It's not quite the same but a couple of decades ago I managed to go and spend a couple of days in Blackpool whilst all the time believing it was in the North East![]()
It's not quite the same but a couple of decades ago I managed to go and spend a couple of days in Blackpool whilst all the time believing it was in the North East![]()
So the VAR audio from Gordon’s goal has been released and I still feel the same way I did at the time
Offside, handball, ball in or out…inconclusive (though with that we should clearly have sensor technology to establish)
The push? I genuinely can’t make my mind up. I lean towards foul but I’m absolutely not 100% factually convinced.
The only grating issue is that I don’t think I’m any more confident that a different lot of eyes on VAR at the same time would have come to the same decision.
It feels a pisser to have the goal given for sure, but I don’t feel as a matter of fact that it shouldn’t have been
Interestingly, I'm less annoyed having listened to it.
I have to concede it's not conclusive that the ball was out of play.
I do think it was a foul but it is one of those "you see them given" ones - but equally you see them not given too.
And the offside - it isn't conclusive he's ahead of the ball.
We scream for consistency but in real life that isn't possible, there's always going to be some interpretation. And at least they went through it thoroughly, it wasn't the utter shit show that was the Liverpool "goal" against Spurs where VAR actually got ir right but bolloxed up the comms with the ref who they thought had allowed it
And as we all said at the time, we were never going to score. So if we were robbed it was only of one point, not three.
The foul was 100% - two hands firmly on the back clearly pushing a player over
This is the relevant section of FA Law 12 which deals with fouls and misconduct - I would argue it was both reckless but either way it certainly involved excessive force and was obvs a push
"1. Direct free kick
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force:
charges
jumps at
kicks or attempts to kick
pushes
strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)
tackles or challenges
trips or attempts to trip
If an offence involves contact it is penalised by a direct free kick or penalty kick.
Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed
Reckless is when a player acts with disregard to the danger to, or consequences for, an opponent and must be cautioned
Using excessive force is when a player exceeds the necessary use of force and endangers the safety of an opponent and must be sent off
A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences:
a handball offence (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)
holds an opponent
impedes an opponent with contact
bites or spits at someone on the team lists or a match official
throws an object at the ball, opponent or match official, or makes contact with the ball with a held object"
I believe this is known as 'shooting the messenger'...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67442180
I only just saw that Havertz played at left back for Germany
https://metro.co.uk/2023/11/18/arsen...back-19844380/
https://x.com/dfakexgoalanke/status/...k_DvSqUkaQFrjw
This made me laugh a lot.