TheBrownBottle

Yep. Correlation doesn’t equal causation and all that

It used to take a hell of a lot for me to criticise a referee - it usually had to be epically bad; a Trelford Mills on a bad day type of performance. Now, it’s every few games I’m fucking fuming - it’s increased the indecisiveness of the whistleblower and they know they can be ‘saved’ by the incompetent twat watching behind a monitor. It works in cricket and rugby because neither sport has a pyramid structure and both are naturally stop-start. Oh, and refereeing / umpiring those sports is a shitload easier as you’re not covering several miles a game with constant flowing movement across the turf.

He definitely did for me - he moves his leg towards the ball to clear it.

But again, you’re never going to get a standard application, because it’s still open to interpretation - like any other set of laws. One person’s ‘clear and obvious’ is not another’s - you’re always going to get varying use depending on who is the VAR ref that day. You’re assuming that the laws of the game are not open at all to interpretation - when they absolutely are. Irrespective of which league they’re operating in, this will be the case. PS 50 seconds is a LONG time to be stood waiting to know whether or not you can celebrate. The spontaneity of the moment is gone - I can’t believe that anyone who’s actually been to a football match can’t see this. This is meant to be an entertainment at the end of the day

It was explained on the PL international feed. Former ref Chris Foy had spoken to them and confirmed this was the case, and also said he agreed with them. I’m agreeing with you that an instinctive action would make it not offside - the VAR referee, match referee and Foy all said that Felipe didn’t even act instinctively- they said the ball bounced off him, because he didn’t try to hit it with his foot. Total bollocks, of course

I’ve now seen the full Conte interview. That’s a cracker. Eviscerates the owners, players, the club in under five minutes. Perfect summation of everything wrong at Spurs - and also a summation of why he shouldn’t have took the job in the first place. He said what most already know. Cynically, I think it’s also an act designed to leave him blameless when he goes, but it is thoroughly entertaining nonetheless.

In folklore they’re also associated with grabbing and taking silver objects, so I wouldn’t worry about it - those folktales clearly have no truth to them

The nickname comes from the kit, but the nickname was around for decades before we even started having a badge on the kit at all. Completely accept the points you’re making, though.

Yep, I agree - but the owners are playing nice, no doubt because the PL could also start playing hardball on other matters. It’s anti-competitive nonsense that other clubs can judge what is a reasonable amount for a club to earn.

It’s not the instinctive nature of the action - the VAR panel didn’t think there was an action at all. They thought that the ball basically bounced off him when moving at speed. It’s onside if he instinctively hits the ball.

Yes, according to Chris Foy on the international coverage. He spoke to them and then said he agreed with their call.

I still run with incompetence before corruption. The fact the VAR team would happily go on the record stating that Felipe didn’t deliberately play the ball I reckon fulfils the criterion of embarrassment, and shows that they don’t realise how stupid they sound.

The magpie one always looked nice and European - but I’ve never been a fan of the NUF(upside down)C we had when I was a kid.

I’d prefer the city crest, but my understanding - and I’m happy for anyone to let me know I’ve got this one wrong - is that we can’t make money from the city coat of arms, and therefore while we can use it, we can’t trademark it or make money sticking it on things to flog.

Bugger - scratch what I said re Miggy

Our coach had a couple of windows put out. Exactly as you said, it just had a really nasty vibe from the moment the coach pulled in. I didn’t get the same feeling visiting Stoke after they left the Victoria Ground.

The international break timing could be good for us. Rest and also recovery from injury time for Gordon and Almiron. We should be pretty much full strength for April for the first time in a while.

He’s one of the very few who are likely to go who’d also command a decent fee (I would’ve thought c.£20-25m would be ok for him - maybe even higher). He looks like a square peg in a round hole but I’ll give the lad full credit - these last few games you can see that he’s trying to play a game different from his natural one; but it’s better for both parties that we sign someone more suited to that style of play and let him go somewhere else (hopefully abroad, but I can picture a Palace or maybe newly-promoted Burnley hoping the wedge over for him)

Yeah, he played LW for BR pretty much the entire time AFAIK.

I’ll have to take your word on that one tbf - I take zero notice of the Eliteserien and have no idea how that fan support would be measured. I also don’t give a shite if it is introduced in every other league on the planet - it shouldn’t have been introduced in England. Hopefully it will die in the same ditch as plastic pitches and the ZDS Cup.

It also doesn’t record the decisions which were wrong were VAR arbitrarily decided not to intervene. Remember, it is meant to be for clear and obvious refereeing errors - yet it’s use us so obvious arbitrary.

Which fans were demanding it? I’ve never seen a fanzine, a supporter group, or anyone I know in the pub demanding it. Most were either causally indifferent or firmly against it. The only fuckers who ever pushed it in my experience were the Keys and Greys of the world - and the rest were tiresome angry Twitter cunts.

The funny thing is that they’re the only one of the three North East clubs which have played in the top flight and have not really seen proper international class footballers in their side. The Smoggies (Juninho, Ravanelli, Boksic etc etc) and us have had our fair share - but how many Sunderland players in most of our lifetimes were first choice for an international side of any repute? They’ve no idea what a top-rank player looks like unless they’re playing for the opposition. And they don’t watch anyone but SAFC and NUFC on a regular basis. Their jealousy and belief that they’re our equals means that they can’t allow themselves to believe that Isak or Bruno are top-notch players. Of course O’Nien would have Bruno on toast. Of course he would.

Owe these now. I remember what happened in 96 after a Wembley loss

Four Newcastle fans in that photo