of the day. PH
I think the days of referees (and umpires) with personality are over especially as the older guys retire. Would Collina’s death stare fit in today? I go to a lot of NHL games. When Wes McCauley retires, there is nobody who is second. Baseball, the same.
I noticed the same in the NHL, though admittedly I've paid much less attention to the league in the past 6-8 years. It's going way back, but I think the mandatory use of helmets and the switch to a two-referee system both play a role at the beginning of this transition or evolution. But, yeah, even McCauley doesn't strike me as a unique personality in the way that Fraser, McCreary, McGeogh, Koharski and others did. Anyway, I think your conclusion is correct--at least at the moment. I wonder if the pendulum ever swings back, though. I'd also say that soccer, with one referee who is orchestrating the whole event, seems like one of two major sports where the big personalities can still fit. The other is rugby, where from what I observe it seems like they still exist at the moment.
I don’t know the all the necessary parts that go into making a stadium VAR ready, but with many millions at stake in the Championship playoffs you would think a way could be found to get it up and running at the 4 semifinal sites? in todays match, there was a shout for a penalty after :08 seconds, and the one later in the half. Neither given, and I think first was borderline, and may have been sent down. BTW, since the playoff final is at Wembley, that match will have VAR. Robert Jones is the referee.
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/up0dup/huddersfield_town_penalty_shout_against_luton/ That opening kickoff one is fascinating because it probably has to be a red card if given.
Yellow would be fine in my opinion. Giving such blatant penalties would be a start mind... VAR would definitely not intervene in either scene (in PGMOL)! Both clips here: https://streamable.com/x0gcwd
Likelihood of gaining control of the ball isn’t obvious. Possible and maybe even probable. But you can’t say it’s obvious.
The problem this is that IF he does get to the ball it is 100 % obvious opportunity. But the reason we aren’t certain is because the defender took that away. He stole the opportunity. We shouldn’t go looking for reasons to bail him out. This was a pretty obvious goal scoring opportunity in that everyone watching is thinking he’s probably going to score here. But the chance is taken away by a foul. I think you could go either way here. A red is certainly defendable and probably more equitable.
A red is 100% not what FIFA or any other governing body wants. That’s not a red card by any current standard or instruction. . We can’t just make things up. Potential headed crosses like this are almost never red cards. You’d need near certainty the header would be made and controlled to put on goal. There’s nothing close to that here. We don’t even know if the attacker will head the ball, never mind be in the right position to head it well. The logic you’re applying would expand the definition of DOGSO beyond all current recognition. It’s not a question of IF he could get to the ball or not. We have to KNOW he would get to it and be able to control or play it, if not for the foul. The defender stole an opportunity, yes. An opportunity to get to the ball. He didn’t steal an OGSO because the likelihood of being able to play the ball can’t just be an “opportunity” in itself; that component has to be certain. I also disagree with the more casual observation that everyone thought he would probably score here. Headers like that go awry all the time—even at the highest of levels and from the best strikers.
Quite a busy 19th minute for Oliver at Goodison Park. Massive shirt pull against the Everton #7 in the attacking PA, followed by a red seconds later on the subsequent Brentford break the other direction. Not sure how VAR can say that shirt pull was not a clear and obvious error.
Ridiculous pic.twitter.com/NRDrhRX3l6— 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 (@LiamFlood17) May 14, 2022 That's a pretty insane tackle in the FA Cup final yesterday.
No-one is supposed to get sent off in the FA Cup Final! Or the MLS Cup Final. Nor usually in the WC Final (I know there are exceptions here). It spoils the occasion, don't you see? It's a condition called "finalitis" and many referees get it during these matches. BTW, Rondon was sent off for a very similar tackle in today's Everton v. Brentford match, which was Everton's second red card of the day. But it was only an EPL end of season game, not a big occasion. PH
and the Everton tackle was in slow motion (lumbering). It was such a bad tackle that I cannot believe a professional footballer would make it! Btw, Liverpool gets all the calls!
Except if the England captain does a flying two footed tackle into the shin of the Scotland captain! (Kane of Spurs against Robertson of Liverpool). (You must have been listening to Guardiola! ) PH
Worth acknowledging Oliver got that SFP (and the DOGSO one) in real time without VAR intervention. It would have been hard not to have gotten the second one, of course. But we've seen some bizarre hesitation on potential SFP cards, so credit where it's due, particularly after I mentioned it has seemingly been awhile since an SFP card was given on-field without VAR help.
