Costly Palace draw – Calvert-Lewin red card, McNeil seriously injured

Hosts Crystal Palace are ditching their regular blue and red halved home jerseys this evening to wear a one-off fourth kit which has been produced as a fundraiser for the club's foundation. It's predominantly blue but with a red and white sash.

Calvert-Lewin up top.

Is Pickford carrying a slight knock, or has Virgina been promised some cup matches? It's a big night for the lad, hoping he has a great game. COYBLUES!

Danjuma to score.

Every chance of a win I fancy.

Oh well. Let's see how we get on.

That is how I wanted us to line up against Wolves. We'll see how it fares today.

Un-fucking-believable.

Farcical decision, just anti-competitive in a contact sport and not at all in line with the nature of the game.

Please note, this is another terrible decision following a VAR review (supposedly to overturn clear and obvious mistakes only). The refs are the ones who are biased / incompetent.

So much previous against us... Inept? Corrupt?

He's sliding in to control the ball with his instep. The opponent moves away and the studs knick him.

Bit by bit, they're ruining this game.

And another game for an even smaller squad now.

Putting a first eleven out for a cup we're never gonna win, if you have an iota of reality in you, has just made our Premier League survival even more difficult.

Cracking tackle – the ref never even give a yellow then when the VAR interfered, he shit himself, a total fucking coward!!?

Sending off was an absolute disgrace, never a red.

Rotten luck and rotten officiating. Can't be legislated for. But in hindsight, perhaps a good match for Dobbin and Co.

I really don't think it's excessive to say that PGMOL need to come out and apologise to Everton and Calvert-Lewin tomorrow and admit that the decision to send him off was just plain wrong. If not, then we're across the Rubicon and no mistake.

As for the red card, well, strictly speaking it's the letter of the law, but come on, how many fans at the ground or watching on telly, thought it was even a foul at the time it happened? Strictly Come Dancing has more integrity than modern-day football, and there's more contact allowed in Strictly than in today's game.

Won't be going to the replay, and spending any more time or money watching farcical football where managers don't allow their players to express themselves and officials are all too ready to impose their ideas – whatever they may be on any given day – on those of us who enjoy the game, regardless of results.

We're in the hat, but I've never been so unimpressed with a cup-tie for many a long year, especially since we put out the strongest side available to us.

I have the utmost contempt now for these referees.

The law says "excessive force". Tiny little touch. Cheapest red card ever.

This VAR shite is killing the game. End it now!

And then find 500 examples where var didn't intervene and penalise with a red.

Corrupt, corrupt, corrupt.

The red card was beyond the pale, Hughes put in a worse tackle afterwards and didn't even get a yellow! Fuck the useless officials (both on field and VAR), and fuck Crystal Palace. We'll stuff them in the replay.

Hope Dwight's injury isn't too bad, that's the last thing we need.

As an aside, did anyone notice a section or 2 of empty seats in the lower level? TV panned over it briefly at one point. Can anyone who was there confirm?

Shit house officials, VAR, FA and the EPL.

No conmon sense, no emotional intelligence, and so football is being destroyed. Everton must seriously lodge a complaint to the PGMOL.

No surrender and fight them, all the way.

DCL, is not a dirty player, Clyne,the shit house Ex RS, rolled about 6 yards.

Are Stockley Park, on this planet, and if so what fekkn orbit are they in?

Hopefully Everton, can use another insta ce of false justice, to drive on, in adversity.

Losing Dwight McNeil is a major blow Looks like imo, a jarred ankle or knee, worst cast a break.

Time to fight on and believe.
UTFTs!

I totally agree about Hughes, never got near the ball and stamped on Onana's ankle. Also if you compare the penalty to the one Man City got at Man Utd, this challenge was way worse.

I thought that Harrison missed the best chance with his effort towards the end of the match.

The tragedy is McNeil's injury.

(I am, of course, referring to Calvert-Lewin and not your comments about McNeil.)

What will it take for the authorities to overhaul this ridiculous system? The VAR needs to be completely rethought.

Incredibly bad decisions that are beyond incompetence. Close to being done watching this game. How much more punishment can one fanbase take?

I hope we appeal this decision but, if it sticks, is any suspension just for FA Cup matches?

It is reported that Hughes actually said ‘Studs' to Calvert-Lewin; surely then even studs-up challenges that don't make any contact must also be punished with a red?

Rugby has cracked down specifically on challenges that could, even accidentally, impact the head. You can see the reasons for the way that refereeing has gone. Football is just floundering around inventing non-sensical rules that will not do a jot for player safety.

Thought we did generally okay apart from lack of real quality in final third.

Andersen got on-screen MotM for defence / distribution. Could just as easily have been Jarrad Branthwaite.

