03 Apr 2025 10:04:00
Ref and VAR had a mare
How Taw got away with that tackle is criminal. Especially after watching the replay and considering how Alex Mac and Jones were sent off last season.
Nunez incident - first, why was no advantage played? Even then, sure since the whistle had gone, there is no pen. But the horror tackle from Pickford deserved a yellow at least. In the end, Nunez was booked for time wasting or diving? I have no idea what game they Reffing.
03 Apr 2025 10:25:33
Ref was terrible but you can give him a pass for the Nunez stuff, he blew the whistle so the game was stopped so whatever happens after is irrelevant maybe Pickford should of been booked Nunez got booked for unsportsmanlike conduct he rolled back onto the pitch to delay the restart.
tbh the ref should of just used common sense and let the treatment happen and then just add the time on and book nobody.
03 Apr 2025 10:25:37
That challenge from Pickford deserved a red. Ball was gone and he was just an assault on a player, not the first time he’s done that.
{Ed025's Note - the thing is Victor nunez is a serial cheat (like MacAllister), these refs know that and sometimes it works against you...sometimes you reap what you sow i suppose mate..
03 Apr 2025 10:47:55
Has everyone forgot as to who the VAR official was none other than Paul Tierney saysbit all.
03 Apr 2025 10:57:44
The officiating was criminal. You won't see a more obvious red card than that challenge on Macca. When all big Dunc can say is "straight red all day long" you know it's a shocking decision. VAR glanced at it for a few seconds before ignoring it unlike the Everton goal that was visibly offside that they mulled over for far more than was necessary.
Twice he pulled back play to give us a free kick when we were clean through on goal. I know the second one couldn't be a penalty because play had stopped but that makes Pickfords challenge even worse. He knew the play had stopped and chose to drop kick Nunez. Nunez then gets a yellow card for reentering the pitch to get treatment.
There was also the point when an Everton player kicked the ball out of play directly in front of the linesman who then gave Everton the throw in. The ref then booked Jota for being shocked by the decision.
03 Apr 2025 11:20:54
Given that red cards can be appealed and the ban rescinded.
Why is it that when reviewed and considered that an error was made by the Ref and VAR, the corresponding ban cannot or does not get retrospectively handed out?
In this case PGMOL have admitted both have made a mistake and they feel Tarkowski should have received a red in game. So why not then apply the ban?
Surely an appeals process should work both ways?
03 Apr 2025 11:50:40
Tierny is a prime cock-womble and needs to be taken out of service.
03 Apr 2025 11:52:02
Ah for the old days when someone would have ‘squared up the ledger’ with Tarkowski. In the good old days revenge would have been swift and painful. There was a time when it was a proper contact sport played by people who could take it and dish it out.
03 Apr 2025 11:17:02
Ed025 - I usually find myself agreeing with you, and I like the way you call these things as they are.
However, in this case I think it's part of the problem. We almost never hear officials and their shocking decisions being condemned by everybody in unison, because every bad decision has one team on the right side of it and one team on the wrong side of it. Fans, managers and players of the team who benefit from it will always try to find a way to divert or will give an example of another historical incident or will say "yeah, but why didn't van Dijk get sent off for that tackle three years ago" or, as in this case, will try to justify or brush it off as being somehow partly the fault of the player who has just taken a thundering studs up challenge in his leg.
I don't disagree that Nunez and Mac Allister (and Diaz and many others) do get a bit theatrical with how they go down and roll around on the floor but anybody could see that it wasn't the case last night. Mac Allister was absolutely nailed by an appalling, dangerous and deliberate "tackle" and could have been badly injured. And Nunez got booted by donkey Pickford. Clear as day.
We need all players, managers and fans condemning and calling out appalling refereering, whether it has gone for their team or against their team.
{Ed025's Note - listen RR if anyone says it was not a straight red for tarks they are lying mate, in this day and age its a none contact sport really and a few years ago it would not even be a foul....but things have moved on..
03 Apr 2025 11:56:57
I can see your point Ed25 with regards to the on field officials, however anyone seeing that challenge on VAR should see the challenge without presumption.
{Ed025's Note - it was a straight red all day Nutter, but i cant help thinking that simulation has made things harder for the refs mate..
