14 Aug 2022 20:41:23
The level of officiating and use of VAR in this league is an absolute disgrace. I’m not a Chelsea fan but few for them today they were robbed by inept officials! Chelsea defender getting dragged to the ground by his hair which was reviewed by VAR and not even a free out given? Absolute bonkers! Fans of football want to see competitive games where the football does the talking and decisions like today only serve to undermine the integrity of the game.

14 Aug 2022 21:49:00
Completely agree. VAR so poor it’s making me hate watching matches!

14 Aug 2022 21:53:56
Spot on well said I can't stand Chelsea but what a joke today was for them and English football ?.

14 Aug 2022 22:38:22
Think they were having a cocaine and absinthe party in Stockley Park today.

14 Aug 2022 23:52:02
VAR is to decide if it was violent conduct and a red card. Which is was in my opinion. It could not have given a foul.

15 Aug 2022 00:03:21
Have they also decided that more contact is OK, unless it's in the area.

Seems challenges which were free kicks last year are waved on, but doesn't seem to match when in the box.

15 Aug 2022 00:26:46
VAR adjudged that hair pulling was not a red card offence. VAR only rules on goals or red card incidents or clear and obvious blunders. The goal was scored from the subsequent corner, not the first corner.

The Havertz foul was in a different phase of play. VAR does not overrule on field referee in previous phases of play leading up to the goal.

VAR did great on both incidents. I'd hate to see VAR overturning these goals.

We like to moan about VAR even when it is doing its job.

15 Aug 2022 03:12:45
agree hhani. There was some awful officiating, but both goals were correctly given. Tuchel also claimed the second goal was offside?

15 Aug 2022 07:46:26
And why would hair pulling be a red card offence?

Sounds like a perfectly acceptable way to bring your opponent to the floor to me ?.

15 Aug 2022 08:51:14
Ok so before the Chelsea fans and manager kick off, let’s dissect both goals here, shall we?

First goal, sure it was a found but based on the ref and linesman’s interpretation, it was a clean tackle. That’s football. This happened a whole 65 yards from Chelsea’s goal. Spurs recover the ball and tried to attack. BUT the Chelsea fans won’t tell you that actually, Cucurella wins it back (new phase of play) and passes to Jorginho who instead of clearing it, stupidly loses it and Spurs score. VAR cannot review due to change of possession. Where’s the prob?

Second goal, there is literally NO rule that I know of (pls, enlighten me) that pulling someone’s hair is violent conduct. Again, it was a judgment call. It’s football. But the Chelsea fans won’t tell you that they completely go to sleep on the corner and left THREE Spurs players free and they Spurs score. Again, where’s the problem?

Pls, the Chelsea fans and their crybaby manager should go learn how footie and VAR works before spouting baseless nonsense as a deflection to cover for their incompetence on both goals.

{Ed025's Note - of course pulling someone’s hair is foul oli. Come on mate get a grip..

15 Aug 2022 10:01:43
Not hard to tell when someone has never played a competitive game of football in their life. Imagine trying to pull someone’s hair in a grassroots game.

15 Aug 2022 10:13:55
If we were on the end of those decisions, this site would go into meltdown.

Agree the first goal can’t be pulled back after so much time passed but it was a clear foul in real time. Shouldn’t need VAR for that. Poor officiating as always.

15 Aug 2022 10:20:28
No-one's saying it's not a foil Ed. The limits on VAR mean that unless it was judged a red card it literally cannot intervene.
I personally believe that if something is checked then the correct decision should be made, but the decision VAR had to make there wasn't whether what happened should be punished, but whether what happened should be given as a red card, or should the game be allowed to continue.

{Ed025's Note - then it’s no use having VAR alvy. Or maybe the referee should go to specsavers mate..

15 Aug 2022 11:18:43
JK23, speak for yourself Einstein, cos clearly you were NEVER coached to take take control of situations you have power over on the pitch rather screwing up and then blaming an incompetent ref for your mistakes in the “competitive football games” you played in, which is my argument here. Also, where is the rule that says that pulling someone’s hair is violent conduct? Cos you think it is a foul does NOT mean it is a foul. That’s just your opinion, Mr. “It’s all about opinions”.

Also, what stopped Chelsea from properly defending the ensuing corner kick instead of collapsing under pressure? What stopped Jorginho from clearing the ball after they recovered it off the foul initially NOT given for the first goal? You blaming the ref for these too? I propose you and Chelsea fans focus more on their on pitch screwups that they could have averted by taking responsibility on the pitch.

15 Aug 2022 11:26:21
Oli ?? I’m going to have to start charging you rent soon.

15 Aug 2022 13:31:33
If nobody can understand your jokes then it’s only normal that you are the only one laughing at them ??.

15 Aug 2022 14:17:14
Was the ball in play when he did it? If not then it's not a free kick as the ball is dead. He could still be sent off but Spurs keep the corner.

15 Aug 2022 14:49:09
VAR is a complete joke. Everton almost got relegated last season because of it, and we may have won the league if someone could see what everyone else saw that Rodri clearly handled the ball. I can't imagine what it would have taken to get Mike Riley to pick up the phone to call and apologize to Everton! That's all you need to know how bad that handball decision was, because Riley and his cabal are never wrong!
Now, just 2 days into the season, it already feels like the standards of last seasons that was pure farce is going to get even worse! How can you cope with that? Chelsea yesterday, who's next? Now, the FA wants to sanction Tuchel! Almost like a witchhunt; it's just an absolute disgrace!

15 Aug 2022 16:23:45
Forget the football, it's bland and boring. This stuff going on between JK23 and Olired has great exciting potential. ?. I want to know when they'll suit up in armour, and I want to see the videos afterwards.

15 Aug 2022 19:49:45
Aye, I get you completely Ed. all they need to do is change it so that if Var checks something, then they give the appropriate outcome whether it's a red or not. Such an easy change to make but I guess it'd upset too many egos in the refs room.