Your studs can come up. They have to otherwise we'd be playing Subbuteo.

The challenges they were trying to fix were the straight-on challenges where, rather than pull out or risk themselves, players risked their opponent by going in with a straight leg and sole of the foot. Somehow that's been turned into a set of rules that have no relation to the game.

I'd suggest that upholding that ban will create a rod for their own back. But we know that the interpretation will just reset next week and this incident will be forgotten.

At some point, clubs and supporters have to unite against this crap. And that's why I was so disappointed that the Liverpool VAR incident was greeted by mockery of them rather than global condemnation.

That was a pivotal moment that finally proved that the right decision was far from the priority and they were prepared to collude to cover their backs. It should have been a pivotal moment – but fans and clubs were just happy it wasn't them and laughed it off.

The consequence of the latter is that tackling will be prohibited in future but diving for penalties wearing a red shirt will be encouraged and ultimately may become an Olympic sport.

Can't bring myself to comment on the red, except to say Pawson has made the two worst decisions we've had this season. Thought we were the better team, but still not too many clear chances created.

Aside from the psychological damage of playing a B-team and having a fifth straight loss, I hate the idea of not competing even if the cup is a long shot.

If you take that view, then you may as well rest all the first-team players when we play the Sky Six. Wrap them in cotton wool and just have them play the easiest 12 games of the season so we eke out 37 points and survive. Where is the joy in that?

Total farce, the referees are so influenced by the VAR, they're afraid to stick to their decision, no bottle.

McNeil has played 6 hours of football in the past 12 days. Dyche should do a better job of protecting one of his best players.

Then that centre-half grabs Beto around the waist, looking for all the world like he wants to bonk him! Twice he grabbed hold of him in the area!! Why no Penalty??

Is there any news on McNeil? It looked bad with them calling for a stretcher.

Shame, but we missed two sitters near the end.

These decisions are worse than before the VAR. The ref on the field using his experience and instincts is better, even if marginally, than a remote person sitting in front of a screen a hundred miles away.

The sooner the VAR is booted out for subjective decisions, the better. At the moment it is at best failing, and at worse a tool of corruption.

The greed of the FA and EPL, both green eyed monsters is easy now for tge world to see.

I wish the EPL clubs would go on strike, until var and the synthetic shit rules are scrapped.

The game is a lottery, and if they don't see the impact, then they will sew their own demise.

UTFTs!

We're going to need it.

DCL studs up nowhere near the man = off. Not a chance of Nunez going for the same offence.

Anderson holding Beto in the box for quite a long time = no penalty.

You can hear Ray Houghton or some other sycophant saying: "you just can't do that in the box these days" if it were Liverpool while all the commentators nod in unison as Salah prepares to take his 100th penalty of the bloody season.

Everton statement should denounce the officials and call an inquiry into our treatment.

It would have been a soft penalty, but there was holding as much as the one that was given for a spurs player holding an opponents shirt.

10 seconds it took for var to check and clear the penalty appeal, 10 bloody seconds.

In hindsight, resting key plays would have been the right thing to do. The odds are stacked against us winning this, and our position in the league is at serious risk.

But you're right; putting kids out to get battered wouldn't help.

No one's to blame, it is what it is when it comes to the McNeil injury. Rubbish luck.

The VAR controversy though, that's another matter. I'm with other posters - appeal and make them justify their ludicrous decision. The sooner it's gone from the game altogether, the better.

When it comes to all technology, if it can't be implemented at the foot of the football league then it's shouldn't be part of the game. Simple as that.

We have to appeal the red card. We all know the game is being reffed very differently at prem level than any other level. It benefits the TV and the talking heads but is killing the game for the fans. You wil not see that decision in any other league in Britain.

This week it was cavanagh on field and pawson off it. Next week it will be pawson on field and cavanagh off field, making each other and the game look terrible. At no level is that decision good for the game, similar to the Jota pen the other night, there is no positive to take from decisions like that, they are bad at every level and are bad for the game.

At no point did McNeil look like getting to his feet. From the limited TV footage it looked like an ankle injury. We really need him back.

Hard to pick a motm as all of the team put a shift in but Coleman gets my vote.

We also have to consider if a similar tackle to Dominic's occurred at a lower level club without VAR for example at Gillingham v Sheffield United, no red card would have been given. That can't be right can it?

Brian @69

If the player held Beto like that in the centre-circle the official would give a free-kick, ergo it happens in the box - it's a penalty, there's no such thing as a 'soft' penalty if it's a foul in the area it's a pen.

What’s the point anymore?

Danjuma playing in a two-forward attack did create chances. He will now get more game time. Beto will as well and he is better on the ground than Calvert-Lewin. Good to see Seamus back.

It's got worse every season. We now go into each game expecting what minute the referee/VAR will shaft us.

