This should be the takeaway from this one, not what the ref missed or got wrong. We were so poor on so many levels that it was difficult to watch. Maybe it’s time for Klopp to mix things up in terms of the standard starting eleven. Not only some of them look overly content and resting on their laurels but their average age is the oldest in the past 30 odd years. No one should feel safe about his job and that should include players who were hitherto untouchable like Van Dijk and Salah.
2 Likes
it was a penalty. they clashed knees as vvd tried to pull out of the challenge.
2 Likes
They didn’t clash knees, there was slight contact but certainly no penalty.
Also what are the chances of Jones playing for us soon?
After Klopp said we won’t panic… it seems inevitable.
Where is captain mainwaring when we need him!?
Back in mid September is the rumour has calf injury.
there was contact with the knee to knee. hence clashed knees. at least on my tv.
if my tv is wrong then i challenge you to buy me a new one
1 Like
You realise slight contact is a clashing of knees. Right?
If that was Maguire everyone would be laughing at the flat footed defending, did Mitrovic milk it? Certainly but to say there wasn’t contacting is clearly wrong.
2 Likes
Maybe the definition of clash needs to be investigated and redefined in the dictionary. 
1 Like
it was a quip about the TV programme “Dads Army”
I hope all the refs are on the same page with this then this season you can tackle a striker for the ball but if you touch in in the area it’s a penalty.
It’s contact in the box after being caught flat footed, I’d expect a penalty at the other end every day of the week.
1 Like
VVD pulled out of the challenge and Mitrovic cleverly continued, thus the contact.
Its not a foul, it constitutes a coming together and isn’t a penalty.
Fair play to Mitrovic, he bought the decision and Madely reacted.
Atwell was the main culprit though, he should at least direct the ref to look at the screen.
3 Likes
It is a penalty, we are talking split second decisions, so to say Mitrovic cleverly continued… he could do nothing but continue! Virgil missed the ball and tried to move his leg back. there wasn’t enough time or space to do that.
There is no reason to send the ref to the screen as it is not an incorrect decision so it can’t be clear and obviously wrong for him to do that !
we just have to take it on the chin and move on.
3 Likes
I agree with @Quicksand Virgil pulling out and mitrovic continues and makes minimal contact which should not be a penalty. I know some will argue Fulham’s case all day but in my opinion they are wrong. Bye bye.
2 Likes
Mike Riley:
"It’s not sufficient just to say ‘yes, there was contact,’ Riley said.
“Contact on its own is only part of what referees should look for. If you’ve got clear contact that has a consequence, then that’s what you have got to penalise.”"It’s not sufficient just to say ‘yes, there was contact,’ Riley said.
“Contact on its own is only part of what referees should look for. If you’ve got clear contact that has a consequence, then that’s what you have got to penalise.”
So it comes down to the subjective decision of the ref. That’s normal. Always has been throughout the history of football.
Ref saw contact, decided a pen. Hence VAR cannot overturn it. If ref decided, however, that not enough to go down, then VAR would also not overturn it. Many would say you win some, you lose some. And in a fair unbiased world, things would even out over the course of several seasons (you will always get run of when things go for you or against you, but it would even out, like a fair toss of a coin).
My gripe is the bias in the subjective decision making. Take the two studies that Paul Tomkins has reported on: 1) English born players get statistically significant advantage over others; and 2) Mo Salah hardly gets ANY foul given against him (it’s standard deviations away from what is expected).
These are the type of studies that should be bought to the attention of the FA if they are so concerned about racism, etc, rather than at present where it seems they are just virtue signalling.
I am not saying the ref is consciously doing this. The studies have shown that there is definite bias going on, probably unconsciously. PGMOL as a professional organization, should be actively doing these types of investigations to improve refs. That they are not and hide behind a wall of silence speaks volumes to me, that it is still a closed old boys club style network.
9 Likes
Making a challenge not getting the ball and then pulling out is only not a foul if you don’t make contact with the opponent and don’t impede him.
Attempting to pull out says “i’ve made a mistake i shouldn’t be trying to win the ball here”
If mitrovic had dragged his leg into VVD and initiated the contact i’d see your point but he didn’t. it was an inevitable collision due to VVD making the challenge in the first place. It is a foul.
I’d expect a penalty every time that happens. I am not defending Fulham. I simply understand why it happened and accept the decision.
2 Likes
Further addition:
Things like Harry Kane has never been sent off for 10 years, so he is not that type of player. So full benefit of doubt needs to be given to him (in the Andy studs up challenge).
This is complete bollocks for PGMOL to pander to. Of course, knowing some knowledge of the players is a good thing. But if it blinds you to absolute shocker of decisions, then there is something completely wrong.
5 Likes
VVD didn’t impede Mitrovic, he went into VVD and went down. Its clever but its not a foul.
Look at VVD’s reaction? He is almost laughing at the dive and in no way is concerned until Madely points to the spot.
2 Likes
Was the foul on Mitrovic worse than the foul on Henderson which wasn’t given?
1 Like
Excellent point.
Sums up the inequity
1 Like