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Conning the ref


I don't think football fans of a certain age ( let's say over 40) accept the dark arts but the younger generation will just see it as part of the game.

I'm sure the latest Xbox footy games will have a "dive" button.

It would be so easy to eradicate what with all the cameras and videos but the powers that be will not want to upset their future bread and butter.
Im not being funny, but I want our players to do what they can within reason to win the game. It's up to the referee to officiate if they do it within the rules.

How can you expect someone not to grapple at corners when everyone else is?
And there's the issue.

It's why the UK has a horrendous knife carrying problem amongst the young uns.
 
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Players are conditioned to cheat now. Just watch any throw in or corner decision. Even if it’s blatantly obvious to everyone in the ground which side’s player kicked the ball out of play, you can guarantee that almost as a default reaction both players will claim it’s their throw or corner.

Then the play acting or diving is farcical. Bruno Fernandes on Saturday gets brushed by the fingers of Angulo as he runs - in what other scenario does such a light contact cause a grown man to fall to the ground clutching his face! Same again in last nights playoff game when the Southampton keeper falls dramatically to the floor as if he’s been poleaxed after a light flick of a finger.
I would fully support a world in which the Southampton goalkeeper would receive a red card for his reaction last night.
 
They have got worse because on field referees are doing less and less refereeing. So teams are doing whatever they can get away with and as we've seen often VAR will get it wrong.

I'd love to see an on field referee call both captains over before a corner and make it clear he will blow if he sees holding. Give out a couple of yellow cards for persistent offences then it will soon stop. Players will instantly have more respect for the referee as well.

That side of refereeing has gone unfortunately. The ref in the Soton Boro game last night was prime example. He's usually a premier league referee and no longer knows how to manage a game when VAR is not there
I thought the ref in the boro match last night had an excellent game. One of the best I have seen this season.
 
I know the refereeing has been poor this season, but one thing that seems to be underemphasised is the rampant cheating that’s going on. It’s a hard enough job as it is, but when you throw in the cheating it’s hardly surprising standards are so poor. Seems like the football world is keen to bemoan refereeing standards and VAR, when if players just played like men and didn’t try and con the ref I’m sure standards would be a lot better.

Hardly a hot take but it does me head in how much we just accept the dark arts.
Careful now. I’ve been labelled the “lowest of the low” on here for empathising with refs in the past. Personally I would’ve put murderers, rapists and paedos lower, but apparently not.
 
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A massive problem now is players abusing the head injury laws.
Game not going your way and need to regroup? Go down clutching your head and the ref stops the game.
It's a disgusting exploitation of a well-intended law to protect the very idiots abusing it from debilitating, career ending consequences or even death.
What next - players pretending to go down with cardiac arrest to stop a game?

It's pretty sick how low people will stoop to cheat.

If you go down with a head injury, it should be mandatory to be subbed off and taken to hospital.
It's a misfortune, it shouldn't be an advantage.
 
Blaming the referee for failing to control 22 players trying their best to cheat is a secondary criticism. The primary criticism should aimed at the players, they’re the ones to blame for all the carrying-on which goes on during a game these days, it puts you off watching. Must be a nightmare being a referee.

Watching the Big Match Revisited on ITV at the minute and, even though the quality isn’t at the same level, it’s refreshing to see matches which basically are just games of football; no gamesmanship, no time-wasting and very little cheating.
Did you see the item about Monty on the news today... the General. He was at a Scotland v England game at Hampden, 130k crowd. The small clip of the game they showed, a player ran into the penalty area, waited for the tackle, then skipped before throwing himself to the turf. It looks like the cheating has been going on for centuries.
 
And too many blinkered fans, who are happy enough to see their own players cheat but up in arms when the opposition do it. You can’t be critical of others if you condone your own.
Yeah Reinaldo and Mukiele are two of our worst offenders
Not just us, the commentators and so called pundits too.
'buying a free kick', 'entitled to go down'.
What a load of shite, they're legitimising cheating.
I agree, seem to think if there’s contact players are entitled to go down -it supposed to be a contact sport😡
 
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The only people who can stop the cheating is the referees themselves.
Take a firm hand & play to the rules, the players would soon conform.
Foul language is a sending off offence - start with that one.
 