Mind you, VAR could find some kind of infringement in pretty much every coming together.

It comes down to where you draw the line. The rulemakers have drawn it at "clear and obvious error". In the Beto incident they would have decided that the referee saw it and considered it to be 'six of one...'.

But they change their minds on that as they see fit. The referee saw every bit of DCL's challenge. He saw every bit of the hold on Beto.

Why one and not the other? And that's why this doesn't work. They're trying to make objective decisions on review and that doesn't work in football as most decisions beyond a straight offside and ball over the line are subjective. But what's even worse is that they are subjective about what they'll objectively review. So it's not even objective. It's a mess.

I guarantee that, right now, they're reviewing the performance of VAR tonight and concluding that the process was perfect. Not the decisions, not the outcomes, not the impact on fans or teams, but the process. And that will pass the test. Congratulations all round.

What does need to happen is that the clubs should call an emergency meeting and hammer out some proper changes in the way that the game is officiated, unfortunately those that benefit from VAR the most are the ones who won't see VAR or weak officiating as an issue. Remember it was the likes of Arsenal, Spurs, United, Liverpool et al who wanted to have PSR implemented as soon as they thought that rich investors might upend their cartel.

He was ranting about VAR last week. This week he had a chance to show that he was against poor decisions, not just decisions against his team.

He didn't take that chance. He complimented the referee on his performance. And he is about the most respectable manager there is.

You're right that there is no chance teams unite against this. They're too busy trying to influence the system in their own favour.

I don't understand your point about DCL and lower league tackle? Can you explain that please.

If their striker had done exactly the same as DCL I wouldn't be calling for a foul or card as it wasn't.

I didn't see a foul on clynn or Beto.

We got done at Millwall when there was no var involved, even though it was on their big screen, for the ref to spot his mistake.

Ed (60) - I'm not sure but I think McNeil injured himself while hurdling another player, potentially on landing. It's just dumb luck; I don't think it is a muscle injury caused by fatigue.

Christine (67) - Yes! There wasn't really even a tackle being made! DCL was collecting the ball with a slide when Clyne just managed to nick the ball ahead of him and DCL managed to block it. Make your way to Stockley Park right now; you are hired.

Thanks for the reply, I get your point.

The officials had an opportunity to use technology for the better of the game and have chosen to destroy it. The game is fast becoming a non contact sport run by bureaucrats.

It's not just football that is suffering. American football and rugby games that I have watch have also complained about the misuse of technology.

I think technology has improved the experience of watching cricket but can't think of anymore sports.

It’s definitely bias, unconscious or otherwise; we’re low hanging fruit and referees don’t have to be careful in their decision making against teams like us. If this series of shocking decisions went against Liverpool, Klopp would be all over them, it would be in the news for weeks and that’s why the Sky favourites get so many favourable decisions and so few bad ones.

Think the refs get too excited about studs up. There wasn't enough force in that DCL tackle regardless of studs up or not.

Every confidence the PL will do the right thing and rescind the card ;_)

Red Card

Now had it been any of the favoured Clubs, not even a Yellow, and definitely a Penalty on Beto !

Lads did great tonight and our away support was fantastic, as usual. Hoping for good news on Dwight.

Ed # 99, I think the point is that McNeil didn't suffer an injury associated with fatigue. Totally agree that technique can fail etc if fatigued but that isn't what caused the injury. The injury was caused by really bad luck

Only asking as Kavanagh is apparently the guy who sent off Ancelotti because the Italian had the temerity to ask him a question, he was on VAR for the infamous Rodri handball incident at Goodison, overturned Loris's penalty against Richy, and ruled out a goal against United for offside when the Icelander was lying down, plus of course tonight's red card.

Keane or Kavanagh who has been more detrimental to Everton - you decide or are they one and the same person?

I'll reflect more tomorrow.

Proud of the boys for standing up and being counted on the pitch. They never stopped fighting.

Proud of our 4000 or more supporters for never giving in and letting the team and officials know it different ways at the end.

We are still in the FA Cup.

Palace on the other hand haven't got a league game until the 20th January which will be following the replay date. Likely date it would seem for the replay will be Wednesday 17th January?

But it was all process. Process was followed and that's what they cared about.

This might not be quite so substantial but it's certainly a process driven red card. All decisions are process driven now.

It's broken to just an incredible extent.

On all three occasions, var jumped in and asked the ref to go to the monitor, all three times, they changed their decision, now yes we can argue that the ref should stand by his original decision, but you know as soon as they go to the monitor, doubt creeps in their head and not one has the balls to say no I’m sticking to my decision.

So yes the ref is partly to blame, but it is VAR that has is getting it wrong week after week.

The monitor made a point of doing a close up freeze frame as if it was a high leg breaker tackle.

