The Horrendous State of EPL Officiating

After Tiote's disallowed goal I feel now if as good a time as any to nag about the officiating in England this year. Has it really always been like this? I can't remember a season where if I watch any given match there's at least two blatantly wrong calls by either the linesmen (or the referee pressuring the linesman as we saw today) or whatever.

Tiote's non-goal: https://vine.co/v/hLapeD3ZZ1w

I think the fact that the FA doesn't seem to treat these occurrences as seriously as they are makes them that much more likely to happen. We need to see retroactive punishment for diving (not the issue at hand but still) and possibly some sort of instant replay. What do you guys think?

This was an interpretation of a rule.

The linesman, whose vision is narrow here, put up his flag because Gouffran was offside, that's a fact. The referee adjudged Gouffran to be interrupting play, either because he thought the ball deflected off him, or because he thought Gouffran's position influenced the goal.

Either way, not the most controversial call.We have gotten at least four or five worse calls in our favour this season alone.

Today may not have been it's brightest day...but the PL, as a general rule has the best ref's in the world, at least in my opinion.

Very easy to only point fingers at City which I made careful not to do, but there have been considerably vital calls your way.

But if you watch Tiote's goal again you'll notice that the linesman does not raise his flag until 10 seconds later when the referee runs over to him to have a word. Gouffran was close to him but he was at least a yard ahead of him, it seemed there was ample space for Hart to dive and attempt a save (although, c'mon, it's Hart, conceding wondergoals is just his thing).

Also, I think the ref realized he got it wrong because in the second half he was waaaaaay more lenient with Newcastle even letting Mbiwa get away with this criminal challenge on Nasri.

Should be a red and a ban imo: https://vine.co/v/hLWzU7P3elU

After seeing the video I'm not certain he got it wrong. 50/50 call, I can see the interpretation of the rule going either way. As much as I wanted City to drop points, this call could've gone either way.

I think the overall point stands though. There seem to be a lot of CLEAR decisions being made the wrong way; not really in favor of any one team, but it really would be nice to see them cut down on. I know it's a hard job, but I haven't seen officials in any sport get things this consistently wrong (at least 1 controversial decision in just about every game) since the replacement refs in the NFL.

That's exactly my point^

Wasn't fixating on this one incident, but the officiating this season has just been shocking and I wonder if it will be addressed and if so, how?

Yeah, it feels to me there have been more refereeing errors this season than usual. Personally I can't be bothered to get too worked up about them, because refereeing mistakes are always going to happen, even out in the long run and the referees are generally speaking doing a good job whilst getting very little to no thanks for it but constantly criticized.

If the standards wanted to be raised, I think money is the only answer. Pay referees more and you will get a bigger pool of people who want to become officials. The bigger the talent pool, the better individuals you will get, that's how it works in everything.

Le Samourai wrote:This was an interpretation of a rule.

The linesman, whose vision is narrow here, put up his flag because Gouffran was offside, that's a fact. The referee adjudged Gouffran to be interrupting play, either because he thought the ball deflected off him, or because he thought Gouffran's position influenced the goal.

Either way, not the most controversial call.We have gotten at least four or five worse calls in our favour this season alone.

Today may not have been it's brightest day...but the PL, as a general rule has the best ref's in the world, at least in my opinion.

How can it influence the goal when he's not obstructing Hart's line of view?

Part in bold, its the worst call i have seen in years your smoking something serious.

Anyway if the PL has the best refs that just shows how bad the rest of Europe is because the PL refs are shockingly bad.

FIFA Rule 8, section 2e: Every opposition player must be ruled offside against Man City at all times.

Also the only reason he disallowed it was because City players started complaining and got him to reverse the call....

Which makes it even worse.

What a sensationalistic title... and this is from someone hat routinely creates threads with sensationalistic titles.

Want to see horendous? There are many leagues in a much worse place than the EPL.

Yet another City hate thread. Keep it coming.

BarrileteCosmico wrote:What a sensationalistic title... and this is from someone hat routinely creates threads with sensationalistic titles.

Want to see horendous? There are many leagues in a much worse place than the EPL.

I have a flair for the dramatic. The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world (imo) and the most commercially successful so it's naturally going to garner the most attention to all aspects, specifically if the officiating is changing the course of the season through poor performances.

the xcx wrote:Yet another City hate thread. Keep it coming.

It's an objective title with an objective question but if you feel that way it just shows the guilt City fans feel about the calls going their way.   

