I think today it is slightly disingenous (but not entirely so) to blame the ref. For the most part he did ok, even if he didn't give a few (earlier) yellow cards to Norwich. More to the point he probably awarded them a few free kicks wrongly - particularly as, from where I was sitting, it seemed the Norwich forwards (chiefly Holt) were throwing themselves into challenges that resulted in collisions. These collisions looked to be either no foul or at the very least a free kick to us. The problem is that these clashes are hard to judge in a split second from the wrong position and a positive outcome (free kick for Norwich) might result from one or two of them (as they were probably going to lose the ball). Those decisions that appeared at first glance to be glaringly wrong were usually minor in any event. The penalty he didn't give seemed to me to be a fair challenge by the Norwich defender. The ref was badly let down by the clown on the Bullens Road side who imagined Baines had fouled an opponent when he was clearly turned over and more so when a shot was so obviously deflected for a corner we didn't get. His decision not to penalise a Norwich player for scything down Pienaar (who is a serial crumpler in the challenge) was a complete mystery - a very straightforward yellow card as a bare minimum). We can have little reason to complain if we don't defend the free kick properly tho - nor put the opposition away with the multiple chances we created in the first half.
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Royal
Player Valuation: £10m
Refusing to have a go at someone who was sub par because you're scared of being kopiteish is the most pathetic thing ever like.
Ref was ****. There's no conspiracy and it's not the only thing costing us the games but it isn't half ****ing frustrating and you have to wonder what it is causing it week in week out. Maybe we do need a snide after all.
Ref was ****. There's no conspiracy and it's not the only thing costing us the games but it isn't half ****ing frustrating and you have to wonder what it is causing it week in week out. Maybe we do need a snide after all.
But there weren't numerous bad decisions breaking up the flow of our game today. We created enough chances in the first half alone to score four times. We didn't finish them off. Another poster has already mentioned that the "penalty" shout today didn't look like a penalty to him, and I have to agree. It's not like he disallowed a good goal, or gave them one that didn't go in. He didn't give them a pen, or send any of our lads off. He gave a free kick forty yards out. Between Howard and our back four, we should be able to handle a lofted ball from that distance. As for Barca.... if we play them anytime soon, I think you'd change your tune. We could get given EVERY 50/50 decision and sadly I still think they'd comfortably bum us.
Yes. But we didn't play to a decent level today. Had we put away one more of the numerous chances we had earlier in the game, and we did create them, then getting Bassonged after a dubious free kick was awarded would not make an ounce of difference. We were playing Norwich today, not Bayern sodding Munich. The real difference between trophies and failure is execution: we should be putting three goals past any team outside the top ten in this division and the early stats say that we're certainly having enough shots to achieve this - we just aren't hitting the net.
Saying the ref is not solely to blame for our defeat today is not the same as being blind to Stampy's f@ckwittery. Not even the same planet my friend. As I said above, we have been royally stitched up by incompetent refs in several games recently (Newcastle; Liverpool; Reading) but I wouldn't put today in that basket. Today was more like the Wigan, QPR and Fulham games in that we didn't take the chances we created.
The thread title was "shocking refs" - but he wasn't shocking today. Below-par? Yes. But not shocking.
meagher94
Player Valuation: £35m
This "the team cost us the points not the ref" stuff is absolute tosh.
"We never did enough to win" is a rubbish statement - if the ref makes the correct calls like he should, then we would have done enough to win.
Also, I'd understand if it was a couple of awful decisions since the start of the season, but it's almost every game ffs.
"We never did enough to win" is a rubbish statement - if the ref makes the correct calls like he should, then we would have done enough to win.
Also, I'd understand if it was a couple of awful decisions since the start of the season, but it's almost every game ffs.
Jeff Jones
Player Valuation: £35m
The worst incident for me was the failure of the referee to get their wall back ten yards late in the game. It was using up a lot of time and actually working in our favour, but I was getting very angry at his inability, or unwillingness to use his authority.
The annoying thing is that a few yellow cards will fix it instantly. They're not slow to wave them around for straightforward, ordinary fouls, but they waste time getting walls back and usually end up settling for 8 or 9 yards anyway. They can't even get the easy things right and it's piss weak refereeing.
The annoying thing is that a few yellow cards will fix it instantly. They're not slow to wave them around for straightforward, ordinary fouls, but they waste time getting walls back and usually end up settling for 8 or 9 yards anyway. They can't even get the easy things right and it's piss weak refereeing.
toffeejack
Player Valuation: £100m
he must have thought baines moved it forward whilst he was counting the 10. it was less than a yard though in all honesty. he had a shocker but i thought the way tettey was lambasting him after that yellow card was an utter disgrace. i have no idea he didn't know the yellow was fair - was really disgraceful
ToffeeMark
Player Valuation: £30m
Baines had his hands on the players back as he shaped to kick the ball, unbalanced him and he went down. Soft, but I can see why the ref gave it.
More upset with the poor defending though. Hibbert is much more acomplished at the back post than Heitinga
More upset with the poor defending though. Hibbert is much more acomplished at the back post than Heitinga
Pabbers
Player Valuation: £60m
Ref was bad, but he was not the reason we didnt win.
Blaming the ref is such an easy thing to do.
To the MOTD fan, who will just see the main points of the game wont see the 10 missed chances etc.
I would be looking at why we are missing the 10 chances. Its all you can do.
Blaming the ref is such an easy thing to do.
To the MOTD fan, who will just see the main points of the game wont see the 10 missed chances etc.
I would be looking at why we are missing the 10 chances. Its all you can do.
BigBlueConk
Player Valuation: £70m
Fans of both teams seldom think they get the rub of the green with refs.
Norwich fans can count on one hand, six occasions where decisions should have been given their way.
The only time I have blamed a ref for us not winning this season is Newcastle. The rest of the time it has been because we make too many errors.
Norwich fans can count on one hand, six occasions where decisions should have been given their way.
The only time I have blamed a ref for us not winning this season is Newcastle. The rest of the time it has been because we make too many errors.
ijjysmith
Calm
This.
Hahahaha! I don't know if that was deliberate but if so, genius ^^
BigBlueConk
Player Valuation: £70m
Thank you Tubey. My work is appreciated!
zed
Player Valuation: £25m
there is too much `if we played better we could cancel out those bad refs decisions` in your post, LFC `won` the CL with the worst team imaginable by getting calls in their favour which were pure fantasy. its a tedious old subject this with us because it never ends. a good few seasons ago this debate on the radio was- `everton dont get in the penalty area enough to get pens` -spoken by a pundit
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