They could have chosen to do a same freeze frame of their playing holding Betto, they chose not to and the var check complete came back within ten seconds of the incident.

Seriously, I'll take the old game values, every minute.

Palace, set the low point, for pathetic, officials, at Everton games.

Time to fight back, as Evertonians, and as players, strike.

There is a limit on TV to ttp!

VAR is almost as ridiculous as Moshiri protesting his accounts worthiness before choosing to plead guilty at the very last possible moment.

Brainless dickheads the lot of them....... but they're in charge.

Bizarre!

Do we think any of those initial decisions were wrong? I think the Gomes challenge was the only one where the opposition had a real claim.

And in those cases were the referees unable to reach a decision on their own? The ref and linesman had a perfect view of the Gomes challenge. The ref had a great view of DCL. You can make a case for the Onana incident being obscured.

So we're re-refereeing things that the ref already saw and judged, to come to the wrong decisions.

Or is VAR's presence too tempting for referees? So they don't bother making decisions knowing that VAR will intervene if needed and they can take the big decisions with support from someone on the other end of a mic.

I'll say it again, the system is broken to an incredible extent.

Now VAR is being brought in for both semi final ties, and I guarentee they will make a wrong call in one if not both of the matches, wait and see.

With the exception of Man Utd, The Red shite, Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Spurs have all got ties that will be played on a premier league ground, bringing VAR into those games.

But that’s the point. VAR is the people operating it, their personal opinions, their subjective judgements and their interpretation in the heat of the moment of what constitutes a fair or an unfair challenge. VAR will never improve because subjective judgements will always be part of the game.

For well over a century the game managed perfectly well without VAR. Its introduction has ruined the game at what is supposedly the elite level.

After the final whistle last night Sean Dyche walked towards the middle of the pitch. I thought he was about to confront the referee. Instead he applauded the fans in the away section while ignoring the match officials as though they were beneath contempt. I liked that.

VAR 'referring' some things at their own discretion clearly doesn't work. It's someone in a room saying "I've got a better view than you, and I think you've got it wrong". It's re-refereeing the game.

https://youtu.be/l1lq3R3O2Dc?si=n6utOOxRyCRqKqmQ

A straight leg is dangerous when presented front on. Think Gerrard's two footer on Naysmith.

DCL was moving his leg inwards to trap the ball. You can't apply any kind of force that way. Your body weight isn't coming through your leg.

I'd say DCL was more at risk than Clyne in that challenge. And both players did the right thing in how they went into the challenge - DCL was blocking from the side, and Clyne moved himself off being front on and tried to nick the ball.

The contact was a scratch, a scrape. It happens.

Referees just didn't need to get involved at all.

Everton the club need to start fighting back. We need to make the fuss that others do on these ridiculous decisions.

The VAR is being used to referee a game from a room far away. What is the point of the on-field ref?

But with proper implementation, transparency and commentary surrounding the decisions.

However that means the officials having to explain theirselves, which would expose their incompetency and lack of understanding of the game.

VAR should be the solution as it is clear and plain to see, just as those who watch on Sky or TNT (BT Sports) or other media outlets.

Just explain yourselves. Players and managers have to in post match interviews. Why are these people shrouded in secrecy with no accountability for their decisions?

That was not a red card offence, as demonstrated by the referee's initial decision.

There is now little doubt in my mind that there is a definite agenda against the club.

Villa on Sunday week at Goodison will be a good test but one that we can come through.

Watched, slightly supportive Sky Sports, replays. The player rolled around and around and around. Did this influence the VAR, I wonder?

It's not fit for purpose at any level in football.

It has killed the euphoria and spontaneous reaction to goals.

It rules out more goals than it gives.

It doesn't enhance the game in any shape or form and should be binned.

No matter who is in charge of it or how it is implemented, it is not good for football.

It is only good for TV and talking heads.

I would rather have the referee and linesmen doing their job and if they missed stuff, so be it.

Up until the incident last night, I thought the ref had a great game but then the VAR intervenes and makes him look weak and undermines any authority.

It's a joke and not just against us but for every team.

If the Crystal Palace player hadn't held back Beto, then he was in on goal, therefore a foul and a penalty.

The red card was influenced by Clyne going down theatrically and staying down in what seemed a slight challenge.

I remember being at Man City for the '77 semi-final and the Bryan Hamilton non-goal.

We have had these atrocious decisions against us several times a season since, it's more than a coincidence.

Referees on the pitch may well make a decision originally in good faith but, called back by the VAR, they change the call, irrespective of their initial view.

I cannot recall a single incidence where a match official having looked at a monitor, stuck by their original call. That's ridiculous. Which really confirms the final call is not at the discretion of the on-pitch referee. It's taken out of their hands.

