Don’t think the games are pre determined but do think the odds are swayed heavily for a set result to happen.
The Middle East owning prem clubs whilst having Prem refs in their league presumably on their pay book. Find it hard to not think that the general theme is “screw over our teams in England (City and Newcastle) and you can say good bye to yourself getting flown out here with your family and the financial package and say good bye to getting big games in Europe and world cups in the future. I’d be interested to see how of the refs who get cup finals in Europe how many have had links to the Middle East.
Think Fergie was intimating refs and the FA and made sure to complain against officials so they wouldn’t get their “big day out” if you had a stinker against United (reffed fairly).
I think similar is happening now anyways but not as upfront as it used to be. Every league has had corruption with refs apart from the Prem……I find that hard to belive.
I also don’t. Elite in a favouritism towards English managers or players. Rodri gets away with loads, not just English players and teams who get decisions like City or Spurs have two foreign managers. Or a player who gets loads of leniency is someone like Son who isn’t English…
Don’t think Rupe gave two fucks about us and the PL was designed to be a vehicle to launch SKY subscriptions. That perch thing didn’t go past Alec “I’m obsessed with Liverpool and like to bully my wife” Ferguson
Regarding Salah, Suarez, Kane & Terry, is it racism or patriotism, because there is definitely a bias to English players, I’d even include Milly in that as he used to get away with quite a bit, which I loved because he was/is a hard man without the histrionics
I know it wasn’t but it is a question I considered and you brought up the different treatment which is definitely the case and I am English through and through
Definitely nationalism. I wouldn’t be surprised if fans of other national leagues found their fellow national players in that league infallible. I doubt it’s an English thing. More a human thing.
I dont agree with refs in Europe being any better, however, I do feel English refs are too familiar with players and form biases both positively and negatively.
Maybe refs should ref throughout Europes domestic leagues, to stop familiarity etc.
I would probably agree, but how does Mo get harshly treated by refs as he is such a nice guy.
Thats what I don’t understand, I would be more lenient to players like him giving them the benefit of doubt and the arseholes would have a shorter leash, within reason.
I suppose that we all treat people differently, whether subconsciously or not.
I think Mo cottoned on a long time ago that he doesn’t get decisions unless he throws himself around and makes a song and dance, and if he does throw himself around and make a song and dance, then he gets called ‘one of those playacting foreigners’ and doesn’t get the decision.
I believe it was Paul Tomkins who provided the stats on this a couple of years ago although, given that he’s a Liverpool supporter, those figures can hardly be expected to be objective.
He did a fairly good job of removing the bias. What it showed, beyond any doubt, is that Mo Salah is a statistical outlier in terms of decisions. He just doesn’t get them.
The PL isn’t fixed in the sense that it’s decided before a ball is kicked, but there are serious issues with refereeing which are dealt with in other threads.
Is the league fixed - perhaps not fixed but events often are manufactured to make the premier league have interest for the sake of TRPs etc. The PL and thr PGMOL are probably in it.
We’ve been the teams screwed over by bad officiating and by City cheating the most.