The Ref Stop

East Lancs Road Derby

The Ref Stop
Ok i'll bite. Craig, that wasn't just poor, son, that was shocking.

KMIs for me that had a profound effect on the game:

No 2nd yellow for Rashford for at-least-reckless two footed studs up in the first half.

No straight red for Valencia Bruce Lee to the shoulder of Salah. Pawson's match control is creaking here.

Not giving the free kick against Felliaini on half way (Klopp fuming), then not giving the first Lovren YC slider moments later, then not YCing Lovren for the second similar slider moments later. At this point Pawson has lost match control.

Playing massively risky advantage on the edge of Liverpool's own area in injury time, then not booking Young at the next break in play.

Not giving the Felliaini on Mane penalty. Pawson totally bottles this one IMHO just like the earlier Felliaini challenge on half way. This should have led to the draw a rubbish game deserved.

Other:
...Mane was terrible throughout. He gave the ball away so much... His cross for the OG was so bad. I screamed at him before he burst into the box to be hacked down;)

... To get Luk vs Lov with no cover on Dave's long punts was either a masterstroke or a f***kng giant balls up. Probably both.

...I never got the for Robertson and TAA hype before this game. At least Gomez is out. He was a much bigger liability than Lovren earlier in the season. But these two will not win a major trophy (Traore!) and are well out of their depth. Klopp paying the price for not paying the price for a quality full back or two.

... Props to Bailly (and Jose for picking him) for the steel and pace to keep up with Mane... Matic was silky... but MotM surely to Young who still has a deadly Egyptian rattling around in his pocket. Obvs Rashford's first goal was great, and I don't blame TAA for that. I do blame CP for the result. Shocker unfortunately IMHO.
 
I will bite too. I thought he had a good game overall and was neutral and consistent, No way a pen to Liverpool, Rashford is not a second yellow and Valencia is reckless, not SFP. I would have liked stronger action re Klopp dancing down touchline but apart from that, I think the players behaved and this helped a referee who is not always convincing
 
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Only caught the first 30 mins as had to leave for my game. However, my parting words to the wife were Pawsons having a good game so far.
 
I watched the first half and was surprised Rashford was still on the pitch! Talk about tot up offences!!!
 
I will bite too. I thought he had a good game overall and was neutral and consistent, No way a pen to Liverpool, Rashford is not a second yellow and Valencia is reckless, not SFP. I would have liked stronger action re Klopp dancing down touchline but apart from that, I think the players behaved and this helped a referee who is not always convincing

Valencia i will give you. It is debatable. It does look dreadful on replay though.

The Rashford second yellow is an intrresting one. Was there contact or not? Does it matter? It was reckless (two footed straight legs)...

The pen is hard for CP to judge but VAR would give it. CP should have made some decision there. If he gives a foul to the defence I can rest easier. But no call reeks of "Trafford decision"!
 
The pen is hard for CP to judge but VAR would give it. CP should have made some decision there. If he gives a foul to the defence I can rest easier. But no call reeks of "Trafford decision"!

This is the kind of comment a TV pundit would say. The referee DID make a decision; no penalty!
You're right that it's a tough one to spot in real time but there are 3 options, penalty, free kick to defence or no foul. They're all a decision.
 
For me Rashford just got lucky, had that challenge make any kind of contact he'd have got a second caution. Same really for Valencia, he couldn't have argued had Pawson pulled a straight red but I would support a yellow there.

For the penalty appeals, the only one that I thought should have been given was the Fellaini challenge on Mane, but that was very difficult to call real time and took a few replays for me to say penalty. One that VAR will definitely help with.

I actually thought Klopp was going ballistic at Lovren rather than Pawson when he came charging down the line. Of course he still shouldn't be leaving the technical area, but that is what I think stopped him getting binned. Sanchez should definitely have had a caution for stopping a quick free kick, can't quite believe he got away with that.
 
The Mane penalty shout I'm not sure I would have given on first glance as I though Mane had simply run into the defender - but that's why I'm not refereeing in the PL, as on replay, Fellaini clearly changes the angle of his run to get in his way and so it should have been given.

I don't think MOTD showed any of the other incidents being discussed in this thread, which is interesting in itself. I've also seen talk online of a penalty appeal on Salah, where he apparently didn't go down and it would have been an easy one to give if he had. If referees want to stop players diving, they have to get into the habit of giving fouls (and PK's) when players are fouled but stay up, otherwise they've only got themselves to blame when players choose to go down.
 
The Mane penalty shout I'm not sure I would have given on first glance as I though Mane had simply run into the defender - but that's why I'm not refereeing in the PL, as on replay, Fellaini clearly changes the angle of his run to get in his way and so it should have been given.

I don't think MOTD showed any of the other incidents being discussed in this thread, which is interesting in itself. I've also seen talk online of a penalty appeal on Salah, where he apparently didn't go down and it would have been an easy one to give if he had. If referees want to stop players diving, they have to get into the habit of giving fouls (and PK's) when players are fouled but stay up, otherwise they've only got themselves to blame when players choose to go down.

There were 3 other penalty shouts. Bailly took out Milner trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick, as Chris Kamara said on Goals on Sunday this morning it would be a foul anywhere else on the pitch, but I thought it would have been an incredibly soft penalty. Milner just got up and walked off without any complaints.

Salah was slightly pulled back by Young as he ran into the area, he kind of had his arm on his shoulder. Again I think this would have been soft, and the replays showed that it was blindside of both Pawson and the assistant. Might well have been given as a penalty with VAR.

Other was was a potential handling offence by Valencia, but for me his arm was close to his body and for all he was around 10 yards away the ball was fired at him. Seen them given, but not intentional in my view.
 
I was willing Salah to go down on replay but fair play to him and Young.

The Sanchez delaying the restart I forgot about. This is also part of my rap sheet for CP in the second half. It screamed Trafford decision again.

I also disagree that CP made a "no penalty decision" for Felliaini on Mane. There was no gesture.

In the end, this is one of the hardest games to referee in worl football. Buenos Aires, Istanbul derbies are maybe a touch spicier.. But this is a hard game. So, I have sympathy and respect for CP. I just don't think he was up to it this time. There were clear errors.
 
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Salah was slightly pulled back by Young as he ran into the area, he kind of had his arm on his shoulder. Again I think this would have been soft, and the replays showed that it was blindside of both Pawson and the assistant. Might well have been given as a penalty with VAR.
Surely not, if as you say, he only "kind of had his arm on his shoulder", if in addition it "would have been soft" and if the criteria of only reviewing a decision when it is clearly wrong, were applied.
 
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