But we wouldn't have scored if we'd played for another 2 hours. Surely it's time to give Dobbin a run. I can't fathom how Andersen was MotM over Branthwaite.

Also, Virginia was steady as a rock. It made a welcome change from watching Pickford flapping around like a demented seagull.

Surely the fans at the game and watching on TV are entitled to ask why the referee allowed himself to be swayed by the VAR? It wasn't a corrupt decision but one made by a weak man, who changed his mind because of the VAR.

He is not alone in this – most referees agree with the VAR once they are called to review their own decisions which were made in good faith.

Right now, it is only the financial implications of relegation that make me so desperately want to avoid it. I honestly believe that the game is more enjoyable away from this VAR-dominated, cheating shite.

Fuming.

And just to add – we are never going to achieve anything significant in the Premier League for the foreseeable future and we have exactly the same chance of a cup run, whichever league we are in.

He gets dragged to the screen, is told to change his decision and we then boo the ref for 10 minutes. It's not his fault. It's the fault of the VAR. It needs binning.

That's not excusing the bad use of the VAR but it might explain why some officials err on the side of caution, hoping that their calls or non-calls don't come back to bite them.

The VAR should only be bought into use if the on-field referee asks for it, ie, if he's unsure or genuinely didn't see an incident, only that way will the officials be able to earn respect and take responsibility for their decisions. At the moment, the VAR is a cloak for all of them to hide behind.

I still can't believe so many people are prepared to put up with that. It's ruined things on a fundamental level. The best part of the game is the scoring of the goal, and it's been ruined.

The commentators at the game thought the decision was wrong and the guests in the studio thought it was wrong, one of them, Jodie McAnuff, an ex-Palace player, said in his opinion it wasn't even a foul, which was what the on-field referee decided.

Usually you can tell from the reaction of the fouled player's teammates whether it was a bad foul and not one of their players even appealed for a foul.

Also, the camera zoomed in on their player standing next to Calvert-Lewin who clearly mouths "It's not a red card".

I believe Sean Dyche is considering an appeal – it should already have been sent. Dyche says he is a supporter of the VAR – well he is in a very small minority and I would like him to explain any positives of the VAR.

We should have won the game as we had the better chances, but not taking chances has been the story of our season so far. Apart from Doucoure and McNeil, we don't have anybody else who is scoring on a regular basis.

Our midfield don't contribute many either so, unless we address this problem that's gone on for quite a while, we will struggle, as sometimes 1 goal doesn't always win you a game, and so far this season we have failed to come from behind.

On the plus side, how great to have Coleman back! He makes the defence look a lot better and still gets forward. I thought Virginia did everything that was asked of him, and he was calm throughout.

I have been a big critic of Onana but last night, for me, he had his best game in a Blue shirt. I don't think he misplaced a pass and, for the first time, we saw glimpses of what he could be.

I also think Danjuma offers way more than Harrison who, for me, lacks quality; I know he does a lot of chasing round but, when you play in the front 3, you have to score and assist on a regular basis and Harrison doesn't.

Look, we can all see Calvert-Lewin is struggling for goals and, while Doucouré has been out through injury, I am puzzled as to why Dyche in some games didn't try and play Beto and Calvert-Lewin together.

With the England assistant manager watching, it will be no surprise to see Branthwaite in the next England team, he just keeps improving game on game. I don't see too many English centre-backs better than him at the moment. Sometimes last night, Tarkowski's lack of pace was very evident and allowed Palace players to run past him, but he gives us so much – we just need to be careful not to leave him exposed.

I was surprised Dyche didn't bring on Beto earlier and then maybe the sending-off wouldn't have taken place. I think Calvert-Lewin is working very hard for the team and, given the lack of support at times, it must be a thankless task, but as he knows strikers are judged solely on goals and at present he can't buy a goal.

Still no minutes from Dobbin since his goal… why?

The latest VAR debacle aside, the performance was far removed from the 4-0 collapse in the FA Cup quarter-final under Lampard. That was March 2022 and the team has developed massively in terms of resilience since then.

I think that's the way it has to go – automate the offsides and maybe out-of-play decisions and then the VAR is just there if the ref doesn't see an incident. it would minimise the delays and allow fans to celebrate goals properly.

The players are now surrounding the referee for incidents to be referred to the VAR. This is another element bringing the game into disrepute.

Eze deliberately tripped himself up in an attempt to gain a penalty by cheating. That should be an automatic red card.

Dyche should appeal the red card and have a meeting with the head of referees.

If we must do something, then call an extraordinary meeting of all Premier League clubs and move to have the VAR either abandoned or suspended until it can be shown that there is somebody who can use it responsibly and knowledgeably.

However, don't hold your breath, other than to see who opposes the motion.

