'Premier League corrupt as f**k'

[Foxy]

And as for linesmen keeping their flag down for offside until the phase of play is over - give it a rest. It’s only a matter of time before somebody gets clattered when it’s obvious to everybody that the move was offside.

Come on, be fair, they had to double check, there was only about 4 yards in it!

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

Completely agree. It was a penalty by the current definition of the law, but the law is a joke. Let’s go back to penalising handball when the offending player is deliberately seeking to gain an advantage.
And as for linesmen keeping their flag down for offside until the phase of play is over - give it a rest. It’s only a matter of time before somebody gets clattered when it’s obvious to everybody that the move was offside.
Get back to enforcing the ‘established’ rules properly. Tweaking the rules in the way that’s been done in recent seasons simply enhances the focus on the referee and on VAR, both of which now seek centre stage when ideally they should be largely unnoticed. Pundits love it, armchair fans love it, but it does nothing to enhance the match day experience for the people in the grounds.

Agree with this. I don't understand it. He was well off, simple decision, flag up. Why wait until he either scores or otherwise? Linesmen seem a little bit worried they might get a decision overturned

 

[TimofeeVee]

Looking forward to a future generation of humans, who can't be bought, literally or figuratively......people who will be embarrassed to perform so poorly in their job, regardless of who's playing...!

I for one would sooner quit, than sell my soul in that way

 

[loveWalrusDaveTheBlade]

Agree with this. I don't understand it. He was well off, simple decision, flag up. Why wait until he either scores or otherwise? Linesmen seem a little bit worried they might get a decision overturned

Linesmen? Assistant referees don’t you know. Happy to get the job title enhancement, but no way that they are ready to accept responsibility for decision making.

 

[BerksBlade]

In the olden days it was just whether it was judged to be deliberate or not. Now, in a move that I think is purely to utilise VAR, it is handball if a player

"touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised"

It's a definite penalty given the absurd way this is written and interpreted. That's one of the least controversial handballs of late. But it's just making the game worse. "made their body unnaturally bigger" is a fucking nonsense statement.

Is it a definite penalty though? Egan's arm was in a position consistent with his body movement.

 

[PokerBlade]

Is it a definite penalty though? Egan's arm was in a position consistent with his body movement.

The way they hand out penalties for handball now, yeah. I'd be absolutely livid if we didn't get that in our favour. I just think it's a shit rule and shit way of interpreting it.

 

[Old Programme seller]

Agree with this. I don't understand it. He was well off, simple decision, flag up. Why wait until he either scores or otherwise? Linesmen seem a little bit worried they might get a decision overturned

There the rules from last season as to keep play flowing and make decision later.

 

[bladesmanluke]

Could this be heard on the TV or did Sky cut the sound?

It was on TV, "shit Billy Sharp" was soon silenced though

 

[Stretch]

I seem to spend most of my time moaning about officials after games, but I am glad that I am not the only one who is just sick to the back teeth of it.

I could not believe what I was watching today and Foxy 's excellent post above about how the ref was poised with whistle in mouth every time City were on the attack, compared to practically ignoring everything against us, sums it up really.

The game is fucked. I will enjoy what I can about it when I can, but don't ever expect us to get anything in our favour in this league until such time that we become firmly established.

 

[Maurice Maurice]

At the end of the day, the penalty decision made fuck all difference to the outcome. Having said that, as an ex centre half who enjoyed putting a slide tackle in, I think that ball to hand rule is ridiculous. Just another example of them trying to remove tackling from the game and Egan was very unlucky to be penalised for that.

Worse than that for me though was the dual standards. I lost count how many times we got pushed in the back, just as we were about to jump for the ball. Osula shields the ball, gets clattered and gets a foul given against him, and a yellow card??? Fuck me, that was an atrocious call. Beni gets a foul given against him because some fucking giant defender sees him and falls down. And as to Egans booking??? Same again, he's running behind the City player who just collapses, no contact whatsoever but it's called as a foul and another yellow card.

This was what I was dreading about this league and maybe it's naive but I'd rather us go down playing the right way than resorting to this pantomime shit.

UTBFTP

 

[Nelson1889]

It gets worse every season, especially in the Premier league, with the slightest touch resulting in a player hitting the deck.

Grealish was by far the biggest culprit today, although silva wasn't far behind, in spending more time on his arse than on his feet.

The day we start having players doing that will be a sad day in my book. Hear it loads about how we need to be more street wise when it comes to buying fouls etc. but let's call it for what it is...fucking cheating.

I'm convinced that football will be almost a non-contact sport within the next 10-15 years.

 

[XH536]

Looking forward to a future generation of humans, who can't be bought, literally or figuratively......people who will be embarrassed to perform so poorly in their job, regardless of who's playing...!

I for one would sooner quit, than sell my soul in that way

Noble thought, but we will have made the planet uninhabitable, sadly, before getting to that stage.

