Bob Spunkmouse

Huge difference between advantage to the attacker on a class call and let play go even though you know it’s offside. im not talking injury because of fatigue, but because of a last gasp lunge/stretch that wasn’t ever required, or a collision between keeper and attacker, etc. its dumb. fair enough if it’s toght, but often it’s miles offside and the flag comes straight up once a tackle is made or the keeper saves the shot. It’s barmy.

I’m not arguing against it, I’m saying it’s shit.

Linos are purposefully not calling offside that they know is offside - like 2 yards - if there’s a chance to score, because VAR will rule out. it happened a couple of times in the United/Barca game. as soon as a challenge is made, and the chance to score is gone, they flag. why wait if you are confident in the obvious call? its not all that improbable what I suggested could happen.

I don’t want them covering more incidents, I don’t want it full stop. But to me that sums up how it doesn’t work. I like the goal line tech, that’s positive, and if VAR was limited just to offside checks on goals and off the call stuff, I’d be happier. therell come a point where it’s been in long enough that i forget I hate it, but I don’t need it in my life and don’t think I’ll ever “like” it

I don’t like practically everything about it. The only thing I like is that some (and not even all) wrong decisions get righted. generally it’s a flow of the game thing. I simply don’t feel the game needs it enough to warrant the disruption to the game, personally. id be happy if it was left to only offsides, or maybe like rugby, also off the ball incidents that were missed for fair reason. Last night was offside, but it’s only been in the last couple of years that tv replay would’ve shown it, so obviously it’s good that the correct decision played out, but it was so marginal that I can personally be ok with the Lino getting it wrong. thats one of the big things for me, I don’t personally need everything to be 100% right and everyone to be 100% accountable. But ignore that, I’m ok with offsides. i didn’t like at all that nobody in andield knew what was happening in the first leg, and I was astonished that we didn’t even see the replays on tv at home last night for manes goal. final, and possibly biggest bugbear... the inconsistency of it all. Corner awarded that should’ve been a goal kick - leads to a goal - not reviewable. Dive outside the box bought by the ref, free kick leads to a goal (World Cup final!) - not reviewable ball brushes a hand in the box, nobody appeals, game moving on, it stop, let’s look again on telly in super slow motion a million times from angles it’s impossible to tell context from. its all so damned arbitrary. it diminishes the responsibility for the officials to make a decision, which I think is a problem. A player will year a hamstring in a last ditch lunge for a ball, or two players will collide in a bad way, in an instant where a striker was 2 yards offside and the lino knew it but was told not to flag. if the ref is looking straight at an incident - say a penalty claim - he shouldn’t be allowed to see it again, especially not in slow motion. It suggests he can’t be trusted to make decisions so diminishes his authority for all the many others he is making but aren’t reviewable. all that, really.

It was. Doesn’t mean VAR is good, just means it was the right decision. Two different things.

VAR is still wank. But at least on this occasion it was also funny. i watched our game but kept an eye on the other match on my phone on bbc text updates, but when ours finished I started playing the 5-live coverage through the site and the celebrations were just about to be cut short with a “hold on, it looks like they’re reviewing it...” And when it was disallowed I chuckled heartily. Having seen the highlights now on by sapper YouTube channel, I damn near pissed myself... but... but... no players complained, and it was so tight that until VAR was introduced it almost certainly wouldn’t have been an issue for discussion. It would’ve gone unnoticed. It wasn’t egregious. VAR is still shit.

Who have our wide players been between Barnes and these two now? off the top of my head I can think of (not including Dirk and Stevie who played there but arent) McManaman Pennant Leonhardsen Babel Riera Barmby (maybe should be classed with Dirk and Stevie) Kewell Smicer Diouff (yuck) who else? kewell should’ve been better than he was, and Macca was ace till he fucked off, but that’s really not a good list!

As shit as they are, they also got to an FA Cup Final in 2009 - my wedding day - and to a semi final in 2012 - losing to us - that he’s old enough to have been part of but has forgotten. thats more than lots of shit clubs get.

I bloody love Sadio. the chance he created for himself with his strength and pace to turn a man, break into the area and smash his shot goalwards and force a corner sums up how he’s played for the vast majority of this season. hes playing with such (justified) confidence and it’s great knowing that he’ll be doing plenty more of it til the end of the season.

That was just a brilliant performance from the best Liverpool TEAM I’ve had the pleasure of watching since being an adult. over 90 minutes, a dangerous Chelsea team had 3 or 4 moments of genuine danger, and we bossed it for the vast majority. there were probably 4 or 5 fantastic individual performances - I though Henderson (who I’ve been plenty critical of in the past) was outstanding. Firmino, Mane and Salah were all terrific, and Fabinho was awesome in centre mid, but everyone played well, and as a team we played brilliantly - working from the front, putting them under pressure from the off. this team has so much belief in themselves, and it’s wonderful to see. Keep it going Redmen. Keep it going.

I deleted Adblock and downloaded an alternative in iCareFone and the problem seems to have gone away.

Little Britain was 10+ years ago, wasn’t it? And it’s shite.

You’re so wrong. Best bbc output in years.

I keep getting a redirecting advert from this site on my phone, practically every time I open a page. Doesn’t matter if it’s GF or FF, and it’s something I need to get rid of. Using Chrome on my iPhone, have Adblock installed and activated too. any ideas?