Whitey Grandad

Both really. Bournemouth are not great defensively and he is a part of that. I saw them at home to Burnley and whilst he started off ok he was soon back in his usual routine.

The problem is that there is no communication and we just aren't told anything. They started to show a replay of the alleged handball last night and then cut it off.

He is getting tonked regularly at Bournemouth so I wouldn't raise your hopes.

Only losers don't care. Others try to chnage things and make a difference.

JB was cup tied.

You do know that he wasn't even on the bench? Or were you being ironic?

Ok. Made a couple of good saves at the feet of attackers and got nowhere near the penalties but you can't criticise him for that. Apart from that not really tested.

Like other he's been left out of the starting eleven for quite a few games so when he does get on the pitch there must be some tension there.

The ball was in McCarthy's hands a the time that the two players tapped each other. Then the referee decided to give a penalty but I never heard a whistle to stop play. If McCarthy had any sense he would have sent the ball downfield and got play going again but I suppose nobody ever though the referee would be so pathetic.

Yeah, but. It's not something that can be measured accurately. At what point is the ball kicked? When it is first touched or when it has left the boot? Is 50 frames per second fast enough to determine this? Then there are other subjective matters such as Salah's goal a few weeks ago.

Not enough threads.

You could say that about most of them.

“We” ? We weren’t allowed to take responsibility for our own health.

Well, yes I would. VAR is an abomination. Somebody’s pet project and they are desperately trying to make it work. Which it never will.

The commentators said that VAR was looking at offside first. It cannot have been a ‘clear and obvious error’ if the referee has to go and have a look at it in slow motion. It is a subjective decision and nobody but the referee should get involved. Their players were more concerned about a foul by McCarthy who made a good save. Nobody else anywhere in the ground thought it was worthy of a handball offence.

And Orsi was just as guilty.

“Is there any reason I can find for disallowing this goal?” Unless it’s one of the top six clubs of course.

Not until VAR stuck its nose in he wasn’t. The offside law when it was introduced was never intended to be forensically examined in this way. I want my football back. Let the game flow

Djenepo was well inside. I watched it a few times last night. Orsi had a flick at DCC who flicked back. Never, ever a penalty. Lyanco’s arm was in its natural position. He was stooping forward and missed the flight of the ball. Clumsy but not deliberate.

Not at all, you have got me completely wrong. This has nothing to do with Saints. I have been playing, refereeing and following football for some sixty years and in that time I have followed, if not actually supported’ several teams. It’s football that I love and not this bastardised version that television has created. Last night’s result is irrelevant to me. I went hoping to see a game of football but that wasn’t allowed for a variety of reasons.

He is literally playing in a different league.

I agree with you. It has ruined the game as an experience for me. It’s all because of TV and the money it has paid. They have bought the rights to view it and they want to control it. Football has sold its soul. It’s not just Saints for me. I love a good game of intense football where each side is free to have a go in whichever way suits their style best. I hate modern TV coverage with its endless meaningless replays of non incidents, mostly whilst the ball is in play. Shots from six different camera angles with slow motion shots of the player’s reaction. Meanwhile out on the pitch the game is going on. You can’t just concentrate on the game any more and get absorbed in its movement and passion. Why do we ever need shots of the crowd? Or the managers? It’s not just me. My grandson is twenty and I have been going with him to games since he was a young teenager. He said last night that he and his friends had been talking about the way that football has changed over the past few years and become less exciting. Maybe it’s time for us to change our interest to the lower leagues where they play ‘proper football’.

Who was in in the Man Utd game who juggled the ball three times in their penalty area?

We disagree. The ball hit Lyanco’s arm, not the other way round. It was clearly accidental, Lyanco could never do anything deliberately. Until a couple of years ago that would never have been given, and rightly so. If you really think that DCC ‘hit’ Orsi then we have a big problem. On the same point, what did you think of the forearm smash on Djenepo on 38:35 minutes?