31 Aug 2025 09:44:15
Why are these player's legs collapsing when they have their shirts pulled! Diallo v Burnley yesterday was disgraceful! He looked like he was going to burst out crying when he went to the ref! Refs need to get a grip of it now because it's infuriating ?.
31 Aug 2025 09:53:11
Because he probably doesn't get the penalty if he doesn't.
United got a win off the back of him making sure he got the penalty.
How many times have we seen that doing the right thing gets you nowhere. You need to sort the referring out and then work backwards from that.
31 Aug 2025 09:56:33
Newcastle had jelly legs against us all game Rebel and the ref went for it every single time.
Did anyone see Richarlison dive yesterday when on a promising break just to try to get Semenyo a second yellow?
The thing is, we don’t do it enough. I’ve said for ages the best way to beat Arsenal is when they are grappling you at set pieces just go down. The refs will give it. If you try to stand your ground they won’t.
I guarantee you that if Mount or Bayindir had gone down when being man handled by Saliba that goal wouldn’t have stood.
I hate that football has come to this but the quality of officiating is so, so bad that you have to try to make it work for you rather than allow the opposition to gain all of the advantage.
{Ed025's Note - two wrongs have never made a right Robbo, do you really want your side to cheat to get a result mate?, i know it goes on but that does not make it ok in my book..
31 Aug 2025 10:08:52
Why? Because there is no punishment for simulation.
31 Aug 2025 10:13:20
Funny how he didn’t go straight down when pulled, almost like he was waiting for the box.
31 Aug 2025 10:31:07
Well you can tell how much thr fine margins matter when Slot who has numerous times given out about diving has recently been encouraging us almost to make more of contact and look for fouls.
I agree with Ed 2 wrongs don't make a right but unfortunately the solution would be stronger officiating. If they were able to with conviction give fouls without someone rolling around all over the place we might see improvement.
But with the modern day game where it seems set plays and fine margins are becoming increasingly important you are incentivising this behaviour to a degree.
We have had a lot of player over the years that have dived and play acted like every team has. But currently I am proud of the team personally for not being 'soft' and trying to stay up and play the game. But am also not naive enough to say in big game if a player goes down softly and wins a free or a pen or even just to waste some time I will be cheering it. Unfortunately the only solution like a lot of problems seemingly with the game currently needs to come from top down and be enforced by officials but I think we also know this won't happen.
31 Aug 2025 10:37:17
Absolutely Ed25 and I expected a reply from you on this.
The fact is even your own team started doing it to excess last season after Moyes came in. Moyes is a ‘gain every advantage you can’ type of manager. We saw that in the derby with you lot falling over at the slightest touch and even in Ndiaye’s case with no touch.
I don’t condone anyone doing it but pretty much every team will (including us at times) and it works because the refs are so bad and so keen to get involved in the game.
Against Arsenal, 9 times out of 10 it is actually a foul but players try to stand their ground. Just go down and take the free kick, the ref will give it every time.
31 Aug 2025 11:08:57
The solution is a 10 minute sin bin for simulation or dissent.
2nd offence, 20 mins.
Managers would stamp it out overnight.
A yellow card they can deal with, 10 mins with 10 men is harder.
The solution for dodgy VAR calls is to have them “on appeal” like all other sports. When a manager appeals they have to specifically name what they want to check - “offside number 9”, “foul by number 22 on the edge of the 6 yard box” etc. Then ONLY that appeal is checked.
You get 2 incorrect appeals per half, an extra one after 80 mins.
31 Aug 2025 11:27:36
Thank God we’ve never had anyone who has resorted to playing for a free kick.
31 Aug 2025 10:47:43
That shirt pull wasn’t enough to make the slightest bit of difference to his movement so in the spirit of the game should never be a penalty as it was a blatant dive.
The rules of the game say otherwise though.
Refs and VAR are not having the best of starts to the season are they.
31 Aug 2025 11:32:37
Genuinely I’d probably lose interest in going to games If LFC players started spending more time playing acting.
Football is meant to be entertainment.
31 Aug 2025 12:05:09
@JK,
Is it meant to entertain or is it sport?
There’s a huge difference regarding the coverage and legal implications.
See American Football, that’s regarded as entertainment, thus manipulated for viewership, (see USA NFL head comment regarding Tom Brady wining 6th Superbowl), it was along the lines “What does it matter, that we can create a nice story of a 6th win”. The result is influenced by the referees Central contracts. This was provided by the former NFL head Lawyer of approximately 15years.
So my point is, If English football is entertainment, does the Ref body and Var have the same central contracts as used in USA? Or is PL football a sport.
I believe it was Mbappe, who stated he was an Entertainer (interesting description imo), not that he was a sportsman/ footballer who wants to entertain.
31 Aug 2025 12:33:59
Christ Kew bit deep that for a Sunday morning mate.
To answer your question for me it’s a sport that should entertain.
This day and age though it doesn’t quite always hit that mark.
31 Aug 2025 13:11:44
Any sport is meant to entertain.