The fact there have been no posts during the game validates this, but Michael Oliver was excellent. Had to deal with a difficult situation before a ball was even kicked after Man City fans chanted through the planned minute's silence for Hillsborough, disgusting behaviour and he rightly decided to cut it short. Fernandinho can count himself lucky as his lunge could easily have been red, but I don't think yellow was incorrect. Other than that there weren't really any talking points.
Man City vs Liverpool - FA Cup semi-final - Michael Oliver
- Thread starter RustyRef
- Start date
santa sangria
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The Fernandinho is the talking point.
It seemed like a ”TV money” decision. Even though the contact was not with the foot, force, point of contact, lack of control, likelihood of playing the ball - all lights are on for an easy red card.
i understand the context and the need to keep televised matches competitive. I just hope grassroots footballers understand this is red tomorrow morning.
As well as VAR, this “keep it 11 v 11” highlights that football officiating is less and less universal.
I wonder how it will go in Qatar.
It seemed like a ”TV money” decision. Even though the contact was not with the foot, force, point of contact, lack of control, likelihood of playing the ball - all lights are on for an easy red card.
i understand the context and the need to keep televised matches competitive. I just hope grassroots footballers understand this is red tomorrow morning.
As well as VAR, this “keep it 11 v 11” highlights that football officiating is less and less universal.
I wonder how it will go in Qatar.
RefIADad
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Was the Fernandinho play the one that looked like some knee to knee contact? I remember watching that one and thinking it could be a red at grassroots, but wouldn’t be in this game.
Oliver just seems to have a lot of trust and respect of the players, so he can get away with a lower card threshold while others can’t so much.
No, he came flying in at very high speed like a missile. Luckily for him he had landed just before he caught the opponent, if he'd hit him full speed it would have been one of the easiest red cards ever.
Anubis
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Never saw the game, will see highlights later, but pleased if Oliver did well
Get the feeling FIFA rate Taylor that fingernail higher, am the other way, Oliver shades it,
Or that might just be because Taylor is older.
Def think either of them be on Champ League final duty, subject to english team of course, and both should have a lengthy stay in Qatar
Get the feeling FIFA rate Taylor that fingernail higher, am the other way, Oliver shades it,
Or that might just be because Taylor is older.
Def think either of them be on Champ League final duty, subject to english team of course, and both should have a lengthy stay in Qatar
Bad time to be an English elite referee as Man City and Liverpool are likely to dominate European football for the next few years. I'd say the chances of an English officiating team being on the ECL final are pretty much non-existant, Makkelle wil get it.
Maybe it will make the eventual CL final a little more tasty. Not as many people talking about them being overly friendly today.
I thought one of Fernandinho's first two fouls should have been a caution, and that the caution he did get should have been a red. Other than that, as calm and composed as always.
Gabriel Jesus managed to con him into cautioning Fabinho, but that's more of a reflection on GJ than MO.
Gabriel Jesus managed to con him into cautioning Fabinho, but that's more of a reflection on GJ than MO.
Everything I've seen is that Oliver will never get to Qatar. Similar to Clatts against Webb.
RefIADad
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Which is really a shame. I get World Cup referees need to represent all confederations, but a referee of Oliver’s quality needs to be at Qatar. To see some of the referees who clearly are only there because a confederation gets a certain number of slots (and as we know, CONCACAF has had more than a few of those) while a world-class referee sits at home is not right.
Anubis
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tbc...he made that debrief a few weeks ago, I think given Scotland cant have anyone there, it leaves England with the two refs
deusex
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The fact that Oliver did his usual "letting anything go for the first XX minutes before switching the card machine on at a random minute of his choosing" isn't worth commenting on anymore isn't a good thing.
Fernandinho committed TWO clear cautionable offences without action early in the game. Super ref let it go. Said player then gets ANOTHER opportunity to break up an attack later on with another poor tackle. This is not good refereeing.
Anubis
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you are free to rate him anywhere in the worlds top ten.