Toon v Bin Dippers

Exactly. Utterly brainless.

 

I'm saying it was out of control and clumsy and a red, but that's not the same as purposefully setting out to rake his boot down the back of his calf.

 

I think it's a bad tackle, but not all bad tackles are reds. Before VAR nobody would've batted an eyelid that was a yellow - there'd have been some arguing a red, but it wasn't a stonewall.

That's why VAR is ruining it - football is meant to be subjective and is better when it is. Get rid for everything but did the ball go over the line. The rest is just rubbish.

 

Which is exactly what it looked like to me.

 

Well only he truly knows, but it didn't strike me as malicious intent, just a forwards crappy tackle.

 

Ahh yes, the days when all everyone wanted was a goal line decision mechanism. Now look.

 

He did sort of sprint over there though, like a player does when he’s determined to hurt someone. Maybe there’s some history there from when Gordon played for Everton? Spot of retribution maybe?

 

After the Lampard incident, I would totally agree, but the game now is so fast that linesmen and refs get a lot of offsides wrong. However for offsides it should be 'clear & obvious' not drawing lines proving a fingernail is affecting play.

 

I'm not sure someone sprinting to the ball is a sign of malicious intent. Besides Van Dyk puts his arm round him and pats him on the back on his way off, so clearly didn't take it too personally.

 

Interesting that Van Dijk apparently told Gordon that "it was a definite red but it's just one of those things, so forget it and move on."

 

I'd be more than happy to scrap VAR offsides - but you just know MOTD and Sky will go overboard to the Nth degree at the first high-profile 'missed' offside.

Then it will be 'we'd have won that if it wasn't for VAR' all over again.

 

That's my point - there's v v v few awful decisions today, just on the edges. Needs an 'umpires call' type to show that it's within tolerance/acceptable level.

In general, I want humans running it and they'll make mistakes. That's what makes it entertainment and not AI.

 

I think it’s just how Newcastle are especially at St James Park. They get after sides & play on the front foot with controlled aggression. I think he just misjudged it a bit