Precedent set. Over to the FA to rescind last night's ludicrous red.

Talk about the 'tail wagging the dog'!

This is corrosive in any situation, if you've ever been in a workplace where the boss's kiss arse can do no wrong, regardless of how bad he/she fucks up, you'll realise that it ain't getting better anytime soon. You can widen that to governments, local authorities or any untouchable organisation.

So what'll happen is there will be a 24-hour TalkSport outrage, lots of "the game's done" by ex-pros, Dermot Gallagher on Sky saying it's a modern-day offence, like the Onana penalty was a 'modern-day penalty'. (O-level question: modern-day penalty… Discuss.)

But Kavanagh, Pawson et al, will be officiating at the weekend, safe in the knowledge that their next fuck-up, which is just around the corner, will be met with all the above; "speak to the hand cos the face ain't listening" — as they used to say a decade ago.

The game is in urgent need of an independent watchdog with teeth, because what we are witnessing is incompetence or corruption or a combination of both. Everyone needs a slave on the chariot.

Regarding Calvert-Lewin, I think a rest for Dom and a run in the side for Beto would do them both good.

I have some sympathy for you as you have inherited probably the worst group of referees I can remember, and all the VAR has done is to highlight their incompetence.

I think Fifa, who aren't the best organisation, even they realised that English refs are so bad that no English ref participated in the last World Cup. Now for a league that's supposed to be the most watched in the world, what a sad indictment that it's being officiated by such poor officials.

I am sure if this had happened to one of the so-called Super 6, there would be uproar on all media outlets but, because it's only Everton… move on.

Despite their incompetence, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver refereed 5 matches between them at the World Cup.

Like you say, though, Howard Webb needs to come out with an apology and rescind the card.

Calvert-Lewin knows no different, he has always had the ball launched up to him to fight for – usually against 2 defenders.

Poor Beto must wonder what he has signed up for. Last time he started, he left the pitch after about an hour practically on his knees through exhaustion. Any chances he has, will be very much like Calvert-Lewin's last night. Self-created half-chances.

Hopefully he will be given a few weeks before every touch he gets near the penalty area will be described as a "sitter".

I could understand it if Calvert-Lewin's leg was raised and his studs showing straight at Clyne's leg, but it's not. Calvert-Lewin slides in to win the ball, he doesn't lunge in and wipe the player out, so there was no need for Clyne to go down, certainly not under the amount of contact, if there was any, he no doubt anticipated.

Also, I don't buy this nonsense where-by it wasn't Kavanagh who sent Calvert-Lewin off, but the VAR. Of course it was Kavanagh, or rather his decision. The VAR only recommends the referee to review the incident on the pitch side monitor, Kavanagh could easily have said “No, there's no foul or any danger to Clyne so I'm sticking by my decision.”

Let's imagine that in future, Pawson is the referee in a game, and Kavanagh the VAR, and a similar incident occurs. Will Pawson not give anything, but then change his mind after Kavanagh recommends a red card?

As for the penalty shout, I haven't seen it on a video, but have seen still images. The defender has both arms around Beto's waist. For fuck's sake, it's like he's doing a “Doggy-style” sexual assault on Beto!!

So that's three major incidents in the past four games that have gone against us after an intervention by the VAR. If these referees cannot see what's going on when they are only a few yards away from the incident, then quite simply they shouldn't be in charge of games.

Ah, but wait a minute – that would put his nose out of the arses, and possibly incur disfavour and displeasure among the exclusive Referees Club, who believe they are more important than the game itself.

They seem to be autonomous and answerable to no-one – all wrong in mine, and several thousand other's book!

I watched a rerun of the Celtic - Rangers game. Most blatant handball since Man City's at our place and again not given.
The telly showed it over and over from every angle but the VAR did not give it. The commentators couldn't believe it.

In the second half, TV came up with a previous offside which would have negated the penalty shout. Thing was, at the time, the VAR did not look at the offside – only later when the uproar began. They only looked at the handball.

Rangers asked for the VAR tape of the conversation between the VAR and the ref to prove they'd only looked at the handball. No way… but they did have a meeting.

Rangers disclosed they admitted only looking at the handball.
As they didn't want the meeting discussed, the SPL and refs were “disappointed” Rangers commented.

Corruption everywhere.

‘Eze deliberately tripped himself up, in an attempt to gain a penalty by cheating.'

Strangely, I didn't hear Hodgson whining about 'diving' in the same manner in which he did when Niasse was awarded a penalty and subsequently banned a few years ago. I wish that he'd been asked face-to-face, would he be happy if a player of his was sent off for the same thing?

Eze was attempting to con the officials, which, if successful, is a retrospective red card offence. Why only if it's successful? Just because he didn't get away with it doesn't make it any less of an offence.

