Toulouse 3 Liverpool 2 (Nov 9 2023)

[tlw content]

 

Before I get onto how shit we were and how we deserved nothing from this game, I’m going to get the VAR shit out of the way first. Yet another absolute fucking farce.

 

Hardly anything will be made of this because it’s a group game, we’re going through anyway and Toulouse fully deserved to win the game. So this won’t get too much coverage in the wider media. Even Klopp didn’t seem to care too much, although I’m sure privately he’s seething about yet another thoroughly unacceptable decision in which officials have ignored their own rules and protocols to ensure the outcome they wanted.

 

Because I don’t know how you can look at what happened here and come to any other conclusion than they wanted to find a reason to disallow the goal and were prepared to go back as far as possible to do it. And that’s before we get into other elements of it.

 

We can just dismiss and say it doesn’t matter because ultimately it doesn’t. But the issue here is that these officials will no doubt be taking charge of games in the knockout stages when it most definitely does matter. It might not be us on the wrong end next time so my anger here is 90% based on the decisions and the process involved in it rather than the fact it chalking off a goal for us. I’d be almost as angry about it if it was happening to another team, as it’s the wider picture here that is important. In fact, I’d have been massively pissed off if it had been Toulouse being robbed of an equaliser against us.

 

It’s really disturbing that this was allowed to happen. Firstly, based on my understanding of the rules and everything I’ve read about it, you can’t go that far back for a handball. Goals can only be disallowed for accidental handball if it’s the goalscorer or the player who plays the final pass that handles. So that’s them going against one of their own rules. Maybe this is only a Premier League thing, but I don’t see how as we’re supposed to be playing by the rules of football.

 

Secondly, phase of play. Toulouse clear the ball after Mac Allister has ‘handled’. That starts a new phase of play, surely? So again, you can’t go back that far even for a foul, let alone a handball which as we’ve already established was irrelevant in this case as Macca didn’t score or assist.

 

Thirdly, UEFA’s own guidelines say this: “no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal.”

 

So it goes off Macca’s chest, away from goal and brushes his arm. Additionally, he’s trying to pull the arm away and it hits him high, arguably high enough on the sleeve that it isn’t even handball anyway, although that part of it is subjective. The rest of what happened isn’t subjective.

 

So on three different counts they’ve ignored the laws to go back and disallow a goal. Actually wait, it’s four counts because the ref on the pitch didn’t give it as a foul and there’s not enough there to warrant an overturn anyway if we’re talking about ;clear and obvious’. I’m not sure that’s a thing in Europe though and it might just be a PL policy. The other three things though, they apply right across the entire football world.

 

Like I say, no-one is that arsed because of the low stakes involved, but everyone should be because this is just yet another example of how this shit is killing football. When that goal went in nobody was thinking it would be ruled out. Toulouse could have felt a little aggrieved that the ref missed the alleged handball but these things happen, always have, always will, and you live with minor grievances like that (unless you’re an Evertonian).

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[DalyanPete]

Hope he proves me wrong but Macallister isn't doing much for me. Looks weak on the ball, shit tackler and the defence splitting passes aren't happening.

As for the game that's up there with one of the worst displays I've seen. I just think it's that competition, it doesn't inspire anyone. 

Spot on about the shite and minor grievances, they still bang on about Hansen handball from the league Cup final!

[aws]

Good report.  Another game where we huff and puff up front when Nunez doesn’t start. 

[Kevin D]

Klopp forced Henderson out.

[Jordy Brouwer]

4 hours ago, DalyanPete said:

Hope he proves me wrong but Macallister isn't doing much for me. Looks weak on the ball, shit tackler and the defence splitting passes aren't happening.

As for the game that's up there with one of the worst displays I've seen. I just think it's that competition, it doesn't inspire anyone. 

Spot on about the shite and minor grievances, they still bang on about Hansen handball from the league Cup final!

 

I agree about Macallister. So underwhelming. He just looks like a mid table player. 

[Bobby Hundreds]

The club should be asking about the decision not to give the goal so we know where we stand going forward. Every club should be asking for clarifications.

 

[Frank Dacey]

5 hours ago, DalyanPete said:

Hope he proves me wrong but Macallister isn't doing much for me. Looks weak on the ball, shit tackler and the defence splitting passes aren't happening.

As for the game that's up there with one of the worst displays I've seen. I just think it's that competition, it doesn't inspire anyone. 

Spot on about the shite and minor grievances, they still bang on about Hansen handball from the league Cup final!

And about Clive Thomas, and that's almost half a century ago!

[liverpoolsno9]

Saying the disallowed goal doesn’t matter, that we were shite & deserved it & that we’re going thru anyway is all well & good but try telling that to Union St Gilloise who are now 3 pts behind Toulouse & play them in Toulouse next game. They must be fucking fuming. 

[Reckoner]

I like Mac Allister, he started well but his confidence has gone off a cliff. He’s a clever player.

[bossy]

I like Macca but he is getting caught in possession too often. He has a good eye for a through ball when he doesn’t dally. 

[DalyanPete]

14 hours ago, Frank Dacey said:

And about Clive Thomas, and that's almost half a century ago!

They are a bunch of beauts.

[DalyanPete]

15 hours ago, Jordy Brouwer said:

 

I agree about Macallister. So underwhelming. He just looks like a mid table player. 

Yea, he does but a world cup winner. Hopefully us playing him out of position has drained his confidence as others have said and it comes back.

In all industries multi skill can work but there's always some who aren't suited for it.

[dave u]

21 hours ago, liverpoolsno9 said:

Saying the disallowed goal doesn’t matter, that we were shite & deserved it & that we’re going thru anyway is all well & good but try telling that to Union St Gilloise who are now 3 pts behind Toulouse & play them in Toulouse next game. They must be fucking fuming. 

 

Yeah that's a good point actually. It doesn't matter to us, but again the integrity of a competition has been compromised by this shit.

[Creator Supreme]

Couldn't USG have a bigger complaint about our performance than about the VAR call?

[dave u]

16 minutes ago, Creator Supreme said:

Couldn't USG have a bigger complaint about our performance than about the VAR call?

 

He may as well join the pile on, as the LASK manager has gone the full Neil Warnock and complained about our team selection.

[aws]

2 minutes ago, dave u said:

 

He may as well join the pile on, as the LASK manager has gone the full Neil Warnock and complained about our team selection.

Maybe we should go full strength against LASK then. 

[dave u]

Defo. Knock them out so one of the other two gets second spot.

[Razoray]

5 hours ago, dave u said:

 

He may as well join the pile on, as the LASK manager has gone the full Neil Warnock and complained about our team selection.

The team v Toulouse was similar to the Lask away.

 

The only differences were:

Darwin played instead of Gakpo.

Gravenberch instead of Mac Allister.

Bajectic at RB instead of Gomez. 

Van Dijk and Konate played but that was to get them minutes, as they had been sidelined prior to the Lask away due to suspension and injury, respectively. 

 

He should shut the fuck up, as Klopp could make him pay if he believes that Liverpool should play a full strength team in all Europa games. 

[Colt Seavers]

Does anyone know if the handball  rule is different in Europe (sorry if I missed it)

On the VAR check on the Bournemouth goal today they said it has to be the goalscorer. 

It's so bloody confusing remember when football was a simple game with jumpers for goalposts