31 Aug 2024 14:55:24
Had chances to win it with 10 men but so did Brighton.
If refs had be told to tighten up on players kicking the ball away then Deckers deserved the second yellow, but how was the Brighton kid allowed to kick the ball halfway up the Cally and not even spoken to.
{Ed014's Note - that’s the annoying thing, in the same game, ref needs to up his game, poor poor decision after not carding Pedro in the first half.
They really never caused us any trouble prior to Declan getting sent off.
1.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 15:10:09
That was such a poor decision - why aren’t Referees interviewed after the game!
2.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 15:13:09
Thought that whole incident stank of the ref trying to be the main character of the game. What stuck out for me was
The ball was thrown forward so it shouldn't even be taken from where rice kicked it
The ball was moving and no players were up the pitch so why was he attempting to smash it up the pitch
Where's the consistency!?
Referees in our league honestly baffle me.
3.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 15:14:21
Also to add to my above comment. Why is it after the game we put both managers on the spot and players however not the referee. A simple why was that a second yellow and Pedro wasn't booked first half? Is it because the fa know they're rubbish at their jobs.
4.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 15:09:59
Spot on Ed mate.
{Ed014's Note - it was just ridiculous bill
5.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 20:09:33
Veltman was about to kick a moving ball. Rice needlessly kicks it away. Both players were acting stupidly. Why make it a game changing moment by sending the other off? It seems like the ref was just following a rule literally without considering the context.
It's fashionable to blame var but for a while now i've been of the opinion that the on-field referees are doing much worse.
{Ed014's Note - he needed to have booked Pedro in the first half to justify booking Rice.
6.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 20:24:09
Should have booked Partey for being a useless c%^$.
7.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 20:34:06
I agree Ice mate, Rice gave the ref a decision to make, and right or wrong the ref made the decision Rice alone gave him to make.
What's done is done and I'm sure Rice and hopefully all our player's will learn from it and move forward wiser and smarter because of what happened today.
8.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 20:55:01
That's a fair point Ed. Personally i just want the refs to see the big picture and make sensible rulings.
Who do you pick against Tottenham in midfield?
{Ed014's Note - totally agree Ice.
I’m thinking Calafiori at LB and Timber into midfield but I imagine Arteta will bring Jorginho in.
9.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 21:10:20
Rice should have been wiser G62. But we must also accept that nobody's perfect and sometimes you have to rely on other people being on top of things, be it your teammates or the referee.
I do feel quite strongly that the right thing to do would have been to penalise neither player and let the game continue as it was. Maybe some neutral fans would diagree.
10.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 21:30:49
I agree with that selection Ed. Calafiori feels like the perfect player for a derby and Timber seems like a player who can slot in pretty much anywhere.
I'd consider Jorginho over Partey to be honest but playing together i feel they would get overrun.
11.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 21:41:17
Hi Ice, ultimately the only thing any of us have any real control over is our own actions and choices, Rice is only human and today he made a poor choice, if he does kick the ball he isn't sent off and this thread doesn't exist. Rice has absolutely no control over the refs choices and decisions only hid own.
12.) 31 Aug 2024
31 Aug 2024 23:27:32
If iat anytime in my life someone kicks a ball at me I’m probably going to give it a little tap. Are professional players really expected to ignore the ball as soon as the ref blows his whistle?! I understand a yellow for clear and obvious time wasting but Rice’s 2nd yellow today was beyond ridiculous- it’s honestly one of the worst decisions I’ve ever seen in football. There’s so many things wrong with it- the ball was kicked at him, Rice only tapped it 30cm, the Brighton player then leathered him. Also the ref should use his tiny brain to understand that a yellow card would end up in a sending off which is a HUGE thing in a football match
As much as I hate VAR it should probably be used on 2nd yellow cards and hopefully a bit common sense used by someone.
The standard of refs so far after 4 games has been awful.
13.) 01 Sep 2024
01 Sep 2024 07:48:26
I looked again at the incidents, and imo Felix was a yellow but I still don't think Deckers was a yellow, its an embarrassing moment from the ref.
Getting back to tactics, play Sterling No9 and bring Kai back to midfield.
14.) 01 Sep 2024
01 Sep 2024 21:02:25
Please don’t put Kai in midfield
I love Rice but he was humanly stupid. Opponent knew what he was doing, ref was poor but Rice was stupid and will learn. Rush of blood that was costly. His first yellow was stupid too.
I don’t pretend to know the answer but surely it’s not Kai in midfield. He’s a hot head and will get sent off in NLD.
That leaves Jorginho and Partey to form the slowest CM in our history since Jenson played. Is Timber a CM? Risk testing him in his first derby. The young Italian? Feels risky also. Esp with Gabs not quite at races yet at CB. Perhaps Zin?
Not a great problem to have as the core will be weak in a big derby….
15.) 02 Sep 2024
02 Sep 2024 03:16:07
Chelsea fan coming in peace… Slightly behind the times but only just had the chance to catch up on the weekend action. I think the state of the officiating in the English game is absolutely atrocious all round - for all teams. But I don’t think that makes it acceptable. I understand the rule of a yellow for stopping a quick free quick, but I think sometimes common sense needs to be used. The brighton player did that to get Rice sent off, he had no target for a pass, just a simple deliberate ploy to bend the rules for his teams benefit, and unfortunately you see it all the time. The ball was even moving when he kicked it so hitting Rice should have been irrelevant anyway.
Just my take on an (in my opinion) absolutely diabolical decision which completely changed the direction of the game. It’s very poor from a neutral perspective when you see a game flipped on it’s head due to the irrational decisions of someone who’s supposed to be there to uphold integrity.
16.) 02 Sep 2024
02 Sep 2024 18:02:14
Thanks Cech, nice to have a neutral observer's view.