The big hoof ball was okay at one time if you had a second striker who was quick and had good anticipation. With Calvert-Lewin, apparently not 100% and basically ploughing a lone furrow especially without Doucoure it may be time to try something else.

Yes, Beto, Chermiti and Dobbin are options but Dyche is not ready to start them (maybe they are just not good enough). Danjuma did well and may be ready to contribute more.

With a decent striker, Everton would have won that game yesterday.

I wouldn't mind seeing Danjuma playing off Beto. Both look hungry.

You said this in your post above:

"The Carabao Cup games have all been great to watch without the VAR, I cannot recall any incidents of where the ref made a wrong decision, all the way through the competition."

Please could I painfully drag your memory back to that dross of an event called a 'football match' in the 2nd Round...

Their goal was scored by a player who was clearly offside. Granted the ref didn't make a wrong decision, but that assistant referee certainly did!

It actually made me switch off at half-time, the 'football' was that bad! It was singularly the worst performance by an Everton team that I care to recall.

ps: Not being snarky, just showing that refs and linesmen can and do make mistakes without the VAR.

Which leads me to another question some have asked: Has the ref ever stuck to his original decision after going to the monitor?

Well hold onto your seats, it actually happened at Anfield of all places, when we got a penalty and the VAR jumped straight in to go to the monitor, that he did, took a quick look and then pointed to the spot for Sigurdsson to slot the penalty home.

Klopp's mug was priceless, cryarsed over it for the next 2 weeks. There again though, it was during lockdown without the Kop screaming at the ref.

Apparently this season, there have been 55 pitch-side monitor reviews by refs and, of those, 54 have had the original decision overturned, so far.

Sorry, Brian, I've been going through my Browser History to find the article, but...

I can't remember the exception to be honest. If anyone can recall it, and post it up, that would be greatly appreciated.

As you say, it doesn't seem a great return in the 'courage and conviction' of the game day referees, does it?

I do remember some standing by their guns, but that was back in its infancy, as I recall it.

ps: If you're one of the thousands of regular travelling fans, Brian, you have my thanks and support always. Though, in the case of the Doncaster game, you have my utmost sympathies; that game was dire to the extreme!

pps: Just found it, it was SSN; here you go, Brian, and yes, it also has a video clip of THAT incident at Mordor in '21! Priceless...

The rare occasions Referees overrule the VAR!

Not much chance getting an away ticket with only a season ticket and one away match credit. :-)

It was different in the seventies and eighties, travelled to all the away games and paid on the gate – no chance of that nowadays.

My fave awayday ground is now sadly gone: Stoke City's Victoria Ground, loved going to that place.

Dropped on lucky one season very early eighties, we had Stoke away in the cup, then the league the following week away (could have been league game first); I had two trips there in the space of a week.

At least you have your ST though Brian, I tried years ago, I mean back in the early to mid 80s just before Howard got the team back to an Elite level, but after being on the waiting list for about 9 years I think, due to work and family commitments, plus being all over the place (nationally and abroad) I gave up my slot.

For me, I did a stadium tour of Burnden Park back in the day with my Dad and Uncle, and that place just had an air of mystique about it. I suppose it helped with Dad and Uncle Fred talking about their days there. They were both Atherton lads and when I was much younger, I was given all the local tales from 'back in the day'! 🙂

My old man used to do the same, Brian, he never went too far afield, but when he moved here (Fylde peninsula) he used to own a Newsagents (when it did what it said on the tin!) He'd work from 4:30 am till 7 pm with a short break at home for food and a nap, then he'd get the bus to watch Blackpool, or finish early and walk the 150 yards to the train station and go and watch Preston!

I know he had a soft spot for the Tangerines, but I think he went to Preston to watch who they were playing! Like you say though, he'd pack a butty and a flask and just trot up to the gates and pay as you went...

Those days are long gone unfortunately!

I've never been much of a match-goer, other than as a teenager and my early 20s. Once TV became more televised, for me personally, I enjoyed the TV experience more than the match-going for lots of varied reasons. Not least because I have a form of Social Phobia, which when diagnosed, helped me understand some things that had puzzled me all my life!

Never been to the old Victoria Ground, but it used to look a proper ground when it was on TV. Funnily enough I remember it looked rocking, again, back in the 80s, when we went there and won in the FA Cup (3-0? if I recall rightly?)

Would that be the game you are referring to above?

Not like the clown who was "offering" a ticket for Wolves away for £300 last season. That is touting.

I've tried the Grand Old Team repeatedly, but there it seems more about point-scoring than debate or discussion. Though that is quite a wide generalisation, I suppose? 🤔

Anyway, you're all stuck with me here, whether I'm posting or just lurking... It is very cathartic sometimes; sometimes it is a cause of hypertension… but either, it helps! Hehe.

