Southampton - Gamesmanship to another level

[Rochdaleblade]

What about getting hit by the ball and then having a sit down on the pitch whilst the ref rubs it better for you. A girl got smacked with the ball during the warm up and didn't make that much fuss. The ref stopped play but the trainer never even even came on.

 

[Torrix1889]

Just watched the highlights again and specifically Sharps red....the tackle itself was maybe only a yellow, (debatable) but Sharp was "on one".....if you look at the passage of play before he loses possession and goes down, (surprise surprise we don't get a free kick!) Whilst on the ground he has a little petulant kick out at a Soton player then jumps up and goes after them which results in the tackle that lead to the red.

The ball has gone long before Sharp made contact, he wasn't even looking at it as he went in.....ok there might have been minimal contact but then with the build up and then the lateness of the tackle it was the correct decision.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I agree with you on most of what happened yesterday. But VAR’s unwillingness to overturn the penalty decision was pathetic. And that cost us.

I forgive the ref for all his decisions - it’s difficult to get everything right. But VAR.... It’s pathetic.

It’s not VAR, it’s the instruction from the PL not to overrule the onpitch refs. Fix that, and fix that and you fix the problem.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Seriously, I was gobsmacked when he showed Billy a red. Happened nearly in front of us.

Looked a red from the South stand side.

Looked like retribution for the Southampton tackle on Billy a few seconds earlier.

 

[JohnDenver]

It’s not VAR, it’s the instruction from the PL not to overrule the onpitch refs. Fix that, and fix that and you fix the problem.

But I don’t think it will fix it. There will always be subjective calls, just made by different people. It should improve, but it will never end...

 

[Foxy]

It was really daft from Billy and if you wouldn’t have been calling for it, you’d be in the minority.

You can count me in the minority, see my tweet as it happened

Looks worse on the replay and can see how it might be given based on that... Trouble is, they didn't give it based on the replay, they gave it based on the live view.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

Looked a red from the South stand side.

Looked like retribution for the Southampton tackle on Billy a few seconds earlier.

That’s exactly how I saw it.

 

[Willie Carlin]

Agreed. It's a bit tiresome blaming officials. Despite all the vitriol towards Lee Mason I am not sure he got much wrong today. I'll get panned for that but can any one tell me the bad decisions? The handball went to VAR and did not seem clear cut at real speed.

Why did Billy get red yet their players assault on Baldock only a yellow.

 

[sitwell]

You can count me in the minority, see my tweet as it happened

Looks worse on the replay and can see how it might be given based on that... Trouble is, they didn't give it based on the replay, they gave it based on the live view.

Exactly how I saw it ,he was tackling and trying to block the ball ,minimal contact ,at the very worst a yellow.

 

[Silent Blade]

So far this season I am not sure theres anything that big that has cost us in terms of a rank bad decision. It was the same yesterday.

The handball was a big decision that probably cost us a point. You are trying too much to act impartial when you are putting on your reporter's hat.

 

[Silent Blade]

It’s not VAR, it’s the instruction from the PL not to overrule the onpitch refs. Fix that, and fix that and you fix the problem.

Lee Mason made a terrible mistake

 

[Deadbat]

Lee Mason made a terrible mistake

Mason had little chance to see it through a sea of bodies. VAR is brought in to help him. However they are not overruling the ref on penalties. If the ref had given it they would have stood by that also.

 

[bogo40]

Come on Mason had a mare.... No consistency with his decisions. We were pulled back taking free kicks and throw ins... They were allowed to take em from wherever they wanted......the foul throw rule doesn't apply in the premier league apparently.
An example of a decision he got wrong.... Where was the card for the Southampton player when Baldock was clean away on the edge of their box in the first half?
I'm amazed you don't think Mason wasn't plain awful today.

I would agree with this, Mason was appalling today, decisions which went one way, didnt go the other. Referees Need to be made Accountable for their decisions. If they aren't, they will continue getting away with having really bad games.

 

[Silent Blade]

Mason had little chance to see it through a sea of bodies. VAR is brought in to help him. However they are not overruling the ref on penalties. If the ref had given it they would have stood by that also.

