Bob Spunkmouse

I totally agree with you on all of that, except for that keepers have been getting those decisions for years, even with minimal contact. its only keepers afforded the luxury, like its only keepers that are allowed for challenge for a ball with their studs or knees directed towards a players chest. But that’s that. Where you’re absolutely dead right is the path of least controversy though. No doubt at all.

First bolded bit... I think he should be allowed to, but would need to win the header to expect to not get a foul given. second bolded but... that ship sailed long ago, which is why I’m ok with it going as it did. i don’t like how soft some elements of the game have become, but there’s no going back so I accept it. I handle these ones far better than I handle the defender that dives under pressure and wins a soft free kick that wouldn’t have gone the other way, but I also know that’s the way of things most of the time now too. i think you know that’s the case too, as you - like me - didn’t celebrate. where VAR muddies things here is that without it, the goal goes into the anomaly category of “you don’t get those not given very often these days”, but VAR by all definitions shouldn’t have overruled the ref, but as a result ends up giving the decisions that most refs would give, most of the time. Virg wasn’t far off winning the header. If he does, I don’t think it would’ve been overturned, but as soon as he didn’t I expected a whistle and if the whistle had come, nobody would have made too much fuss. A bit like when the defender dives under pressure to win a soft free kick. Especially as the ball would never have been blocked by Sadio, would never have fallen to Bobby, and ergo would never have flown into the corner of the net.

Exactly the same here. I said to my missus immediately that it won’t stand, even before they went to VAR. and do you know what? I’m ok with that. It wasn’t a foul. It definitely wasn’t a clear and obvious error. But those have been given as fouls for at least the last 10 years, if not longer, so it’s more surprising the ref didn’t blow straight away than the goal being overturned.

8.6 average.

Well this was a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent day. calling it a night and heading to bed. didnt expect to get this far, but still shite to get so heavily beaten. pah. on the plus side, should be an excellent super bowl.

I still don’t know what a duel is. Anyone able to enlighten me?

I’ve had a boss day. Went out cycling in the north York moors, loads of fun, fucking beautiful place. got back, went the pub for a great roast and watch the match. now, if the packers can upset the 49ers that would seal it.

Fucking hell that was emotional. I had tears in my eyes after Mo’s winner. Bloody hell. i actually was enjoying this more than I expected til about the hour mark, from when it became horrible to watch and I was practically hiding behind my pint. these lads are not only a fabulous bunch of footballers, but so strong mentally, incredible.

It obviously wasn’t a foul on De Gea, and the goal obviously should’ve stood, but... those have generally been disallowed every time they’ve happened for the past 10 years or so, so I’m astonished the ref didn’t blow straight away. because of that, I’m actually not surprised or outraged that it was subsequently ruled out. thats the thing with VAR though, it should be officiating on what it sees, but it often seems to be used to officiate based on something different.

Assume nothing negative happened with any buses?

That’s ludicrous.

The type of finish I’ve missed from him is the dink. in his purplest patch, he scored a bunch of them in fairly quick succession including against city in the champions league second leg, and I think against Roma too. that was when he was oozing confidence and he knew practically every chance he got he would score.

Strange choice to have a bowl of gazpacho on the side, but otherwise looks good that.

When I was a kid I did used to think like that about the sharp (Utd sponsor) but it was pretty fucking infantile and I grew out of it.

Me and my missus watched all of breaking bad over the autumn and leading up to Xmas, and now are on season 2 of bcs, so should be finished in time to jump straight into season 5