Premier League 2020/21 (Part 1)

I will watch the rest of this match while boycotting it

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Already boycotting after Uniteds win awarded by Ref and Var…

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Based on what I’ve seen so far, Everton look a better team than Man Utd. They might even finish above them this season, such is the difference a decent manager makes.

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I was driving.

Got a week off and we are spending five nights in Darley, just outside Harrogate.

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Very harsh, but according to the new read of the rules, it is a penalty although it really shouldn’t be. But be warned, expect to see more of these during the season, balls hitting the arm from point blank, ruled penalties because the ball blocks a pass to a player in a dangerous position or a finish.

But it is not right from a fair play perspective.

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Only in the PL could they take a concept that should have improved the game and instead used it to totally fuck it up.
He cannot get his arms out of the way there when it’s headed at him from a couple of yards away.
Maybe tape the defenders arms to their bodies is the way forward.

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I’m staying at the Rose Cottage. Want to meet at Domo?

I thought the rule was based on the players arm being in a natural position. Ward is moving backwards and half crouched so his arms need to he out somewhat for balance otherwise he’s like a bowling pin and falls. Might as well ask defenders to wear handcuffs or a straight jacket.

Slow mo replays don’t help in this situation.

As long as refs enforce the rules this way from now fair enough though. Just harsh and will only see attackers trying to play it off defenders arm in future.

But that was the correct decision though and it happened before the final whistle went. The arm went towards the ball in an unnatural motion.
That award to Everton is a case of a ball being hit against an arm from close range where there is no attempt to block the ball or move the arm towards the ball.

With the new handball law clarification, I think the IFAB wanted to see more defenders doing handstands in the box. They might well get their way.

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Hahahaaaaa

I always knew you were a closet LUFC fan.

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It used to be. But they have changed the interpretation so that it becomes a handball if it hits an arm and the ball had a path to either a player in a clear goal scoring opportunity (like here) or blocks the path towards the goal itself and there was a decent chance it could have gone in.
Don’t ask me why this is, I liked the old interpretation where a handball is allowed if innocent.
In my head, the new interpretation is an assault on common sense but ref’s and/or VAR has to give it as it currently stands now.

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This is IFAB. We’ve had this interpretation in Europe and most the european leagues since last year and when coupled with VAR it is a farce. The freeze frames take the context away and we ended up with several penalties a week awarded in La Liga and Serie A for exactly this. Most stupid of all, if that level of contact happened with an attacker, and then 6 passes later it ended up as a goal, they wouldnt call it back for the handball.

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It’s even worse than that. There is nothing Ward can reasonable be expected to do for it to not hit his hand.

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Indeed, it is a travesty. But those are the rules now. Football people in England needs to put pressure on the FA to change it because we are going to see a lot of this during the season sadly.

Just seen the Man Utd final score,

They got a winner from a penalty deep into injury time

Was Alex Ferguson the referee for the game?

So…they’ve been playing professional football for more than 100 years…and they’re still trying to get the handball rule right.

Too…many…bureaucrats.

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How do you judge innocence though? That requires mind reading ability. At least this is a question of did it or didn’t it…

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Innocent meaning that the arm is in a natural position and/or the player doesn’t have the time to pull it back. Because let us face it, how does the Palace defender not handball that ?
But we can agree to disagree, but I don’t find that handball willful at all. So yes, I am not a fan of this handball interpretation but I respect that the ref must give it.

They got the penalty after the game. Strange indeed. Still hoping the Brighton decision on 62 mins might get them a pen. :joy: