The Barclays Premier League Thread 2014/2015

[Jimmy]

Never a pen, but we weren't exactly good. Townsend was fucking terrible, would like to see us active in the window, there's clearly too many players Poch doesn't want or trust.

[Baddar]

I actually thought he clipped him, live and after multiple replays. If he didn't, that was a bloody convincing dive.

Also, Carroll's goal was special. He's still a dick, though.

[lanky316]

The only argument I'd have given for not giving that as a penalty is that the ball was long gone before it happened, had he been going towards goal it'd be a goal kick before contact but don't think you can argue about that being given. Stupid unnecessary lunge and asking the referee to give it.

[Ant]

It was a pen. The Palace bloke got the ball first and the leading leg from Spurs player caught his ankle.

They should have had two pens with Walkers handball

[Baddar]

The handball from Walker was outside the box, and there's no way that was deliberate.

[stokeriño]

On the subject of handballs...

Just had a look via the recorded match of at an incident that occurred up the other end of the pitch - Coloccini clearly handballed inside the box and the referee ignored the Chelsea protests. It's of the "ball kicked at him when his arms was stuck out parallel to his body" variety - which some refs interpret as fine because it's not "deliberate"...but then this ref gave a fucking identical handball call against Terry on the edge of the box in the first half.

No consistency. Either we go super-strict on the definition of "deliberate" handballs or we go the route where we talk about "unnatural position" etc. etc. Either way I would at least expect consistency from the same ref in the same game, even if every other referee had his own idea about how it works.

Does the penalty shout make it onto MOTD? Of course it fucking doesn't.

[Ant]

The handball from Walker was outside the box, and there's no way that was deliberate.

Could have sworn it was inside.

Regardless you could see he looked where the ball was going before moving his arm towards the ball.

[Baddar]

Should be on YouTube. It hit his arm outside, then he moved inside. I don't even think it was close.

[lanky316]

On the subject of handballs...

Just had a look via the recorded match of at an incident that occurred up the other end of the pitch - Coloccini clearly handballed inside the box and the referee ignored the Chelsea protests. It's of the "ball kicked at him when his arms was stuck out parallel to his body" variety - which some refs interpret as fine because it's not "deliberate"...but then this ref gave a fucking identical handball call against Terry on the edge of the box in the first half.

No consistency. Either we go super-strict on the definition of "deliberate" handballs or we go the route where we talk about "unnatural position" etc. etc. Either way I would at least expect consistency from the same ref in the same game, even if every other referee had his own idea about how it works.

Does the penalty shout make it onto MOTD? Of course it fucking doesn't.

Never trust a referee. The more things they open up for an individual interpretation the more chance they are going to be inconsistent. Handballs and offsides are the best examples but every week it's pot luck as to what a referee interprets. One referee will say that striker standing in front of the goalkeeper trying to put it in as interfering another won't. One referee will decide that a player essentially charging a ball down like a drop goal attempt in rugby as an accident another will decide it's deliberate. Often at both ends in the same game with differing results.

Add in that the current group of referees seem to be the worst I remember and it's harder to expect things to be consistent and not play an influence. If they can't regularly get something as "simple" as a player tripped over by opponent without the defender getting the ball right every time how can we expect them to consistently make judgement calls correctly and equally.

Edited January 11, 2015 by lanky316

[Baddar]

Arsenal team to play Stoke: Ospina, Debuchy, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rosicky, Cazorla, Alexis, Giroud

Arsenal subs: Szczesny, Bellerin, Flamini, Ramsey, Ozil, Campbell, Walcott

[The Lusophone]

By the same measure, players and managers paid a lot more than even the top referees (who are on about 90k a year - a lot, but in football also not a lot) also get things wrong and aren't consistent week to week with regards to judgement calls. Obviously the refereeing performances this year haven't been great, but they're also under more pressure than ever before and I don't necessarily think a Graham Poll or a Keith Hackett would be performing any better than Craig Pawson or Robert Madley have been with less than two years experience in the Select Group have been.

[stokeriño]

By the same measure, players and managers paid a lot more than even the top referees (who are on about 90k a year - a lot, but in football also not a lot) also get things wrong and aren't consistent week to week with regards to judgement calls.

But there's a massive difference in importance between 'playing the game badly' and 'applying the rules of the game badly'. No one's expecting referees to have the 99.999% correctness rating of the Ref-Bot 5000 (patent pending), but we have to acknowledge that a) higher standards are desirable, and b) they can do a lot better than they currently are.

[Gazz]

Colo doesn't concede fouls.

[stokeriño]

Not when kicking Demba Ba in the face is deemed fair play, no.

[Gazz]

Precisely.

[MDK]

Now, if your top flight PL officials are bad, imagine how shocking our officials were yesterday? I've seen more competent Sunday league refs.

[Colly]

Does the penalty shout make it onto MOTD? Of course it fucking doesn't.

Yes it did. Hughes?

[Doc Devine]

Wow. Didn't even know Rosicky still exists..

[Baddar]

Two great saves from Begovic already, but Koscielny has given Arsenal the lead.

[Kaney]

Yay koscielny!