RateTheRef

Would be good if the emoji could be physically deactivated to avoid mistaken/inadvertant use.

Personally, I'd like the Old one to be banned as I'm feeling my age and no doubt TTFL will start calling me Grandad soon!

Quote from: Adam on Tue 02 Apr 2024 21:18

Quote from: Microscopist on Tue 02 Apr 2024 17:43

Quote from: dtrv2 on Mon 01 Apr 2024 00:06

I thought overall Taylor did well - in a game of this magnitude, you just don't want the referee to be blamed for a decision that changes a game, and he did well not to fall for some of the theatrics in the penalty area.

I do think we were lucky not to get a couple of players cautioned - Jesus early on a clear example, although you could equally make the case a City player slid in late on to deliberately stop a counter and wasn't booked too. Taylor clearly set out to not flash the cards, which he got away with because he is Anthony Taylor whose reputation and experience allows him to do that. I think bar Oliver, any other SG referee who tried this approach would have really struggled.

Very dull game, and a bit of an anti-climax, but I'll take the point! 

I agree with much of what you say, he was certainly consistent in not awarding yellow cards to both sides although (perhaps naturally) I thought there was only one candidate challenge for a yellow card by City against five for Arsenal. (The two yellow cards given were of players saying "please book me" in my view).  A foul count of 16 against Arsenal against 4 against City at the 70th minute is quite telling (evened up a bit later as City perhaps wearied of being kicked).  I will never understand the semi-amnesty against cards in the early stages of a game and Jesus on Bernardo was, to me a clear yellow card at any time in any game at any level. 

Surely the best management is to set the expectations early in the game and stick to them.

There was particular period of five minutes between the 50th and 55th minute where there were 4 fouls awarded against Arsenal.  Mostly there were of  the "professional foul" type intending to break up attacking moves.  But that only tells part of the story, between 51.45 and 51.50 there were three "never mind the ball, lets get on with the game" challenges for the first two "advantage" was played despite the ball being effectively a "hospital" pass to a City player who was clobbered as soon as the ball arrived.  Even after the third challenge no card appeared.  If the referee looks back on that few minutes he might well come out in a cold sweat thinking what could have happened if one of those challenges had resulted in serious injury or if City had retaliated in style when he would have almost certainly have lost control of the game.  City players deserve credit for not responding in type.

As I understand it the notion that a referee not issuing cards is to let the game flow.  In this case it has had the exact opposite effect allowing Arsenal to break up play with impunity and contributing to a "Very dull game"

Very good piece by you, Microscopist. I think it sums in up perfectly. I'm fascinated to here as part of the debate the views of those who disliked the post.