Good win today against the odds. There has been plenty this season that Arsenal have done that hasn't helped them which I would happily admit. However some decisions we've got this season have been strange to say the least. The Declan Rice one no one can ever persuade me that was disrupting play given that the ball was still rolling and not in the correct place to take the free kick. Not sure if it was the same game week but I remember Szobozlai guilty of kicking the ball away no action. Trossard against City I would accept if the rules are applied fairly if you take last week against Villa I counted at least two players delaying restarts no action. The Saliba one at Bournemouth again denying a goalscoring opportunity on the half way line pretty much with Webb sitting in the stands talking to someone while VAR deliberate the decision and literally the next day Chelsea had a player do exactly the same thing no action. Then you've got today that challenge for the second yellow by Gomes was more of a red card than what Lewis Skelly did and he only got a yellow make it make sense.
The PGMOL as an organisation should be disbanded under its current guise and the club should be leading the way to at least have it reformed. I say that because it's impacting my teams fortunes but also costing other teams as well.
Club must lobby harder
posted on 25/1/25
PGMOL disbanded gets a yes from me!!
I think the way forward is:
Get the best refs from around Europe. Pay them a good fee. It is difficult, as refs have day jobs and families, so it would have to be worth it.
Have a separate VAR team of officials. Ones that haven't had on-field conflicts with players and managers that may cloud judgement (see Coote). Ones that aren't buddies with the on-field ref looking to protect them (see Dean) rather than enforce the rules.
Ones that aren't intimidated by the more senior main man (Oliver seems to be questioned far less than other refs, especially younger ones who are overruled or sent to the monitor far more often).
posted on 25/1/25
This is where I think Wolves went wrong last season. VAR is just a tool, and their attempts to get it dropped wouldn't have solved anything. They should have gone for a review of the PGMOL and the standards of the refs both on pitch and when they have the benefits of technology.
posted on 25/1/25
The concept of VAR is fine it's just how it's applied is the problem, replace the problem people with competent professionals and start at the top.
posted on 25/1/25
When you have King of the Anti-Arsenal brigade Jamie O'Hara calling it a disgrace you know something is really wrong
Lets be clear - Liverpool have been a better team than us this season overall, more balanced, better attack, better game management.
However, you cannot deny the race would be a lot closer had the refs, backed up by their mates in VAR, have done everything to trip us up
posted on 25/1/25
comment by Kaladin (U6638)
posted 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
When you have King of the Anti-Arsenal brigade Jamie O'Hara calling it a disgrace you know something is really wrong
Lets be clear - Liverpool have been a better team than us this season overall, more balanced, better attack, better game management.
However, you cannot deny the race would be a lot closer had the refs, backed up by their mates in VAR, have done everything to trip us up
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You aren’t the only ones that get dodgy decisions though are you?
Robertson shouldn’t have been sent off against Fulham, we win that game if we aren’t playing with 10 men for 70 mins.