And so a whole new season of cheating gets underway

4 minutes into the opening game of the Prem season, Maguire concedes a throw-in to Robinson and as they both get up, Maguire picks the waiting ball off the cone and throws it away to stop him taking it quickly. Sigh.

 

And Amad doesn't get a yellow for his obvious dive.

 

I wonder if anyone's ever gone through the videos of matches and listed every time someone kicks the ball away, blocks a free kick from being taken, dives, or commits any of the other niggly bits of cheating that mar pretty much every game, certainly at this level. Maybe regularly publishing such analyses might encourage those who could so easily clean up the game to do so, because there seems to be little appetite for it at present. Or is it just accepted that this is now the game?

Fair play, as I typed that Maguire got booked for diving.

 

Maguire booked for diving trying to con a penalty.

 

Thats twice now, in the first 40 minutes, in the first half, in the first home game, against mighty Fulham, that Manchester United have tried to con and cheat their way to 2 penalties

 

The referees have the authority to punish cheating of any kind, so why don't they use it?

 

Its a disgusting "win at all costs, and cheat if you have to" mentality these days, especially in the Prem.
But do we blame the cheating cowards for trying it, or do we blame the officials for allowing them to get away with it ?.

 

Cheating players every time. I'd like to see a re-set where zero tolerance is the new normal. If that means a 7 v. 7 game for a time or two so be it. There would have to be cast-iron support for match officials. The message would soon sink home. Time to reclaim the game from the cheats.

 

They did in the first few games last season but it resulted in about 80% of the players on the pitch getting booked so they canned it iirc

 

If it were possible, I wish refs could be given the option of asking that a player be taken off/subbed.
That way after two bookings, the player goes off but the team still keep 11 on the pitch.
However, I'm sure that could lead to further arguments and complications.

 

Did they just stop or were they ordered by the FA or PL or ELF? If so why? Got at by the big clubs no doubt.

 

Brereton Diaz getting the Newcastle player sent off yesterday was disgraceful. Yes Schar was silly for putting his head on him with absolutely minimal contact but the reaction was ridiculous.

 

I can’t believe VAR didn’t overturn that. Seems a crazy decision especially against the home side.

 

Sick of seeing this holding the face and collapsing nonsense. Why on earth can’t any of the half dozen officials looking on make a proper decision for once instead of getting conned time after time.

 

About a minute (I think) into the game yesterday, one of their players stood on the ball and prevented us taking a quick free kick. Rather than booking him the referee stepped in and moved him back and told our players to calm down. They call it 'managing the game', I call it cheating. I really thought refs were going to take control again last season when they said doing that or kicking the ball away would be a booking. It lasted just a few games at best. Have they rescinded the rule or are refs just ignoring it?

Incidentally, did anyone see the incident in the second half yesterday when Marsh was fouled around the half-way line as we broke away? Our bench went crazy when the ref waved play on and were berating the ref and the linesman but the 4th official must've gestured or somehow communicated to the ref and he came back and gave it? Then their bench were at the 4th official - presumably telling him it's not his job? I've never seen the 4th official influence a decision so openly.

In general, thought the referee was poor yesterday. In particular I felt sorry for Cosgrove as their centre backs were all over him and he got very little from the ref and yet it seemed that 9/10 times he challenged he had a free kick given against him.

 

I reckon that diving and other forms of cheating are actually practised by the players during official training sessions and also encouraged by their "training" staff. Wánkers.

 

Also, I believe that Linos are ordered not to speak to Ref and present their opinion of events Especially when it clashes with the Ref's decision. Fúcking ridiculous.

 

As opposed to Rugby Union where the assistants draw the refs attention to things, plus the ref requests the assistants input on decisions. Seems to work well.

 

Everything about Rugby Union seems to work well from an officiating perspective.

 

It’s a game played by men, not cheating children