Matchweek 37 midweek Southampton - Liverpool Referee: Martin Atkinson. Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Richard West. Fourth official: David Coote. VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: Adam Nunn. Everton - Crystal Palace Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Kevin Friend. VAR: Mike Dean. Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart. Aston Villa - Burnley Referee: Paul Tierney. Assistants: Lee Betts, Simon Long. Fourth official: Craig Pawson. VAR: John Brooks. Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis. Chelsea - Leicester Referee: Stuart Attwell. Assistants: Dan Cook, Dan Robathan. Fourth official: Andre Marriner. VAR: Lee Mason. Assistant VAR: Matthew Wilkes. Nice penultimate match in Atkinson's career, with Attwell in the video booth before his own match two days later. Everton with a top two referee in consecutive matches.
"Big" matches: Leicester - Man City (Community Shield): Tierney Tottenham - Man City: Taylor Arsenal - Chelsea: Tierney Man City - Arsenal: Atkinson Liverpool - Chelsea: Taylor Leicester - Man City: Tierney Tottenham - Chelsea: Tierney Chelsea - Man City: Oliver Arsenal - Tottenham: Pawson Liverpool - Man City: Tierney Leicester - Man Utd: Pawson Man Utd - Liverpool: Taylor Leicester - Arsenal: Oliver Tottenham - Man Utd: Attwell Man Utd - Man City: Oliver Leicester - Chelsea: Tierney Liverpool - Arsenal: Oliver Chelsea - Man Utd: Taylor Everton - Liverpool: Tierney Man Utd - Arsenal: Atkinson Leicester - Tottenham: Pawson Tottenham - Liverpool: Tierney Liverpool - Leicester (EFL Cup): A. Madley Man City - Leicester: Kavanagh Leicester - Liverpool: Marriner Arsenal - Man City: Attwell Chelsea - Liverpool: Taylor Chelsea - Tottenham (EFL Cup): Pawson Tottenham - Chelsea (EFL Cup): Marriner Liverpool - Arsenal (EFL Cup): Oliver Man City - Chelsea: Pawson Chelsea - Tottenham: Tierney Leicester - Tottenham: Moss Arsenal - Liverpool (EFL Cup): Atkinson Liverpool - Leicester: Kavanagh Man City - Tottenham: Taylor Chelsea - Liverpool (EFL Cup): Attwell Man City - Man Utd: Oliver Man Utd - Tottenham: Moss Arsenal - Leicester: Taylor Arsenal - Liverpool: Marriner Man Utd - Leicester: Marriner Man City - Liverpool: Taylor Man City - Liverpool (FA Cup): Oliver Liverpool - Man Utd: Atkinson Chelsea - Arsenal: Moss Arsenal - Man Utd: Pawson Liverpool - Everton: Attwell Man Utd - Chelsea: Dean Tottenham - Leicester: Moss Liverpool - Tottenham: Oliver Tottenham - Arsenal: Tierney Chelsea - Liverpool (FA Cup): Pawson Chelsea - Leicester: Attwell Distribution of these matches in the EPL: Tierney: 9 Taylor: 8 Oliver: 6 Pawson: 5 Attwell: 4 Moss: 4 Atkinson: 3 Marriner: 3 Kavanagh: 2 Dean: 1
So, barring a surprise home loss for Chelsea against Leicester, there will be two completely "irrelevant" matches Sunday: Chelsea-Watford and Leicester-Southampton. Every other match, to some extent, factors into European places or relegation. With the Arsenal-Everton match being the one that could have implications on both ends of the table if Everton doesn't win midweek. Given how they are playing and what's at stake, Leeds away to Brentford might be the one that needs the steadiest pair of hands, honestly. Very intrigued to see who lands there. I think, in some order (because all this is debatable), your five biggest matches are: Arsenal-Everton Brentford-Leeds Burnley-Newcastle Liverpool-Wolves Man City-Aston Villa Norwich-Spurs matters, of course, but that's two clubs going in opposite directions and from a resource allocation perspective, I don't think you can presume it needs one of your best referees.
I know, and understand, how balu classifies these games, and I know that we have had these types of discussions before. But, this time around, the classification of Chelsea v Leicester as a "big" match is a little bit of a stretch. In fact, from a league and Referee perspective, I would say it's actually the smallest of the four Matchweek 37 midweek matches noted above.