Unbelievable

The offside rule is there for a different reason now? I don't think so. It's just policed far too rigorously, and that is solely because camera technology has improved and TV now controls the game in a way it didn't before. TV used to be there to show the game, not to referee it. I probably didn't phrase that well or expand on what I meant enough. I agree that the overall point of the rule is to stop goal hanging. However, I think that it has to be policed rigorously because defenders and coaches work so hard on their defensive line and it would be unfair to them if there was leeway given to attackers when they were offside. It seems very unfair when you get a decision like last nights but I just think that's the way it has to be I also think the full body having to be past the last man for offside to be called would lead to much deeper defensive lines which would be a step backwards IMO In this case, with the advance of technology objectively fairer decisions can be made. I’m far less sold on the use of VAR for penalty decisions for minor infractions like ball to hand or a small tug on a shirt though, as there is (still) too much subjectivity involved. But if we must have VAR to then decide to discard it for such black and white easy decisions seems well odd to me.

That was before VAR. Why give benefit of the doubt when you can check and remove all doubt?

wasn't he like literally a hair offside though? That's precisely what I'm saying. Is being 'a hair' offside really an infringement? I don't think it is. He hasn't gained an advantage on anyone. I'm not saying the goal should have stood for the reason that 'it looked pretty'. I'm saying the use of VAR is overzealous in that situation because - with it being so inconsequentially marginal - there isn't sufficient enough reason to disallow it. We used to go by 'giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacker', which had largely worked for over a century. If Newcastle had lost to a goal like that I wouldn't be crying injustice. Surely this is black and white thing, like goal line technology? You wouldn't say it would be alright to count as a goal a fantastic shot that just didn't completely pass the line because the goalkeeper would have never been able to get to it either way? Lindgard was offside, fractionally, and the goal was correctly ruled out. I would be crying my eyes out if Newcastle ever lost a final to a fractionally offside being allowed because the player in an offside position "didn't gain an advantage" by doing so. They would have to change the rules for that argument to hold, and rather than becoming an objectively measurable thing it would become completely subjective as to what constitutes an advantage and what doesn't. The argument makes no sense to me. As for "advantage to the attacking player", that never worked before VAR either, and has essentially been replaced by the much more accurate VAR for instances like these. I still despise VAR as a concept, but for offsides, comparable to binary true or false decisions like goal line technology, it works as intended and actually makes the game a bit more fair.

Maybe, but during an international tournament games come every few days as well. Van Dijk and Wijnaldum managed 120 minutes without issue. I think it was the wrong decision in hindsight to exclude those players who contested the CL final unless they were carrying knocks or requested to be rested themselves.

I've been thinking this. I'd never happen under Ashley obviously, but with the Sheikh who knows? He's a very hard working forward who would fit perfectly in Rafa's system.

Any attackers coming through? None that I'm aware of. Kluivert junior was a good prospect but went to Roma and barely played. In any case, this side looks solid with one world class centre back and one very promising one, but we're lacking a forward player that can make the difference in any game. Those players don't grow on trees sadly.

We always lose against Portugal anyway, so all this was for nothing, but nice to see that we're definitely on the way back even though it wasn't a great game from either side here tonight.

Southgate will blame tiredness, but in fairness you barely looked up for it tonight.

YES!!!

This offside rule with VAR is ridiculous in situations like this

Your team have been bad, but they've somehow got worse in ET

Almost three

Pickford man Edit: Stones. Shows how much attention I'm paying

Never a hand ball from that replay

Watch us get a pen now

Goddamn VAR man

Disallowed

Didn't look offside

Luuk de Jong to the rescue

Oh Donny!

Get in

Aye, back to his early day Oranje level today

WTF was that man?