03 Apr 2025 12:00:03
Serial cheats? Jesus, clutching at straws there. What footballer doesn't do it? If you think crying wolf too much, excuses those tackles, you're deluded ed25.
{Ed025's Note - not excusing it CTTF...it was a red all day in these airy fairy days of none contact sport, but a few years ago that was never even a foul..
03 Apr 2025 12:00:18
You don't think that Tarkowski challenge is worth red card Ed25? Not even worth for the referee or VAR to look back at it? On bad days, that could have break Macca leg in half.
{Ed025's Note - these days it was certainly a red Mfahmee, the fact that 2 minutes later he was running around like a spring chicken should have nothing to do with it i suppose mate...but with his reputation it does make you wonder..
03 Apr 2025 10:59:45
Surely that should work for Pickford too Ed in terms of having history in blatantly trying to injure a fellow pro from across the Park. Funny how it doesn't go against the Nations keeper?.
{Ed025's Note - yeah he gave Nunez a bit of a whack there FM which was not very nice, but no harm done...the Uruguayan ballet dancer was still fit enough to roll back on to the pitch mate to waste a bit of time.. :)
03 Apr 2025 12:29:17
Ed 25. That's what VAR is for. It should stop the cheats and those awful challenges.
{Ed025's Note - absolutely Denzil
03 Apr 2025 13:49:41
Not much sense in slot getting 2 game ban for a firm handshake and tark getting away with that tackle scot free more r less.
03 Apr 2025 14:24:14
In the good old days Souness would handed out justice in rich meaty chunks, and both Tarkowski and Pickford would have been eating hospital foot for a few weeks.
03 Apr 2025 13:02:24
So why didn't Tierney make the call Ed, cos even the PGMOL has today said it should have been a red card?
{Ed025's Note - i really dont know Keith..
03 Apr 2025 13:03:39
I am not exactly sure how MacAllister and Nunez are serial cheaters Ed025, but I am willing to agree if I can add two things. First, that Tarkowski plays headless most times causing him to leap into challenges without thinking. He is the main culprit for Everton conceding since he threw himself on a ball coming to a player in an offside position. Second, Pickford is a thug. Not only because of the hairstyle, but because he constantly kicks, pushes and punches opposition players. Of course there is always some explanation why he did it. Let's be honest, that is a bullying strategy that some players use. So that is a red for mr. Pickford on account of kicking an opposing player intentionally if we were to see "reap what you sow" in action.
{Ed025's Note - i dont like thuggery Earl and yes a couple of challenges there were over the top, but thats up to the referees and VAR to to define mate im afraid..
03 Apr 2025 14:13:17
Thank god we won or Ed025 would have been inundated with fans moaning ?.
{Ed025's Note - love it Jimjim..
03 Apr 2025 17:47:58
Nunez didn't roll back onto the pitch to waste time, he rolled back on to get treatment. What is fair about a player getting wiped out, and the opposition having a man advantage while the victim of the assault is off the pitch getting seen to.
03 Apr 2025 18:30:00
I liked the fact slot come out and mentioned how he would have been annoyed if Everton had scored a goal in the same situation.
As by the law it's not offside but by commen sense its a clear offside, and not much to debate about it, im surpised though it takes for a goal for peole to be up in arms about these offsides that players are getting away with as its a regular thing that happen wgere teams end up getting corners and throws instead but lead also to goals but its quickley forgotten. If diaz being there has no impact on the defender the woflds gone mad not much difference when lovren tried to clear a ball and kane was offside but was allowed to fall over his laces for a pen as loved was deemed to in control of the ball he mis kicked Just a shame moyse couldn't do the same with the tark tackle. But managers in generall I feel should be more honest when they get fortunate descions go their way.
I'm also surprised not much has been said about mc calister getting away with the penalty decision clear pen and again unreal how players can have no idea where the ball is and have 2 arms wrapped around a player and it be seen to be fine. So like the goddison game where Everton got the rub of the green with the free kick for the dive for the first goal and the push on konate for the second I feel it went liverpools way this time. Apart from the clear red card and Wickford being fortunate the whistle had already gone.
{Ed001's Note - Tarkowski was holding Macca too.}
03 Apr 2025 15:02:39
Simulation might make it harder for the ref but not VAR.
{Ed025's Note - but how would VAR know if a player was really hurt or not Irish?, its not an easy call mate..
03 Apr 2025 15:42:16
Ed0025, by a few years ago we mean about 20 years ago it wasn't a red. The rules for excessive force came in because ultimately you could get away with hurting someone so long as you won the ball.
If it leads to less injuries, I'm all for it. But do agree there should be more physicality that is allowed in general and anyone who goes rolling and screaming after being sneezed at should be booked to show the players that this play diving act is not on too.
{Ed025's Note - its all gone a bit girly goo for me Taurus, dont get me wrong im not asking for thuggery mate but a bit more physicality would not go amiss imo..
03 Apr 2025 15:45:50
We are in the days where the officials are so bad Ed25. Not just in EPL, every league suffer from bad officiating. Most including me would assume the the introduction of VAR will help, but it seem like it makes it worse. It makes the referees incompetence look more obvious.
{Ed025's Note - it really does Mfahmee, the standard of officialdom is really poor mate..
03 Apr 2025 16:01:59
All I can think of is Ed025's favorite word. eVARton. ???.
{Ed025's Note - its always been LiVARpool for me ArAy.. :)
03 Apr 2025 16:24:57
Ed025 I know you said years ago that would not have even been a foul but for me that’s one thing that’s good about the game today because there is no need for challenges like that could end someone’s career. With what we was talking about the other day Ed with the fans this game is the only game that refs seem to give to much leeway and the refs need to get control better to stop that feeling going into the crowd. They need to talk to both sets of players before the game and explain that before the game because it’s is happening to often in this game and it’s fuelling the fans. I think if it’s any other game Ed var does send him off but this match has a reputation now and the refs are letting too much go.
{Ed025's Note - Tarks should have walked Grino thats for sure, its a fine line mate as to whether he meant to hurt Macca or it was just over exuberance?, players can get caught up in the moment (just like fans) but that is no excuse..but its up to the officials to make that call i suppose..
03 Apr 2025 21:23:41
Hypothetical for you Ed25, if they’d been on opposing sides and Big Dunc was in his prime - how do you think he’d have dealt with Pickford? I have my own theory ??.
{Ed025's Note - for want of a better phrase WDW...Jordan would have been ground to a fine powder mate.. :)
03 Apr 2025 23:29:24
This is the problem isn’t it? You get a disgusting tackle like that and all you can hear from Evertonians is ‘it wouldn’t have even been a foul years ago’ or ‘the game has gone soft’ etc. etc.
Firstly by years ago you are talking about the 80s. I think we can all agree that stamping out some of the challenges the likes of Vinny Jones and John Fashanu used to dish out can only be a good thing.
Secondly I agree with you that the game has gone soft and I’ve seen many red cards that frustrate out of me because it’s football, contact will happen and sometimes players will get hurt but it doesn’t always have to be a red card.
Tarkowski’s assault was not that though was it? That would’ve been a red card in any game for the last 30 years. Anyone who knows anything about the game knows that he knew exactly what he was doing and he set out to hurt Macca. To ‘leave one on him’. That was fine in Vinny Jones’s days but do we really want to go back to that?
To be honest Ed25 all of your attempts to justify it and defend the indefensible is a bit sickening. Rather than talking about the game going soft, players diving and the game from a bygone era, why don’t you just admit that he disgraced himself and your club and should receive a lengthy ban? It doesn’t matter what happened in the 80s that was dangerous and spiteful and should be categorically condemned by anyone with an interest in the game.
{Ed025's Note - maybe you have trouble understanding English Robbo, i have said it was a deplorable tackle but you saying that he meant to hurt Macca is a total guess and in my opinion wrong, it was a full blooded challenge that he overstretched and caught him but to say it was premeditated is you just being a bit of a dick head if you dont mind me saying mate..
04 Apr 2025 11:49:20
Is Pickford falling to the floor and holding onto the ball longer than normal not classed as cheating too? Not one team these days doesn't time waste, not exactly cheating and yes it was a red and that sort of follow through is exactly what you would expect of a Moyes side in a derby.
{Ed025's Note - there is a lot of cheating going on AAgenda but that’s up to the powers that be to stop it. I remember Gerrard getting sent off for a far worse tackle than Tarks in a derby mate. So obviously by your logic that’s typical of a Liverpool side I suppose… people who live in glass houses and all that..