General Premier League Thread 2023-24 Mod Note in op 27/6/23 And 21/05/24

United's midfield looked even more porus than Liverpools' yesterday. Lads can just wander through both.

Edit...i should have read a few posts up!

Plenty of times VAR has not helped Utd

I've said it a thousand times. The technology works, the gobshites on the end of it don't.

Stone wall pen tonight by the way - just in case anyone thinks I am defending it

The pen wasn't given because it was the 88th minute or whatever, and it was one of those where it's easier not to make the decision, and just go with the on-field call, rather than change a decision that late where there could be arguments.

It's ludicrous, but I've seen it too often now in the PL.

Time of game makes a difference. They think if they just leave it, it'll be less of a talking point. And it never works out that way. You could see from the way VAR was rolling it back on screen that they were looking for a reason not to get the ref to go to the monitor - I'm pretty sure they decided the Wolves player headed the ball and 'had his chance' before the keeper clotheslined him, and keepers get extra protection for some mad reason, in those circumstances.

With the onana penalty I can only assume its a decision by the PL that keepers are allowed to clash with attackers if the ball is close. The Spurs keeper did pretty much the same thing on Saturday and no penalty was given. and there was no real comment about it. so I assume Onana is only being looked at cause he is the United keeper.

IMO it should be a penalty, but keepers are protected from fouls that any other player wouold be called for - they always have been. Hell, keepers get free kicks given to them when it should be penalties.

it seems as though English refs are so much more prone to going to the absolute letter of the law when making these on-field decisions than their European counterparts. they don't seem to have a 'feel' for the game and how it flows.

i think you're actually right. i think the ref has simply said Onana's action had no effect on the play because he headed the ball before the clatter. but if you've any feel for the game, you know Onana should really get the ball there, or else anything he does before or after in clattering him has to be a penalty.

But why is that decision so wrong (not just subjectively different) but the Spurs/Brentford penalty claim is absolutely fine?

Both cases the keeper goes for the ball, doesn't get it and collides with an oppenent, having no further impact on the play.

But apparently the United call is an absolute outrage and no one is talking about the Spurs one at all.

he took out a player in the box while not getting the ball. is that not obvious?

the natural extension of an argument that 'he collided with the guy who didn't get the ball' is you can do all the colliding you want on anyone if they're not getting the ball anyway, which is obviously ludicrous. and also, Kalajdzic, who he clattered, was literally right next to Dawson, who headed it, so we can't say he wasn't anywhere close to it.

i'm not even hating. i think Wolves mostly have themselves to blame as they missed one absolute sitter, and were in numerous other times, while Utd were clinical with their main chance. it's how it goes. Wolves should be spending this week annoyed with themselves, and getting better at the one thing they weren't good at last night.

but it's a penalty.