I agree that if Mason had awarded a penalty, the VAR would have supported it. Mason's decision was purely guesswork and awarded a corner. The problem is that VAR can rule out a goal or a penalty award but cannot make the ref change his decision to award a penalty, as you say Mason didnt have a good view then it will make sense for him to award a penalty knowing that VAR will revert the decision if he got it wrong.

 

[benn5712]

'The Premier League new boys — trailing to a Moussa Djenepo wonder strike — felt they should have had a spot-kick in the 75th minute when James Ward-Prowse appeared to handle a cross with an outstretched arm in the area.

Referee Lee Mason checked with Stockley Park but instead gave a corner to the home side.'

Link

The hand sent the ball out of play, could see as much from Leper Colony corner.
Has to be a penalty otherwise the ball carries on IN play until next touch or runs out of play.

 

[Rochdaleblade]

Would love to get a referee to explain why the penalty wasn't given. I was sat in the blut, so assumed that the appeal was a desperate one at the time. However, when I saw the replay the defender clearly had his arms in an unnatural position. As others have said, if var is not going to overturn things like that then there is no point having it,as it destroys the spontaneous nature of the game

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I agree that if Mason had awarded a penalty, the VAR would have supported it. Mason's decision was purely guesswork and awarded a corner. The problem is that VAR can rule out a goal or a penalty award but cannot make the ref change his decision to award a penalty, as you say Mason didnt have a good view then it will make sense for him to award a penalty knowing that VAR will revert the decision if he got it wrong.

What would be nice is Mason saying “I couldn’t be 100% sure, have a look and I’ll go with what you think” and they confirm.

 

[Silent Blade]

What would be nice is Mason saying “I couldn’t be 100% sure, have a look and I’ll go with what you think” and they confirm.

Yes, his decision on awarding a corner was purely guesswork. If he wasnt sure then he should have awarded a penalty knowing that VAR can overrule the decision if he is wrong.

 

[Deadbat]

Yes, his decision on awarding a corner was purely guesswork. If he wasnt sure then he should have awarded a penalty knowing that VAR can overrule the decision if he is wrong.

I can't agree with that. You are effectively saying he should just guess if he hasn't seen it/not sure? Surely if the ref was not sure he can't give it? If refs are giving things all the time thinking well VAR will overrule if I'm wrong then we will be playing till 7pm every week!

The whole point of the system surely should be to check things the ref misses either through a poor decision or if they did not see it. Looking at Masons position it was not an easy one to see. The issue is VAR are then not currently wanting to overrule the refs decision as has been the case all over the country. We saw it with the Kane non penalty award the other week. The system is the issue not the ref.

 

[Silent Blade]

I can't agree with that. You are effectively saying he should just guess if he hasn't seen it/not sure? Surely if the ref was not sure he can't give it? If refs are giving things all the time thinking well VAR will overrule if I'm wrong then we will be playing till 7pm every week!

The whole point of the system surely should be to check things the ref misses either through a poor decision or if they did not see it. Looking at Masons position it was not an easy one to see. The issue is VAR are then not currently wanting to overrule the refs decision as has been the case all over the country. We saw it with the Kane non penalty award the other week. The system is the issue not the ref.

Mason should have been aware of the new handball ruling "a penalty is awarded if a player's hand or arm has made their body "unnaturally bigger" whether it was accidental or not" so he has made a terrible mistake.

 

[Deadbat]

It's not a terrible mistake really if he cant see it. You could say his positioning but then there were a lot of bodies in the way and 3 or 4 sandwiched around Ward Prowse. It was hard to spot at normal speed. We can watch it back and slow it down but he does not have that privilege in real time. That is where VAR comes in. I think the majority of the ground could not definitely say it was a handball at real speed and if United players had not reacted would we have reacted? Only those right next to it could see it really.

The issue is with VAR not saying you need to overturn it and helping the ref in this instance - the whole idea of this system. They are going with the refs original decision which is no good if he is impeded or cannot see it - he cant just guess - hence why VAR is supposed to be here.

I think Mason is rubbish but not sure he had the bad game everyone made out. It is VAR who in effect made the two attacking decisions that went against us. The Sharp one could have been a yellow but then the assessor and VAR will say he made the right decision. There is no way we would get that overturned.