 

[originaltrueblade]

Mike Deans comments prove it’s corrupt

 

[1889]

I believe as the Premier League is hugely reliant on the financial backing from Sky. They control the purse strings and indirectly dictate much of how the EPL and PGMOL operate.

It is a huge money making industry for Sky, sold to almost every country in the World. The Worldwide audience comprises of a majority of Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea fans. Consequently it’s to Skys commercial benefit that these teams are successful to maintain and potentially increase foreign subscriptions.

Hence whenever possible, the PGMOL look after the big clubs. The rest of the teams are just there to make up the numbers

 

[sportinguista]

It’s a penalty all day long. Yes he’s unlucky and there’s nothing he can do about if but it stopped the ball reaching their striker in a goal scoring position. If that’s up the other end everyone on this forum would scream penalty and curse the ref that doesn’t give it.
On the other stuff yes, I watched on the tellybox and it was frustrating as hell to see the ref give City everything and hear the commentators say McBurnie cynically jacked down Grealish when, even if mcBurnie knew he was doing Grealish, it was just a collision knee against knee and not the cycnical hack the tellybox said it was.

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

This chant really made me cringe. It just smacks of "we're just passing through, we're tinpot and don't belong here".

"1- 0 to the referee" was really embarrassing too as they deserved to be 3-0 up at least.

Not denying the ref was poor, but I'd prefer to sing "the referees a wanker" or "you're not fit to referee" rather than slagging the Premier League and looking like we're tin foil hat conspiracy theorist losers.

 

[Ainsley Harriott]

There the rules from last season as to keep play flowing and make decision later.

Keep what play flowing? He was offside. There was no play to "keep going".

 

[Davalon]

I often find it pathetic on here how certain posters often blame refs regularly for little but today was the classic PL ref.

Utter shill who was going to give every 50/50 their way.

I met a young American lad in my local earlier this week who's over on his own to watch a few games and chose to base himself down Kelham Island.

Arranged to meet up today before and after the game.

His first words on meeting in the pub after was, 'that was referee was a joke'

 

[MartBlade]

On the penalty award … I understand why it’s given but take a look at the one that wasn’t given in the Brighton v West Ham game and tell me the difference. As Hecky said it’s the inconsistency that is more infuriating than anything else. It doesn’t help that basic rules like handball are being changed constantly too.

 

[silverfox]

Looking forward to a future generation of humans, who can't be bought, literally or figuratively......people who will be embarrassed to perform so poorly in their job, regardless of who's playing...!

I for one would sooner quit, than sell my soul in that way

Now you are talking!

My integrity and soul are no longer for sale. The more that say so results in a much better world.

 

[BLADES1988]

Tbh it was a pen. His arm was well away from his body, we'd expect it week in week out.

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

I’m not saying I agree with them , but under the current guidelines for what constitutes handball by a defender in the penalty area the referee had no alternative other than to make the decision he did .

Is there anyone on here who can truthfully hold their hand up and say they would not have been outraged if we had not been awarded one in identical circumstances?

This season alone , I’ve seen penalties given in far more dubious circumstances than ours today , including one last weekend when the ball struck the base of the elbow of a player making a tackle with his arms close by his side .

That one was certainly one worth feeling hard done by , but not the one today imo.

 

[shorehamview]

Now you are talking!

My integrity and soul are no longer for sale. The more that say so results in a much better world.

The silverfox drinking arm is available for sponsorship though.

 

[Dougie]

Help an old fella out and tell me what the Law is and why the referee almost tripped over himself to award a penalty for the Champions?

Egan’s arm was in what they describe as an unnatural position. It’s 100% a penalty these days.

 

[SUFC Guy]

You can be sure that we won't get a penalty for an identical 'hand ball ' sometime this season.

 

[Ldn_Rd_Blades]

Is it a definite penalty though? Egan's arm was in a position consistent with his body movement.

This is where it falls down. They’ve tried to make it an objective decision but how can you objectively say where your arm should be when you are sliding in to make a block?

 

[PrestwichBlade]

This is where it falls down. They’ve tried to make it an objective decision but how can you objectively say where your arm should be when you are sliding in to make a block?

Exactly, they've given themselves enough wiggle room.

 

[Blade56]

DONT LET SHEFFIELD UNITED WIN

 

[originaltrueblade]

VAR brought in to make sure the top six get most of the decisions, scrap it

Cricket shows the decisions but our sport is secretive to protect the cartel

 

[PrestwichBlade]

I just think it's sad these days that promotion comes with a hefty dose of underwhelment. I can only liken it to wandering around upmarket Mediterranean resorts...you are of course allowed to wander around the public streets rubbing shoulders with the superich, but there are clubs, restaurants, shops that are "not for you" and any shops you do have the audacity to walk into you are offered no help and made to feel like you should leave as soon as possible. Or something like that anyway.
Living and working in Manchester as well, when you try to talk to even the sane United and City fans about this sort of thing, they just don't see it and sort of laugh it off. They don't do it arrogantly or anything, I just think they're kind of immune to it and never really have to consider it.