Your team v Bournemouth

[JockStrap]

Okay, listen in conspiracy clowns. Here's the skinny for the Bournemouth game! There's this whacked-out theory floating around the netherworld that LFC's bad luck on the field is all because of a haunted referee's whistle. They say this spectral ref is blowing fouls from the great beyond, and if the players don't do the Cha Cha Slide every time they hear it, their goals get sent straight to the ghostly penalty box. It's like a paranormal penalty shootout, man! Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse. Gotta dance your way to victory, clowns!

[BOBPAISLEYFAN]

That’s a perfectly rational and well thought out response. With one exception. Fans and clubs complaining about refs is as old as football itself. Yet these clowns think they have uncovered a conspiracy to prevent us from winning the league. It’s the most laughable nonsense you will ever read.

That’s why they are and shall remain conspiracy clowns.

I think Referees learn very quickly during their formative years to become accustomed to the questionable behaviour of Fans and Clubs alike, so I dont think that has any bearing tbh..

However, at the highest level when so much is at stake, it’s understandable that the level of abuse received from players and Managers alike goes to a whole new level and lets be honest you would have to be a very strong character to not be affected by it and it is perfectly understandable if one or two struggle with it.

The fact that one or two Referees will always get the biggest games, the pressure on them increases accordingly and so it only takes one Referee to consistently make a couple of perceived errors in several important games, for the players and managers alike to then fall foul of the same unconscious bias towards that particular Referee…

And then the fun really starts….

[JockStrap]

I think Referees learn very quickly during their formative years to become accustomed to the questionable behaviour of Fans and Clubs alike, so I dont think that has any bearing tbh..

However, at the highest level when so much is at stake, it’s understandable that the level of abuse received from players and Managers alike goes to a whole new level and lets be honest you would have to be a very strong character to not be affected by it and it is perfectly understandable if one or two struggle with it.

The fact that one or two Referees will always get the biggest games, the pressure on them increases accordingly and so it only takes one Referee to consistently make a couple of perceived errors in several important games, for the players and managers alike to then fall foul of the same unconscious bias towards that particular Referee…

And then the fun really starts….

Why do you think that? In what other sport is it acceptable? You’re falling in to the trap of trying to justify something that should be frowned upon.

Regardless, we could end this conspiracy nonsense if fans just accepted that refs are human and therefore prone to making errors. But someone has to be the fall guy for everybody else’s failure and so on it goes. Connecting random dots in your head to see things that don’t exist.

[justme]

oops

[justme]

Love this Bing create

[BOBPAISLEYFAN]

Why do you think that? In what other sport is it acceptable? You’re falling in to the trap of trying to justify something that should be frowned upon.

Regardless, we could end this conspiracy nonsense if fans just accepted that refs are human and therefore prone to making errors. But someone has to be the fall guy for everybody else’s failure and so on it goes. Connecting random dots in your head to see things that don’t exist.

Seriously….

At no point did I say that I personally condone such behaviour, but I was just stating a simple fact, that the more there is at stake the more players, managers and the media react… it’s not right but when people are so invested and emotional it’s completely understandable …

Hey ho, we all view life through a different prism and we will never agree on everything …

[CCTV]

Why do you think that? In what other sport is it acceptable? You’re falling in to the trap of trying to justify something that should be frowned upon.

Regardless, we could end this conspiracy nonsense if fans just accepted that refs are human and therefore prone to making errors. But someone has to be the fall guy for everybody else’s failure and so on it goes. Connecting random dots in your head to see things that don’t exist.

VAR in rugby is open to the public, communications, video being watched & adjudicated upon.
It's an open process and there are few complaints.
The ref communicates what he wants checked, his initial impressions and there is phrasing to the questions that make sense.

Var in football is another story. Leaves a huge scope for corruption and with its processes hidden away the officiating won't improve.

[BOBPAISLEYFAN]

I know you are being extremely facetious and that we both know any League will likely have ups and downs, but given that we have a 2-point lead at present, we "only" need to get a draw against Man City at Anfield and match them each week before/after that fixture and we would win the League by 2 points.

Never going to transpire like that of course and I am nitpicking a tad needlessly as a result, but still.

Both sides have won 13 of 20 League games - the difference so far is that they have lost three times to our once.

The big challenge is the wins - if they win (let's say) 13 of the remaining 18 games, are we going to match that?

Most of their fixtures in the run-up to our clash at Anfield, rather annoyingly, appear quite easy on paper. Would love them to fluff a match soon where we win to give us a 5-point cushion to work with, given that they have clawed back substantial leads before - being 2 points ahead just isn't enough.

I was being ironic rather than facetious, but yes there are going to be so many twists and turns between now and the end of the season, with the season only half way through its way too early to predict how things will eventually pan out.

However, although it’s unlikely given the transition stage of our teams development, it would be great if we could actually manage to do to Man City what they have repeatedly done to us over the past few years and just keep our noses in front of them right to the very end.

So to me beating City at Anfield, to give us some wiggle room, is an absolute must, and if we can’t do that how can we genuinely expect others to bloody their nose..

We have to play our part in breaking this cycle, because at the moment every man and his dog including the media are understandably convinced that City will do what City always do…. Win !!

This invincible reputation tag..has to be put to bed, too many teams have lost before they even kick off against City, we enjoyed a similar reputation in the 70’s and 80’s so I get it, but some teams just need to man up…

It starts with Bournemouth, no excuses we are better than them so just be clinical and dont give them an inch…

[JockStrap]

Seriously….

At no point did I say that I personally condone such behaviour, but I was just stating a simple fact, that the more there is at stake the more players, managers and the media react… it’s not right but when people are so invested and emotional it’s completely understandable …

Hey ho, we all view life through a different prism and we will never agree on everything …

I know you weren't condoning it. The arguments you put forward were 100% correct. The "your" in my last post wasn't directed at you personally.

[JockStrap]

VAR in rugby is open to the public, communications, video being watched & adjudicated upon.
It's an open process and there are few complaints.
The ref communicates what he wants checked, his initial impressions and there is phrasing to the questions that make sense.

Var in football is another story. Leaves a huge scope for corruption and with its processes hidden away the officiating won't improve.

It looks like your mind is already made up. Knowing some history might help.

The reason open mics work in Rugby and other sports is because players are sportsmen/women and respect the referee.

There was an experiment done in 1989 for Arsenal vs Millwall where the ref was mic'd up for the game. That's long before VAR kiddies. It was a disaster and has never happened again.

They destroyed the opportunity for people to have a really good behind the scenes look at refereeing.

https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/remembering-when-david-elleray-was-micd-up-for-millwall-vs-arsenal