The Live Match Discussion Thread: 2019/2020

[Deutsch Wolf]

Am I sure? No, of course I'm not, it's a still image from the other side of the pitch.

What I will say is that you cannot categorically say that they've made the *wrong* call. It could be offside. Might not be. So in that instance you would want it to stay with the on field decision...except we don't know what that is, as the directive for the linesman is to keep the flag down unless he's sure. We don't know what he actually thought in real time, maybe if this were a Europa League game he'd have flagged, no-one would have thought any more of it.

The implementation is the problem, we have muddled thinking with ineffectual staff. If you ran any business with that formula then it wouldn't work.

Whereas with Attwell bottling a pen earlier I know he got it wrong, it was obvious. Then again it was obvious 10 years ago that he shouldn't be refereeing top level football.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

I totally agree with your last line. Totally.

But my view is that VAR seems to have totally binned the idea that benefit of the doubt stays with the attacking side for offside. And that is a retrograde step.

 

[Parkins left foot]

Problem for me is that they are measuring millimetres on the offside call when they have no way of doing so for the actual pass connection - was it just offside or just onside. Reality is that they cannot know.

That and the lack of information as to what the feck is going on for the crowd is killing this (& that's without getting into stupid rules of completely impossible to avoid handballs by an attacker which leads to a goal - Dendoncker v Leicester. Though thats the rule thats crap rather than VAR)

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The Dendoncker decision was fine. It's the rules. But there have been situations where even that hasn't been applied consistently.

 

[White Wolf]

Leicester move for the goal was sublime. What a pass by Tielemans.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I totally agree with your last line. Totally.

But my view is that VAR seems to have totally binned the idea that benefit of the doubt stays with the attacking side for offside. And that is a retrograde step.

What you need then (and you could probably do this from Monday, as we have a break now) is to have a summit with the clubs - and PGMOL need to say to the clubs that the linesmen are going to flag based on their own judgement. So you need to tell your defenders not to stop when they see the flag go up, they play on unless the referee stops play. Changes the habit of a lifetime but deal with it.

If we then check the goal and it's tight for offside (to the point of the Son/Firmino/McGoldrick goals we've seen in recent weeks) and you genuinely can't tell from the replays - you stick with whatever the lino said. Offside or onside. If the lino has ballsed up à la Doc vs Spurs last season, we played on and stuck it in the net - goal then.

That's the simplest quick fix until we start implementing GPS technology, thereby taking all human involvement out of it.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Leicester move for the goal was sublime. What a pass by Tielemans.

Yep, you have to say fair play to Brodge. They play some excellent stuff (fully deserve to be in front too)

 

[Jack Regan]

That's another very good goal too.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Fabulous strike.

Leicester are a way better team than Arsenal or United. Probably Spurs now too as they appear to have turned into a Hoddle team for no reason.

 

[White Wolf]

Have to consider ourselves lucky that we played Leicester when we did really, as I wouldn't fancy us away to them right now. Even if we can be massively pissed off that we didn't win the game!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Just saying elsewhere - thing is though, you see our lot constantly fretting about "what if X gets injured, we'd have a huge issue".

Leicester would be absolutely boned (in terms of competing at the top end of the league) without Vardy for any length of time, Perez has scored in one game all season I think (and even the worst players on here might have scored that night), Iheanacho is awful and they have nothing else. You simply can't cover players like that, they're unique, same as us with some of our squad.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Not sure how Emery still has a job. You cant have this much talent, have spent this much money and have a team this bad.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Not sure how Emery still has a job. You cant have this much talent, have spent this much money and have a team this bad.

May as well have kept Wenger. This is no different.

Why spend that level of money on Pepe when you need virtually a whole new midfield and most of a back four? Crazy management (whether that's Emery or someone above him). It'd be like us wanging £30m on a LWB in January and signing no-one else.

 

[AndyWolves]

Man utd did Leicester a huge favour buying Maguire. £80m in the bank and Soyuncu is better

 

[PuntsWolf]

Two of the best strikers in the league, Ozil (who I love to rip to shreds and call shit) who if you play to his strengths in unplayable, reasonable enough DMs in Guendouzi and Torreira but literally nothing else. So sign another forward who you can’t put in the team with the other players and isn’t doing enough anyway.

 

[YoungWolf]

May as well have kept Wenger. This is no different.

Why spend that level of money on Pepe when you need virtually a whole new midfield and most of a back four? Crazy management (whether that's Emery or someone above him). It'd be like us wanging £30m on a LWB in January and signing no-one else.

And then don't play him!

Arsenal are a bit of a mess anyway but he's going to (probably deservedly) get the sack. I didn't think he did a terrible job last season aside from their poor away record. But they haven't improved since then really.

If I was an Arsenal fan I'd be worried though as I wouldn't back them to get the next appointment right. As I'm not an Arsenal fan this is throughly enjoyable for me.

 

[YoungWolf]

Two of the best strikers in the league, Ozil (who I love to rip to shreds and call shit) who if you play to his strengths in unplayable, reasonable enough DMs in Guendouzi and Torreira but literally nothing else. So sign another forward who you can’t put in the team with the other players and isn’t doing enough anyway.

I think they have two good full backs, though both are injury prone). Biggest weakness is at centre back which everyone knows. So they buy an ageing David Luiz (who wouldn't be much of a good fit for them even at his best).

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don't know what Arsenal even are now. They certainly don't defend well (haven't done since about 2008 anyway), they don't play aesthetically nice football like they did at their best in the latter (flawed) Wenger years, they're not devastating on the counter like Wenger's best teams, they're not physically imposing like a George Graham team or again, an early Wenger team, they have attacking full backs but don't use them properly (look at Liverpool for how you do it properly), they can't close games out...

Palace got nowt today which is what they deserved. They'll finish somewhere in lower mid-table I imagine. They have probably the worst collection of forwards the Premier League has ever seen, barring Derby/Huddersfield style deadweights. But at least every time I watch them play, I can see what they're doing, they're just deeply limited.

With Arsenal, I haven't got a clue. They don't have a style of their own to play to, and seemingly no way to stop any half decent team playing to their strengths. Look at the last two times we've played them and how much time they gave Neves!

 

[PuntsWolf]

I think they have two good full backs, though both are injury prone). Biggest weakness is at centre back which everyone knows. So they buy an ageing David Luiz (who wouldn't be much of a good fit for them even at his best).

Well Tierney has barely played, don’t know how good he is either as I don’t watch Scottish football. People have raved about him but it’s L1 standard so I will wait to make my own judgement. Bellerin has just come back of a long lay off. Decent going forward but can’t defend which is no good in a 4 with two clowns alongside you. The keeper loves making saves for the camera but loves throwing them in as well.

 

[arklowolf]

Only saw the second half. Thought Leicester were superb tbh.
Moving the ball really quickly, first time passing, everyone putting the effort in and working for each other.
Well deserved win.