CARDS IN NEWCASTLE-LIVERPOOL ILLUSTRATE REFEREE CONFUSION
Another of my recurring themes - referee reform in the EPL! The cards received by Trent & Virgil demonstrate that game officials have tried to define the game to the nth degree, and all that is left is confusion and controversy.
1). TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD. Trent's foul on Anthony Gordon was a yellow. The problem was the previous yellow given minutes earlier. Why was the card issued in the first place? Apparently, it has something to do with referee's clamping down on time-wasting. Think about the incident. We were in the first few minutes of the game, which had begun briskly. Was TAA trying to slow the game down? Reading the body language, that's unlikely. Similarly, why would anyone be wasting time so early in a game? I couldn't see Jose Mourinho on either bench.
???TAA returned the ball in the direction of the throw. It wasn't a huge distance; the ball wasn't booted into the stands. He did look frustrated because he appeared to be fouled.
???From a refereeing perspective, if the ref had thought it was time-wasting or even dissent, wouldn't he have been better served to give a warning so early in the game? Warnings are issued for fouls, so why not for an innocuous incident like this? Then Alexander-Arnold commits an offence that is a yellow card. More ref perspective! The previous card was soft!! The referee had dug himself a hole.; he gave the cards the wrong way round. The result was controversy. If he hadn't brandished a yellow for the first incident, would the matter have been discussed post-match? I very much doubt it.
2). VIRGIL VAN DIJK. In the modern game, this could be a Red. But for what reason? Unfortunately, it's another illustration of how referees have over-analyzed situations. Watching the reply in slow motion, does VDD take the man or the ball? We have all seen enough of the game to sense when a player takes another out. Is this what happened here? Or, did Van Dijk take the ball and, as so often happens with a tackle, the man as well? The experts are always telling us it's a physical game. Over the decades, having watched the likes of Tommy Smith, Vinnie Jones, and Roy Keane, this wasn't an attempt to take the man out. I'm not 100% convinced it was a foul. It looked like a good tackle to me.
???That's my opinion, and I know I'ma Red. Others will see it differently. However, if the official sees the incident as a foul, that is his call, the one which counts. It also brings up another issue of denying a goal-scoring opportunity. The position of Isak on the field suggests he might have been through on goal. That denies a goal-scoring opportunity, so a Red card seems justified if he calls a foul. I'm not going to get into VAR involvement on this call. If the referee is mic'd a la Women's World Cup and Rugby, then we, the spectators and fans, get an explanation. It may not be universally agreed, but it's better than the present system, unquestionably.
???Football back in the day was played when players were not supposed to question the ref. That time has long gone; the word of the man in the middle is no longer sacrosanct. The refereeing fraternity is making numerous rule interpretations, and all they are doing is making life harder for themselves. TV and game technology intensify everything. It's time to adapt as other sports have and move with the times. Things weren't working well when Mike Dean revealed that he didn't make a call to protect his mate, the referee on the field. Referee reform, please!!
And in case anyone thinks I only see fault in the officials, players must also be held to account. Again, look to rugby:
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1). No surrounding the referee. It could be a situation where soft yellow cards might solve the problem in the long term.
2). Only the captain can approach the ref.
???My apologies for only highlighting the Liverpool game. I know there were several other incidents (as always!!) across most EPL games at the weekend.
???My verdict on the two controversial cards:
1). TRENT. The yellow cards were given the wrong way around.
2). VIRGIL. Possibly a foul in the modern game, BUT it's pretty soft overall. If the ref thinks it's a foul and VVD is the last defender, it is a red card. VAR involvement is an entirely separate issue. Don't get me going on "clear and obvious" vs. "the correct call".
CONCLUSION: Referees have to become answerable for their decisions. Mic them up and/or have them give post-game interviews. Overall, the refereeing situation would be helped if protocols for approaching the ref in the game were established and upheld.