Having watched MOTD, I think the true travesty wasn't the decision itself but the manner it was made. Gouffran was VERY close to the ball which makes it a 50/50 to me, but the fact that the linesman didn't give it and it took 10-15 seconds of Man City players for the ref to give the call makes it much, much worse. There's no way he could have seen something new in that timeframe to change his mind; instead, he showed that crowding the ref and shouting works if you're a club with enough financial influence (aka the league wants you to do well for financial purposes; this was NOT a bribing comment).

I don't understand how you can have a respect the refs campaign when things like this happen.

I have to say as an aside; it was clear the Newcastle players were frustrated about the call, understandably so. But they need to do a better job of keeping from playing frustrated. It looked as though they were looking for payback and stopped going for the ball as much... There were a few incidents within 10 minutes of the disallowed goal, and obviously the later Nasri issue. I don't think those happen without the call, but regardless of how frustrated you are you can't let it affect player's safety. Pardew was rightfully heated, but he also needs to set an example for his players.

Did he block Hart from getting the ball? No

Did he interfere with play? No

Was it a pass? No

Did the ball touch him? No

How the f*ck can that be offside? Don't see how anyone can justify the call

He's not interfering Hart's view..... it doesn't matter for f*ck if the ball ended up going through him.

Hart's view is not impeded by him.

I can't believe i have to explain this ffs

We were robbed end of.

Stupid call, should of been a goal. With that said, you weren't "robbed" no. You're lucky you didn't go down to 9 men ffs.

So what do you call an equalizing goal being chalked off due to referee stupidity?

There's a problem but what changes should be implemented?

stevieg8 wrote:Having watched MOTD, I think the true travesty wasn't the decision itself but the manner it was made.  Gouffran was VERY close to the ball which makes it a 50/50 to me, but the fact that the linesman didn't give it and it took 10-15 seconds of Man City players for the ref to give the call makes it much, much worse.  There's no way he could have seen something new in that timeframe to change his mind; instead, he showed that crowding the ref and shouting works if you're a club with enough financial influence (aka the league wants you to do well for financial purposes; this was NOT a bribing comment).

I don't understand how you can have a respect the refs campaign when things like this happen.

I have to say as an aside; it was clear the Newcastle players were frustrated about the call, understandably so.  But they need to do a better job of keeping from playing frustrated.  It looked as though they were looking for payback and stopped going for the ball as much...  There were a few incidents within 10 minutes of the disallowed goal, and obviously the later Nasri issue.  I don't think those happen without the call, but regardless of how frustrated you are you can't let it affect player's safety.  Pardew was rightfully heated, but he also needs to set an example for his players.

  

'It's not the decision itself but the manner in which it was taken.'

A lot of horrendous calls this season by the referees, majority of them going to Man City.
Nuff said,

Lex wrote:So what do you call an equalizing goal being chalked off due to referee stupidity?

Same thing happened when Liverpool scored against City at the Etihad. Just get on with the game ffs. Referees make mistakes. It's part of the game. The referee did not favour City in any way. If anything, he realised he made a bad call at half time and then bottled giving 2 red cards to two Newcastle players. Did he favour City then?

I think this isn't only limited to the PL - in the CL and BL there were quite some refs who collectively had tomatoes on their eyes, too.

Red Alert wrote:Stupid call, should of been a goal. With that said, you weren't "robbed" no. You're lucky you didn't go down to 9 men ffs.

If Newcastle score that, it's game on, they were playing with more energy and intensity than City from the outset and were creating a few chances. After the non-goal, they channeled that into anger and started letting that anger seep into their play and got more aggressive so that moment changed the game completely.

it is so everywhere

Serie A is even (much ) worse.

MJGunner wrote:

Red Alert wrote:Stupid call, should of been a goal. With that said, you weren't "robbed" no. You're lucky you didn't go down to 9 men ffs.

If Newcastle score that, it's game on, they were playing with more energy and intensity than City from the outset and were creating a few chances. After the non-goal, they channeled that into anger and started letting that anger seep into their play and got more aggressive so that moment changed the game completely.

They were not.

The game was even before that goal was scored, with City probably looking more likely to score the 2nd.

Newcastle only got into it after the goal was disallowed because their fans spurred them on. They only "dominated" the game because of the 12th man. Unfortunately for their fans, Newcastle aren't exactly great. They were playing like they were managed by Fat Sam ffs.