General Football Thread - Any other business

The players will like it. It’s a lot nearer to where they mostly live in the richest parts of the North East.

 

It's not exactly a trek currently. The current training ground is 10 miles from Ponteland and 25 miles from Hexham. The new one is around 5 or 6 miles closer. They avoid a bit of traffic for the last few miles in Newcastle, but that's about it.

 

That is genuinely one of the worst uses of VAR I've ever seen. Is clear and obvious even part of the use criteria now? Took three hours to chalk a goal off for something completely subjective. Just a bunch of incompetent morons officiating games in this country.

 

It's ridiculous. Some of it is main character syndrome/power tripping I think, whether that's conscious or subconscious. They're not supposed to look for reasons to disallow goals but that's exactly what they're doing.

 

Clear and Obvious doesn’t apply to Offsides.

 

Surely that's the actual offside line call , rather than determining an infringement as whether someone is active?

 

Yes. It was a subjective call as the ref was sent to review.

 

Maybe through even then the lines are drawn semi automatically (I presume that was used tonight) and then it needs deciding. Active or not is not that common really.

 

You sound like you haven’t seen the incident?

 

I heard it on the radio.

 

I have a feeling a big howler will happen in the FA cup next round. Normally just after a VAR debate there tends to be a big howler in a non VAR using match in the Championship or a cup or in the women’s game.

And logically if they was a manager challenge system Newcastle probably would have challenged it because pundits and commentators did immediately wonder about the goal.

 

Search for it on twitter, it's pretty obviously a subjective decision.

 

BREAKING

The chief constable of West Midlands Police has issued a 'profound apology' after admitting that he misled MPs by claiming that AI was not used in the creation of fabricated intelligence

West Midlands Police justified the ban on Israeli football fans in part on the…

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) January 14, 2026

 

Oh the semi automated offside system broke. I thought it did but the radio commentary made no reference to that being the main reason for the time it took. If it worked the stoppage would have been 2 and half minutes at most.

And the decision itself has been polarising really - a lot of the pundits think it was legitimately called off and are just complaining about the time while most of the comments don’t think it was offside anyway.

Particualy love ones saying fans didn’t ask for for VAR - I remember when everyone was constantly asking for it and in the Women’s game players, managers and pundits are still always asking for it.

 

Chelsea forced the club's head of medical, Bryce Cavanagh, to sit in the technical area during games after Enzo Maresca allegedly ignored advice surrounding injured players - Daily Mail

 

UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she does not have confidence in West Midlands police boss after Maccabi Tel Aviv fan ban

Read more: https://t.co/GDKjOo4siP

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 14, 2026

Some talk that he won’t resign and is determined to be forced out.

 

Arsene Wenger’s offside reforms would be disaster, says ex-World Cup final official https://t.co/6MP3zwi3i7

— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) January 14, 2026

 

The whole idea seems rather silly, why should attackers be favoured over defenders to such an extent? It'd basically make it possible for attackers to play a step ahead of defenders.

Part of an unpleasant trend of sports increasingly trying to entice increasingly attention-span fried audiences by increasing the action at the expense of the sport. Although even then it is debatable whether any increase in goals such a changing in ruling would allow would be offset by teams playing more defensively.

 

I think that is why the FA are not on board with the proposals and seemingly are trying to push for a Torso rule compromise. Unfortunately FIFA tend to often end up getting their way.

 

City pushing so hard for Guehi and Semenyo this window does make me feel this is Pep’s last season.

The way they’ve recruited in these last two windows in general has felt very uncitylike and very win now at all costs.

When I say it’s uncitylike I’m not even getting at the profile or age profile of the players they are signing, but more the refusal to back down in negotiations and get the deal over the line no matter what.

Previously, they were always happy to walk away and/or move on to their second or third choice. Whereas there now seems to be an element of urgency to their recruitment. It feels, at least to me, that their board have a strong sense this will be Pep’s last season and they are trying to leave no stone unturned in their tilts at the PL and CL.

 

Equally they could be thinking they will be a lot less attractive or get a transfer embargo as part of sanctions.

 

🚨 Leeds United make enquiry over Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen. Interest expressed to #WWFC but no offer so far or guarantee it develops, given competition for 25yo Norway international & #LUFC need to comply with PSR @TheAthleticFC https://t.co/L21ux9LPqK

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) January 16, 2026

 

Glasner leaving Palace at the end of the season.