12 Jul 2020 10:10:03
I’m curious to see other points of view but in my opinion Robertson was fouled at the end of the game. Whether it was in or out of the box is another issue.

Defender nips the ball but only about a metre. He then specifically in a separate action takes Robertson out with his trailing foot. My argument here is that at the point where he takes Robertson out the ball is now back in play and Robbo would have picked it up and been on goal.

I get that in full speed it’s hard to see but isn’t that what VAR is supposed to see?

I’m not moaning about the dropped points. We had enough chances but I would like more knowledgable people’s input. Foul or no foul?

12 Jul 2020 11:32:10
No foul for me, he won the ball.
However and it's one of them things I hate in football. If it's outside the box he probably gives the free kick because he's followed through and 'fouled' him. Either way for me no foul, the player has won the ball and that is that is that. Great decision by the ref.

12 Jul 2020 11:39:47
Exactly as you described.
The defender may have touched the ball, but he certainly didn’t take it away from Robertson who was clearly still running onto it as he was taken out.
Foul.

12 Jul 2020 12:24:43
I thought he got the ball first when I saw it off the replay. Now many are saying that if it was outside the box or somewhere in midfield, it would have been a foul.

So with that logic in mind if it is a foul outside the box or anywhere else on the pitch then, it is a foul inside the box hence, penalty.

{Ed001's Note - doesn't matter if he gets the ball or not, he went through Robertson, the rules do not allow that.}

12 Jul 2020 12:36:11
There is not a single word in Law 12 (Fouls and Misconduct) about the tackler " touching the ball first". It is completely irrelevant. Fact.

12 Jul 2020 12:41:52
I was more concerned about the fact that Tarkowski Rugby tackled Salah and made no attempt to play the ball. If that's not a penalty then i don't know what Salah has to do short of being shot to actually get a decision. Sterling, Rashford, Kane, Vardy, Alli etc can all just fall over and get decision. Even Gerrard did. Maybe the FA and PGMOL needs to look at themselves as it's quite clear they discriminate against foreign players.

Mighy even be media driven. Foreign player goes down easy and its an "embarrassing dive". British player does it and its suddenly "well there is slight contact".

Robbo one for me is not a penalty. Defender has got the ball first and you can debate about follow through but for me that's only relevant if its dangerous or out of control which it wasn't.

12 Jul 2020 13:35:21
Penalty, clear as day. Went straight through the player. I thought that was one of the purposes of VAR, to correct clear mistakes by the referee.

12 Jul 2020 13:52:01
I stand corrected. Thanks, Ed01.

{Ed001's Note - welcome. Rules have changed in recent years and you are not allowed to go through a player, whether you get the ball first, afterwards or not at all.}

12 Jul 2020 14:14:34
Phil Bardsley got booked for a very similar challenge later on in the game albeit, his challenge was from behind.

12 Jul 2020 14:20:16
Ed01, hanks for the info. I did not know the rules on this have been changed over the years. Gudmonssen did go thru Robbo to get the ball hands down and hence, should have been a penalty. VAR did not even look at it to check if it was or not, which is what baffled me esp. with the rule in mind.

{Ed001's Note - they must have looked, they are instructed to look at everything. They were not going to change the decision though as when it has happened it has upset the refs on the pitch.}

12 Jul 2020 14:26:16
He did Xabi and Robbo was 100% foul also.

12 Jul 2020 14:41:18
The refereeing yesterday was very bad. Even for their goal, the alleged off-side was NOT off-side to begin with. If VAR is there not to upset the referees, they should just remove it. I prefer the people who use it be not so much cowardly.