Another cracking result for the Gunners, only improved by United being rock bottom of the table……
1 Like
Nice that Digne is top scorer this season for Everton, shame he left the club 8 months ago
2 Likes
Mildly amusing to see that Liverpool having played Fulham away and Palace at home and Man U having played Brighton Home and Brentford away have only 2 points between them, would have been given good odds on that pre-season
1 Like
13 years ago and the worst trouble ive seen in modern football. Anyone who bangs on about Spurs being our rivals hasnt a clue. Millwall is usually 12am Sunday when we’ve met in league but this was night, police lost control and was frightening at times. The stadium trouble was childs play compared to outside, toxic doesnt do it justice. It was carnage from 10.30am until the game, and a long time after. Whilst it was adreneline fuelled I hope i never go through a night like that again. Wasnt a nice game of football it was genuinely thinking, this could turn bad for me at any time. Didnt even feel safe in ground that night as my ST was in the corner by away fans where it kicked off after there goal (near side on left) . Surprised the number of people that took kids as well.
1 Like
We had a pretty bad one years ago when Sky TV thought it would be good to move the first meeting between Villa and Blues for many years to 8pm on a Monday, cue lots of people taking the day off, battles all over the city, absolute chaos, police didn’t have a chance.
2 Likes
I remember that as well, until you are in the middle of it you dont realise how quickly it can all get on top. Blues V Villa is a similar rivalry, dont play much and pure hate. I’ve been to loads of WHU V Millwall home and away and there must usually be 1 PO per fan it seems. Ive even had a chopper following me and 3 mates down a backstreet in Plaistow but that night police went missing as soon as it got a bit hot and literally walking on edge thinking the next corner could be trouble waiting.
1 Like
The premier league is corrupt. The sooner the big 6 fuck off to a super league the better. Not only multiple decisions against us today, but Villa today, Newcastle, Liverpool playing next goal wins the other night, the list goes on. How can a man watching 15 TV replays 100 miles away get things so wrong. Spoils a good game of football.
4 Likes
You woz robbed mate
Leeds also
1 Like
Those decisions yesterday were awful.
2 Likes
The thing is VAR isn’t there to make decisions, it’s there to correct clear and obvious errors. Football is full of judgements, instinctive calls and we are now replacing one persons instinct with 4 people sitting in a room and still getting big decisions wrong. Let the man in the middle referee, VAR for offsides and goal line, and if there really is a penalty given/not given that’s blatantly wrong. It works well abroad and internationally, we don’t get this crap for England games, or in La Liga. They don’t sit for 5 minutes whilst some faceless group sit in a room rerunning 5 minutes of football to see if someone is sneezing the wrong way.
3 Likes
If it takes more than 20 seconds to check then it isn’t a clear and obvious error, which is what they are there for
2 Likes
Yes, it seems that VAR isn’t going “You might want to have a look at that again because I am not sure” but “You got that wrong, go and have a look for yourself.”. I can’t remember which ref it was but an experienced ref went to the monitor and stayed with his original decision at the weekend. That is the first time I have heard of that happening in the EPL.
I don’t think the NUFC and WHU decisions were 50-50 calls that could have gone either way. Apparently for the NUFC one the ref wasn’t shown the angle from the back post which shows the push by Mitchell more clearly. That is just doing the ref on the pitch no favours at all.
The Villa one was odd in that the flag stays down for so long and you see a move start with offside end up in a corner but they don’t go back to the offside, and the attacking team score. Then Villa hit a sideways, maybe backwards pass, Coutinho goes back and gets it and the flag goes up and he whistles. It’s the inconsistency with these things that causes so much frustration.
2 Likes
I prefer the rugby way. Have it visible. On the main big screens in the stadium. With the on-field ref dictating what angles he wants to see.
The issue with VAR right now is you have too many different interpretations. If you’re going to go with a central hub, then follow the NFL. Have a dedicated match VAR official monitoring a particular game, but once something is identified as a possible point of contention, that goes to a central team who are making all the calls across all the games. At least that way you get consistency over where to step in and where not to
1 Like
I like the way they do it in Rugby, with the ref discussing it and we hear it. They can keep it to the little screen if they want but have a discussion.
Michael Oliver, who isn’t usually the best referee, but experienced so feels he can stand up and be counted. Also worth noting it didn’t involve the big six so even less pressure to conform and protect the cartel 
1 Like
have you also seen the brilliant locations they put the VAR screen, right in front of the fans, so you get a) abuse directed at the ref and b) there for everyone to see on TV diluting the brand and making the sport look as bad as it can be. Put it on big screens, Premier league grounds all have them now, (I think Old Trafford didn’t but now comply) The match going fans don’t have a clue what’s going on currently until the purple screen comes up and everyone goes “what’s happened now” (the clubs aren’t allowed to play video on the screens!) Wait 5 minutes before the ref either goes to the screen (clearly overturning the decision) or signals play on. They are all mic’d up, talk directly to Stockley Park so it can be broadcast.
Still Newcastle and West Ham got a nice apology. That’s good of them. 2 points already cost due to poor VAR decisions this year for us (Forest and this). We lost 2 points against Man U last year, incidentally we lost the Europa League spot to Man U by 2 pts! (yes we should have not lost a few games last year we blew ourselves with no help from VAR , but it still bites!)
2 Likes
There’s a decent chance Aston would have been relegated if it wasn’t for a VAR error, first game back after lockdown a clear goal for Sheff U but we got away with it somehow. If we’d gone down the world wouldn’t have been able to laugh at Villa 7 Liverpool 2
2 Likes
good point well made. The day VAR was introduced in 2019 we played Man City at home. We didnt know what was going on in the stadium but without it , it may have been a cricket score, in the end it only ended up 5-0
1 Like
I wasn’t sure all gorunds had them 
If so put it on there.
1 Like
It was only Anfield and Man U without, but sure they were forced to add them last season. Liverpool were talking of adding it to new stand and I see a picture of one in some seats at ManU , but maybe temporary. Funny how two of the biggest clubs were the ones that tried to hold out installing them