I don’t know about outright corruption when it comes to us, his leniency on City is far more suspect when it comes to that
I just think PGMOL and referees don’t like us and that bias informs in the moment decision making. To put it plainly they think Arteta is an arrogant spic and our players are a bunch of southern softies so if we do anything that other players routinely get away with it’s us being violent, and if other players assault ours it’s just us being southern softies.
Which is fine, but that's what VAR is supposed to be for.Originally Posted by HCZ_Reborn
What's the point of it if they're not correcting stuff like this? The fact it's been overturned is an admission that it was the wrong decisions, why didn't VAR sort it out at the time? I don't actually think VAR should be completely scrapped but dear Lord they need to improve the implementation of it.
Yuo don't need to be passing envelopes stuffed with cash for corruption to exist. Corruption, rot that harms everything it touches. A pretty accurate way to describe PGMOL, as corrupt as it comes. At the very least an old boys' club that will support their mates even in the most blatant circumstances and regardless of the harm it does to the image of football and the outcome of sporting events that hinge on narrow margins. I happen to think there's a far deeper level of corruption because I can't believe incompetence can exist with such consistency. We could have shitty little bean counters at the PL rubbing their claws together at the increased interest generated by this appalling standard of officiating. I've already said, gambling markets could certainly be swayed. There's also big money at the end of the season where just a few places up or down in the table could mean the difference between progress and ruin. Whenever you get all this money sloshing around it's unrealistic to pretend there's not all manner of corruption behind the scenes. I don't believe football is somehow pure whereas literally every other industry in the world is crooked as hell and puts greed first, last and always. I mean look at City - could there be a more corrupt institution? Bleeding slavers from the Middle East running the shop! Don't tell me they've been on their best behaviour just because it's football.
Yeah, it's corrupt. We just don't have access to the details. The subject changing media and pundits make sure of that.
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Interesting twist on the supposed death threats sent to Oliver. I don't know if this is true or not, but some online commentators are now saying those death threats were made after the Utd Liverpool match and no threats were made after Arsenal Wolves. There was a lot of abuse after the latter, for sure, but the suggestion is the PGMOL roped in the prior threats even though they didn't mention them 3 weeks ago when they occurred. Yes, I know the Police have said they are investigating threats against Oliver and his family. But did they actually say those threats came after the match on the weekend? If there's a shred of truth to this then the PGMOL have gone way beyond crossing the line. That would be shameful propaganda that capitalises on the very behaviour they claim they abhor. People that malicious and untrustworthy would find a hard time justifying the position of good faith and trust they currently enjoy.
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Somebody on some show somewhere asked yesterday, "Name me the top 3 American football refs, what are their names? Top 3 tennis umpires? Top 3 refs from any sport other than football?"
And I thought, boxing, I could name the top 3, at least I once could. Because that sport is not rigged from top to bottom either.
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Same refs who don’t like us are sitting on their backsides looking at the screen at Stockley park
But I think there’s also deference in play. Look at the three most recent controversial decisions against us. Brighton pel, Havertz handball and MLS red. All decisions ratified within a short amount of time. It conversely took almost five minutes just to check Martinelli’s toenail wasn’t offside against Southampton….the ref for that game was a newbie.
Senior refs Taylor, Oliver, Kavanagh…they’ll have someone on VAR likely to defer to them
The obvious solution is to have a completely different organisation looking at VAR
Last edited by HCZ_Reborn; 29-01-2025 at 02:55 PM.
I quite like the times when one of our players is being stretchered off with a dislocated body and the commentators go, "No VAR check, no need for a VAR check, VAR can't check that..." It's not just the shit VAR looks at but also the stuff it ignores.
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There's definitely something in that.
The fawning over Oliver over the last few days has been ridiculous
The best referees are the ones who you don’t remember their names
I first remember Michael Oliver from ten years ago, when we realised the Fergie hold on referees had finally gone (two years after he left) when he reffed a cup tie between us and Man United at Old Trafford and sent Angel Di Maria off (a United player getting a red at OT shocker)
But then I remember him in the fa cup final a year later and I thought “you look incompetent”
Some time ago WMUG opined that the level of abuse refs get - not just at PL level but all the way down - is such that the people who get to the top aren't necessarily the ones who make the best decisions but the ones who are bloody minded enough to put up with it. Maybe they even revel in it - we've all seen referees who seem to actively want to be "the story" after a game. There is something in that, I reckon. They keep talking about getting tough on abuse of referees but here we are in a game where a player can get a second yellow card for "kicking the ball away" but players can still surround the referee with no consequence.
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