The Kraken

Number of left backs in the England squad: 0 Number of centre backs in the England squad: 5, plus Harry Maguire too, so 5 1/2.

Lots to learn from other sports that are much clearer at using VAR. Rugby and cricket in particular are very clear about what has been given, what is being reviewed, and the audio of the discussion between ref and Video ref is made available. Having seen the transcript it’s no surprise this has happened, there’s just not enough clarity and like you say it all sounded hugely rushed. But it should be easy to put right as it was such a basic error.

Exactly this, I was struck with just how many voices there were during normal play, the ref is basically in constant dialogue with his linos (assistant refs) and the 4th official, plus VAR chips in when it seems appropriate. You’ve got the Lino and the ref having a chat about holding (both holding, let it go; yeah, letting it go), the other Lino chips into the goal decision (quite why, who knows?), then VAR says that there’s a possible offside review, then all he’ll breaks loose. Heres the full transcript. No fewer than seven different people all talking to arrive at this decision. Assistant Referee 1 (AR1): All good. Both holding. Both holding. Referee: Yeah, leave it alone. AR1: Waiting. Delaying, delaying. AR2: Give it. VAR: Possible offside - Diaz. Assistant referee 1: Coming back for the offside, mate. Assistant referee 2: Give it. VAR: Just checking the offside. Delay, delay. Give the kick point, let's go. Kick point, please? Referee: Yeah no worries, mate. Replay operator: So here we are. Referee: Wait OK. Replay operator: Just get a tight angle. VAR: Yeah, give me a 2D line ready after this one for frame two after that. Replay operator: So frame two there? VAR: That's fine. Perfect, yeah. 2D line on left boot. Replay operator: Let me just switch angles. VAR: Romero, I think it is? Replay operator: I think it might be this angle better? Happy with this angle? VAR: Yep. Replay operator: 2D line on the boot. Yep OK. VAR: And stop. Check complete, check complete. That's fine, perfect [showing Diaz is clearly onside]. Off. Referee: Cheers, mate. VAR: Thank you, mate. Referee: Well done, boys. Good process [game restarts with a free-kick]. Replay operator: Wait, wait, wait, wait. The on-field decision was offside. Are you happy with this? Assistant VAR: Yeah. Replay operator: Are you happy with this? Assistant VAR: Offside goal, yeah. That's wrong, Daz. VAR: What? Replay operator: On-field decision was offside. Are you happy with this image? Yeah - it's onside. The image that we gave them is onside. Assistant VAR: He's played him. He's gone offside. VAR: Oh [expletive]. Replay operative: Delay, delay. Oli [PGMOL Hub Ops] saying to delay. Oli's saying to delay. VAR: Pardon? Replay operator: Oli's calling in to say delay the game. The decision is onside. VAR: Can't do anything. Replay operator: Oli's saying to delay. Oli's saying to delay. VAR: Oli? Fourth official: Yeah. Replay operative: Delay the game, to delay the game. Stop the game. VAR: They've restarted the game. Can't do anything, can't do anything. Assistant VAR: Yeah, they've restarted. Yeah. VAR: Can't do anything. Assistant VAR: No. VAR: I can't do anything. I can't do anything [expletive].

Urgh, what a rotter of a finish to the night that was, I was there at the dell that night and everyone knew when it went in that we were done for at Oldham’s placcy pitch in the replay. Archers Road after the game was interesting.

I know you think video replays don’t count, the ref always has the best view, he made the right call etc etc and all that other waffle, but I’m surprised even someone as blinkered as you can’t see that this was a defensive error by Bednarek and a ckear penalty. He literally wrapped both arms around a striker who was running past him. I know you’ll disagree but I think that only goes to further show that you really don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to matters like this.

As I said, just commenting on the last half hour or so as that’s all I saw, it wasn’t a great watch! Sounds like the first bits were much better. In what I watched I was constantly struck by how much we gave the ball away for a so called possession based side, very sloppy stuff.

I only managed to catch the last half hour but, flipping eck, that was a hard watch. If that’s what we’re deeming the benefits of possession football then it’s not a great advert. Stoke looked like a poor championship team, we looked just a little bit above that. Clean sheet, what’s that?! Downes challenge looked just a bit of a coming together but Bednarek ffs what’s he thinking, both arms wrapped round the striker is a terrible look, very lucky to get away with that.

Unchanged lineup.

McMillan is and always has been a complete and utter weirdo. Alongside Chuckles Chorley and Illingsworth, these pricks have been obsessed with putting themselves in the Saints limelight for years. The other common denominator is that they’re all as thick as fuck.

In other a French football news……Lyon are bottom of the table, AMN made the bench but didn’t come on, DCC didn’t make the bench.

It’s always the same and it’s pretty understandable. After a win everyone has a contented glow and there’s not much over analysis needed, just a bit of “boys dun good, happy with that performance” etc. After a defeat, particularly a heavy defeat, there’s often a need to vent and then a bit more in depth as to what went wrong.

Maybe it’s not deleted and you just randomly moved it to the Lounge??

Is he available next Saturday? 1230 kickoff mind, so it’s an early start to get all 5 pints in. But surely doable.

We need an EGM fans forum when some old waffler can kick us off with “Oive been a season ticket holder man and boy for nigh on fifty years and I ain’t never seen anyfink loike it is now……”

Statistics don’t mean anything Barry, apparently. I’ve written scientific papers on it. Or something.

Yeah, that’s definitely about right. Makes perfect sense as usual 👍

If anyone thinks that they’re misguided. He was a big contributory factor but he was far from on his own. Same this season, he’s been disappointing yet again but just one of a too big number.

Fair play, you’re almost as good at providing straw man arguments as that Crap Wolf guy. Not quite, granted, but you’re getting there. When there are negative comments made about Bazun or quite frankly any other player, it doesn’t mean people think they are literally the only player at fault. It’s typically one of a number of players that contribute to our goals against. Nobody is saying it’s all Bazunu’s fault or that our defence/midfield/attack is otherwise ok. I feel I’ve wasted my time even pointing that out Ffs.

Tbf there’s not a lot of point in sacking him, Sports Republic will only go and find us someone worse.

Most interesting thing seen on that pitch for years.

🤣 Angry Chaz is my favourite one of the Wayman posting troup 👍

Agreed. By the end I got the feeling that his heart just wasn’t in it and he was only hanging on for the payoff. And why would he feel otherwise; as bad as his form had got he was forced over his last summer to employ a coach of the owner’s approval and seemed to be largely bypassed for what he wanted from the transfer window (“I’m totally confident we will get a striker”). Saying all that, he had been on a downward spiral for some time and didn’t look like being able to arrest it with the resources he had. The previous season had seen us finish with 9 defeats from 12 games, when Ralph was sacked we’d lost 8 from 14 and were in the relegation zone with a deeply unhappy squad who looked like they didn’t give a shit. What happened next was of course an even worse disaster, but that doesn’t change the notion that Ralph had run his race here.

💔 I bloody love all that stuff, have done since I was a kid.

The Merson analogy perhaps isn’t the best being as he was bang into booze and coke while he was still playing. Gascoigne the same. I get the sentiment but the nature of genuine addictions are that they are just deep down and always there.

I very much doubt it being as it’s closed for a massive refurb. Barca are playing at the old Olympic stadium this season.