Happy New Year to you, Danny.

Also, it was the Day Bournemouth, a much lower league side, then knocked Man Utd out of the cup to a huge roar, after feeling we were unlucky to go out of the quarter-finals the season before to an injury-time Stapleton winner denying us a replay at Goodison.

We played Stoke away the following week and drew 1-all. The last time I tasted the old Victoria Ground was in April 1985 – loads of Everton fans turned up and they had to keep opening extra turnstiles to let the supporters in alongside the side of the ground.

I think there was only the home stand and seats above the terracing that had Stoke fans in, with some Evertonians even finding themselves in the seated areas. I think they got relegated that season or the next. By the time they came back up, the new ground was opened.

Other than the Spurs player last season sent off with a few minutes left, how many times has a player received a red card against us?

None this season and I'm sure none were in the 2020-21 campaign, so can anyone recount any other players getting a red card against us?

As you say the last player to be sent off for the opponents in a match involving Everton was the Spurs player Lucas Moura in the 88th minute in April last season. Prior to that, Kieran Gibbs got sent off in the game with West Brom in September 2020.

Between September 2020 and present day Everton has seen twelve players receive their marching orders in league and cup.

These details are only from my own personal stats, so I may have missed someone out, so don't use them to win arguments with others, but they do give a reasonable idea of how things have been going for Everton in recent years.

Having just trawled through my own records, low and behold I find that Evertonresults.com has the following information

Red Cards

Example 1: a calculation of ‘average penalty box entries per penalty given' as an overall in the Premier League would provide a guide

So, for example, if on average a penalty was awarded upon every 100 entries into the penalty box then if Man City enter the box 1,000 times in a season, you'd expect ~10 penalties (adjusted for the quality of entries, then the range may be 7-13 penalties per season).

If Everton entered the box 500 times, then we should (on average) have been awarded 5 pens (say 3-7 adjusted for quality of entries).

Being awarded less than 3 would be a statistical improbability. Being awarded less than 2 is a statistical anomaly and worthy of review and cause for alarm within the PGMOL (assuming fairness).

To those who rubbish a statistical inference, then you're naive: betting companies offer bets on there being a penalty or a sending off and they make money. Now I grant you that they may use different statistics but it's proof that statistics can be applied to produce an expected number of penalties per season.

Similarly, there will be statistics available to assess (for example) average number of fouls that leads to a red card. So it might be on average a red card is produced every 50 fouls.

If Everton have 200 fouls against them per season then they could expect the opposition to be given 4 red cards on average (or 2-6 adjusting for the nature of the fouls).

Once again, less than 2 would be a statistical anomaly worthy of review by the PGMOL governing body.

But it isn't!!!!

And this is where our clown of a footballing administration do not stand up for themselves because they're inept and incompetent.

That said, the PGMOL should be ensuring they are robust and work to integrity and should use similar data on individual match officials. So if (for example) Craig Pawson (and using my examples above) refereed Everton across enough games (including as VAR) to be statistically significant and witness say 200 fouls but never sent an opposition player off, then that's worthy of investigation.

Basically, if the PGMOL wanted to tidy itself up, it could. It easily could. They could also set up a ‘2nd pair of eyes' consultancy to review decisions and macro statistics to ensure robustness.

It's up to them to prove they're fair, open & honest. Right now they're not and that's what leads to allegations of cheating, corruption and bias.

When our players go down, they get straight back up again; when one of our players feels a slight contact in the area, or a hand on their shoulder or shirt, they do not drop like they have been hit by a sniper, to get the VAR involved.

Already this season, we have seen the likes of Fulham, Palace, Wolves players going down and stopping the game, or at least slowing it down; many more matches where the opposition has done that against us, normally when we are on top, to take the sting out of the game.

Since the head injury rule came in, far too many players are going down holding their head to get the game stopped. Referees cannot take a risk but the very reason it was brought in was to protect serious head injuries, not to flaunt the rules to gain an advantage.

The other thing that every other team does is, as soon as there's a slight chance of getting something from the ref, they make sure the ball goes out of play right away, to let the VAR get involved. Yet all Everton do is carry on playing; by the time the ball goes out of play or we lose it, there has been too many passages of play to go back.

The amount of times I have screamed from my seat shouting "Put the ball out of play and ask the question to the ref!" You watch any game, unless it's a penalty, how quick the other team puts the ball out of play then goes towards the ref.

I am glad our players are not like the rest of the cheats, but being too honest is what is hitting us the most.

And it's why so many (myself included) are being put off the game at this level. If it wasn't for Everton, I wouldn't bother.

I wish perversely in a way we were, and had been for a few years, a division (or two) lower.