#540

this is probably the best angle for it

doesn’t look like he’s about to book him

#541

El Shitico morelike, eh lads!

5 Likes
#542

I’d be genuinely interested to see some sort of data backing this up and what constitutes being on the right end of decisions.

#543

By that, I mean it’s a common complaint from managers - not just Mourinho - about decisions always going against them… Would really like to see the numbers (as my boss would say).

#544

There isn’t any

#545

Offside goals being incorrectly awarded for, or ruled out for opponents, or red cards not being given for clearly dangerous fouls are the main ones Mourinho’s United particularly seem to benefit from regularly. Not sure van Gaal or Moyes sides did particularly.

I’ve seen stats that back this up, then counter evidence that says otherwise. Without going through every game it’s pretty hard to say. There are probably more interesting things to talk about, eh.

#546

Yeah, there probably are.

I just find it amusing when managers and fans get so hung up on things like this through purely anecdotal / biased opinion rather than any hard evidence.

1 Like
#547

There used to be quite a good site actually, but it closed. I think i’d sooner take the bad decisions than be obsessive to the point that you have to log and rewatch every decision.

It’d be a good idea, though, in theory anyway, if you could get ten neutral fans who each watch one PL game every weekend, to generate data over a season to see if these things really do ‘even themselves out’, particularly in terms of top v smaller sides, home v away decisions, ref v ref, etc.

1 Like
#548

yes, Fulham can secure a playoff spot tomorrow

#549

It’s a thing with a perception bias that is impossible to ignore from either side as well which makes it’s discussion all the more pointless. Genuinely think I could provide a counter example to every decision that’s gone our way this season.

The importance of the decision within the context of the game is the thing that distorts the issue the most though innit, it’s why people always go on about the big teams getting all the decisions because it has (historically at least with Utd) always been way more way more noticeable if a smaller team gets denied a pen or has a goal ruled out or whatever against them because it’s more likely to cost them a result, a big team getting an equivalent decision against them when they’re already two-nil up and cruising (CWBAFT) goes under the radar.

tl;dr, generally poor state of officiating

3 Likes
#550

Yeah, there used to be that thing that adjusted the league table for refereeing errors and it rarely, if ever, had any kind of definitive affect on anything iirc

#551

Would probably be a semi-interesting project. Could involve all of the major leagues, e.g. some English guys reviewing German games, Germans reviewing Spanish games, Spanish reviewing English games, etc.

Obviously up here in Scotland we all know and accept the SFA’s long-running institutional bias against Celtic and deal with it in our own way.

#552

Bias is the key thing, sure. All fans nowadays, particularly those who support the bigger top-flight clubs can’t see things objectively. A decision against their side is automatically a bad one. It’s a shame really. Long-term it makes debate about the quality of refereeing pretty pointless.

From my own point of view, i do think City have been very unlucky with decisions this season in big games, but in ‘lesser’ games we get the rub of the green, and overall we’ve had more than our fair share of decisions generally since we were able to start buying better, quicker, more skillful players.

1 Like
#553

Worst officiating of all the major European leagues?

  • Premiership
  • La Liga
  • Bundesliga
  • Serie A
  • Ligue 1
  • Eredivisie
  • Primeira Liga
  • Jupiler League

0 voters

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#554

I’d probably say that when it comes to international officiating, English referees are probably the poorest. Italians obviously the best, followed by the Spanish.

#555

Also, ultimately decisions might not even themselves out, but if top teams are playing to their potential it still shouldn’t be a determining factor. City aren’t functioning well in attack compared to recent seasons. Has they been, and had they not bodged their recruitment a bit they’d have beaten United last night, and Arsenal on Sunday, and away a few weeks ago, and Spurs and Everton at home.

It’s a similar story at other clubs. Barcelona are a good example. Their fans like to paint out that there’s some deeply political reason they’re on the end of bad decisions (and they definitely have been this season), but like City they’ve dropped points regularly in winnable games and have ended up with an unbalanced squad which is reliant on three or four key players and is otherwise full of massive holes. Refs aren’t the real reason they’re not going to win the league or European Cup.

1 Like
#556

Aye, when you get beyond “the ref had a poor game in this specific match and there was some potentially decisive bad decisions” and into “the refs have cost us all season” is when you lose any credibility innit.

1 Like
#557

It’s an impossible thing to really assess.

For instance, on Wednesday, the referee in the Palace v Tottenham game went into contortions to avoid sending Victor Wanyama off for a second yellow card. Tottenham kept eleven men on the pitch and hooked him off at half time. Going on to win the game in the second half.

That could have a direct bearing on the title race. Palace and indirectly Chelsea both have cause to be aggrieved. Is this refereeing bias? - no, is it poor decision making? Arguable.

#558
#559

I saw something incredible at work earlier, you lot are going to love it. Just a teaser though - gonna save it for the weekend thread though obvs.