Im not being funny, but I want our players to do what they can within reason to win the game. It's up to the referee to officiate if they do it within the rules.

How can you expect someone not to grapple at corners when everyone else is?
I understand that players will grapple at corners. But I would make it a straight yellow if they grab the opposition at a corner without looking where the ball is.
I was always taught that you have to defend the ball not the player these players that only look at the player and block them push them or hold them are not playing the ball.
I’m not wanting to take the physicality out of the game you can still do that by attacking the ball.
 
I’ve seen players get fouled and carry on, unfortunately the ref generally waves play on. Therefore, the player squeals, goes down puts his face in the turf and waves his hand to beckon the physio, Doctor, Priest and undertaker. I’m sure clubs have a resident thespian on the staff. I’d like to see a player bite his knuckle after being fouled.
 
Im not being funny, but I want our players to do what they can within reason to win the game. It's up to the referee to officiate if they do it within the rules.

How can you expect someone not to grapple at corners when everyone else is?
Nar, totally disagree. Football is getting worse. Ridiculously unsporting behaviour is shit. Actively looking to get your opponents sent off should be red-carded and stamped out of the game. I don't like it when the keeper goes up to intimidate the penalty-taker etc and other shitty tactics like interrupting play at key moments. Just get on with the f***ing game and play like sportsmen.
 
I don't think football fans of a certain age ( let's say over 40) accept the dark arts but the younger generation will just see it as part of the game.

I'm sure the latest Xbox footy games will have a "dive" button.

It would be so easy to eradicate what with all the cameras and videos but the powers that be will not want to upset their future bread and butter.

And there's the issue.

It's why the UK has a horrendous knife carrying problem amongst the young uns.

They don't have a dive button in FIFA, but they did in other games 20 years ago, so by that criteria, it's got a lot better.

As for the knives stuff, just wow.
I understand that players will grapple at corners. But I would make it a straight yellow if they grab the opposition at a corner without looking where the ball is.
I was always taught that you have to defend the ball not the player these players that only look at the player and block them push them or hold them are not playing the ball.
I’m not wanting to take the physicality out of the game you can still do that by attacking the ball.

That's an officiating thing as opposed to a player though, give penalties and cards, it'll soon stop.
Nar, totally disagree. Football is getting worse. Ridiculously unsporting behaviour is shit. Actively looking to get your opponents sent off should be red-carded and stamped out of the game. I don't like it when the keeper goes up to intimidate the penalty-taker etc and other shitty tactics like interrupting play at key moments. Just get on with the f***ing game and play like sportsmen.

It's been said since time began. Players have a responsibility to win football games; officials have a responsibility to enforce the laws of the game.

I hate that penalty thing as well, as well as the time wasting they do, but I want my keeper doing it if it works.
 
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They don't have a dive button in FIFA, but they did in other games 20 years ago, so by that criteria, it's got a lot better.

As for the knives stuff, just wow.


That's an officiating thing as opposed to a player though, give penalties and cards, it'll soon stop.


It's been said since time began. Players have a responsibility to win football games; officials have a responsibility to enforce the laws of the game.

I hate that penalty thing as well, as well as the time wasting they do, but I want my keeper doing it if it works.
But their keeper will just do it to our keeper too. The best way is to just ban it. The moment the keeper approaches the taker, send him off. They will stop doing it if refs started doing that. There is no reason for a keeper to ever approach the taker so that rule can be as simple as that.
 
Im not being funny, but I want our players to do what they can within reason to win the game. It's up to the referee to officiate if they do it within the rules.

How can you expect someone not to grapple at corners when everyone else is?
^^^ someone that wouldn't walk after feathering an edge behind in village cricket.

Not to be trusted!
 
But their keeper will just do it to our keeper too. The best way is to just ban it. The moment the keeper approaches the taker, send him off. They will stop doing it if refs started doing that. There is no reason for a keeper to ever approach the taker so that rule can be as simple as that.

Im more than happy for it to be banned, but again, this is a ref issue, not a player.
^^^ someone that wouldn't walk after feathering an edge behind in village cricket.

Not to be trusted!

Slanderous ravings of a lunatic.
 
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