Live Match Discussion 2025/26

[Sniffer]

Rochdale messed up big time by losing 2-4 at home to relegation zone occupants Morecambe.

Both on 98 points with York having a much superior goal difference. Rochdale v York on the last day of the season.

 

[Tony Towner]

I watched the second half of the Oxford game, they play decent football for a team at the bottom of the league

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Again for the anti-VAR evangelists....watch the pen Cov have just conceded and tell me you're just going to shrug and say "ah, it's ok" if and when that happens to us in August.

 

[Kenny]

I'd be ok with it......after raging for a bit and bitching online/in pub about it

Just bad ref calls v bad or good ref calls eventually followed by shocking VAR call. I will go with just bad ref calls

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd be ok with it......after raging for a bit and bitching online/in pub about it

Just bad ref calls v bad or good ref calls eventually followed by shocking VAR call. I will go with just bad ref calls

In a binary choice I probably agree.

It's the pretence that it was all ok before (and by extension that it's all ok now in the EFL). No it isn't.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

Refereeing was poor before but it’s worse with VAR.

It will be strange getting used to not having it again though.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Liverpool are dreadful. You wouldn’t even know Salah is playing.

 

[Templeton Peck]

In a binary choice I probably agree.

It's the pretence that it was all ok before (and by extension that it's all ok now in the EFL). No it isn't.

It wasn't all ok before. Just better.

 

[Alan]

VAR is and has ever been the wrong culprit. It’s the plainly horrific use of it and administrative incompetence of PGMOL, IMO.

You can say it’s shit to celebrate a goal that gets chalked off; I’d say that it is equally shit to watch our opponents celebrate a goal that shouldn’t count.

I’ll wait for the “it’s shit in the stands” argument. That’s on the administration of the thing, as well, IMV. Not like I’ve never been to an NFL or MLS match where replay got involved, and I just can’t be bothered by a couple of extra dips and rises in the emotional ride that is sport. Hell, getting a goal chalked off can ratchet the intensity up massively.

Anyway. Ready to have my feet forensically whooped.

 

[jd1981]

Slot is in the last few weeks of his Liverpool tenure here they look awful. VVD looks like his legs went in the summer.

 

[Alan]

Slot is in the last few weeks of his Liverpool tenure here they look awful. VVD looks like his legs went in the summer.

His dropoff has at times reminded me of Vidič (spelling?) and Ferdinand at United.

 

[Tredman]

VAR is and has ever been the wrong culprit. It’s the plainly horrific use of it and administrative incompetence of PGMOL, IMO.

You can say it’s shit to celebrate a goal that gets chalked off; I’d say that it is equally shit to watch our opponents celebrate a goal that shouldn’t count.

I’ll wait for the “it’s shit in the stands” argument. That’s on the administration of the thing, as well, IMV. Not like I’ve never been to an NFL or MLS match where replay got involved, and I just can’t be bothered by a couple of extra dips and rises in the emotional ride that is sport. Hell, getting a goal chalked off can ratchet the intensity up massively.

Anyway. Ready to have my feet forensically whooped.

You just can’t really compare NFL, MLS, Cricket, Rugby or others to the in-grounds experience of competitive football. It’s totally different and for all of those reasons VAR will only work when the Americanisation of the PL is complete.

 

[Alan]

You just can’t really compare NFL, MLS, Cricket, Rugby or others to the in-grounds experience of competitive football. It’s totally different and for all of those reasons VAR will only work when the Americanisation of the PL is complete.

Give yourself a chance, mate.

Also, it's not Americanization as much as Capitalization. We just got saddled with it from the get go. You're welcome? Also, sorry?

 

[Tredman]

Give yourself a chance, mate.

Competitive atmosphere then. Take it which every way you wish but attending an MLS game is nothing like attending a European or South American game.

 

[Alan]

Competitive atmosphere then. Take it which every way you wish but attending an MLS game is nothing like attending a European or South American game.

Look, I'm partly being an ass by pointing MLS out there specifically. It's clear enough you didn't mean it that way.

I'm not in the mood for a proper row over it, but suffice to say that I find that argument too tilted toward exceptionalism. "My ball is just like your ball but it's mine and therefore special and better".

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Germany has had VAR for far longer than England and also has nowhere near the same amount of problems with it.

It also creates hardly any problems at FIFA and UEFA international tournaments. In fact quite the opposite, them using it and enforcing the rules properly cut out all the nonsense holding at set pieces at the 2018 World Cup at a stroke.

So join the dots.

 

[PuntsWolf]

VAR in the CL is abysmal

 

[Tredman]

Look, I'm partly being an ass by pointing MLS out there specifically. It's clear enough you didn't mean it that way.

I'm not in the mood for a proper row over it, but suffice to say that I find that argument too tilted toward exceptionalism. "My ball is just like your ball but it's mine and therefore special and better".

That’s not the case at all, and it has nothing to do with the ball. It was you who made light of the stadium experience, you just don’t have a frame of reference and it’s pretty arrogant to outright dismiss the opinions of those who do.

 

[Alan]

You don't know my frame of reference. That's pretty arrogant.

We have CFB; that is the sport that runs in our blood like football runs through yours. It's magnificent to be in a packed stadium of 100000+. It can't be imitated.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Anyway my issue is largely with the people who pretend they'll be alright with absolute howlers when there's no VAR. No you won't, don't lie.

Had we conceded that penalty last night then the same people would be absolutely raging.