[theo_luddite]

Having seen it on ITV, absolutely. He was playing basketball.

[jjamez]

Or maybe the ref was just shite.

I think a lot of the rules over the last probably decade have changed numerous times, sometimes even back to what they were only to change again, others have had odd alterations, that refs nowadays haven't a clue what is or isn't a foul.

So many rules now have subsections, that I feel sorry for a ref having to remember them and then go through it all before making a decision.

What's wrong with, did it hit the hand or arm? If yes, was it in an unnatural position or move towards the ball? If yes, foul.

Offside, was the player behind the last man when the ball was kicked? If yes, offside. Get rid of the did it touch a defender bollocks. The interfering with play bit, did he move towards the ball or did he get out of the way of a shot whilst being close to the keeper. Nothing more needed.

For tackles, did the player get the ball first, if yes fair challenge. For headers did one player go for it and the other just arch a back and not challenge, if yes, the one who went for the ball was fouled

[Lord Snooty]

To be fair to the ref, he didn't give any of those soft fouls, where the player is slightly touched and falls over. He also didn't give many blatant fouls, but it was the same for both sides.

[theo_luddite]

Don't come on here talking common sense jjamez, you'll be getting an FA or FIFA ban. We'd pretty much made our minds up he was crap inside 15 minutes. 2 or 3 identical situations and a different decision every time.

To be fair, or not, we know they are all crap at our level down until they prove otherwise. There's a few doing Prima Donna League that lean on VAR more than they should too.

I still maintain it went downhill when 4th officials were appointed. Why a top ref is holding a sub board when he could be reffing a game makes no sense at all. A local or local County League ref could do that, but then the local Leagues would moan their best refs are holding the sub board.

If everyone around the dugouts could see that was a penalty yesterday then the 4th official must have seen it too. Was he allowed to tell the ref?

I'd rather they were than have VAR to be honest because those idiots pick and choose what incidents they want to look at or ignore. At the end of the day, they don't want their mates to look like dickheads I suppose.

[theo_luddite]

Net result for whatever it's worth is that the way it gets used means they all look like dickheads.

[theo_luddite]

We don't play Stoke until April. My word they've gone early with sacking Neil.

[Lord Snooty]

"You're just a shit Neil Warnock."