David Edgar

All possible results are funny. We cannot lose today.

Well, you can fairly attempt to win a 50/50 tackle with your feet and foul the man if you are late. I don't think we need to get caught up calling this careless or reckless. It is simply late.

Yikes, that Dibling fbref page might be the worst I have ever seen

I think we are all forgetting that this isn't the first time Botman has been incredibly sluggish in a match where he is making his first competitive appearance for a while. He's definitely had a match or matches in the past where he has looked like a cumbersome oaf and then later in the game snapped out of it.

It is so obviously a foul from that angle Not even up for debate. Just a late, clumsy header attempt that has slapped the striker. I muted the tiktok child so no clue what he is wasting air on.

The ball looks like it strikes Burn below the armpit line to me. So I think it was definitely a handball. I can also see why it could've got a yellow. But referees are so incredibly inconsistent on fouls that prevent counter attacks. Sometimes referees are chucking yellow cards at everything and sometimes they just give fouls until there has been half a dozen such fouls.

It can be. The cut-off is below the armpit. Lower sleeve is therefore handball.

Can you fuck off with shit like this?

They've moved that up a bit. IIRC, the ball struck Burn below the line so was technically handball. I don't actually know for certain when a handball becomes a yellow card. I think it is gonna be contextual. And I think that Burn handball was borderline stopping a dangerous attack.

This isn't the same. The attacker has won the ball in the challenge and just because the ball has then glanced the defender doesn't mean that the defender has successfully tackled/intercepted/played the ball. The ball has just glanced off them. If it was with the feet, the attacker has got to the ball first and made contact sending the ball in a direction, as the ball travels it glances the defender's foot/leg and then the defender's attempt to get the ball has seen him arrive late and kick/trip the attacker. Just because a defender touches the ball when contesting doesn't mean they have won the ball. You can, as a defender, foul a player and make contact with the ball. I'm not arguing for/against the actual incident being a penalty btw. Just outlining what the thought process was for the referee and VAR officials. I think it comes down to the level of contact between the defender and attacker in this scenario.

Our stats people must place far more weight on goalkeeping basics. I'd rather have a 8/10 goalkeeper who is mediocre with his feet than a 6/10 keeper who can pick a pass like an outfield player.

Saliba didn't make contact with the ball from his initial action. He was beaten to the ball and then made contact with the Brighton player. The ball glancing off his head as a result of the Brighton player winning the header is incidental. Saliba did not intend for that with his action, but his action did result in the contact because he was late.

It'll either get postponed I think or it'll go ahead.

Pope comes straight back in when fit. I don't think Howe will spend a second mulling that over.

I don't like how Pickford is perpetually agitated. Would rather we maintained our calm, composed back 5.

So what's changed?

Infuriating to see on MotD, Gordon get bodychecked in the box and it be deemed not to be a foul and then in the very next clip Maddison runs into Botman and gets a freekick.

Hasn't been awarded the assist for the second goal yesterday. Livid.

Ange loves it.

Esh, that is bad.

Dunno, he is good value.

Ange loves when he's balanced.

Why is he so needlessly aggressive?

Fluke goal for Man City against the run of play. Fucks sake.

That Foden dive was pathetic. Ignored by the ref.