Premier League — Matchweek 4

"Connections" — that's what it's all about, according to the great Mikel Arteta!

Eze starts for the Gunners, Ange in charge of Forest... let battle commence!

Eze looked offside to me... and they never showed us the graphic.

More food for the Big Club Bias conspiracy?

Thankfully Soucek suspended when the Hammers visit us. Possibly a new manager in as well.

Potter can't have long. Nuno to replace him?

West Ham look slugged.

Potter looks doomed for failure down there and I expect a new boss will be in the seat by the time we play them.

Did to me, Michael, as well.

Why no lines shown on TV?

Mac Allister receives about 5 minutes treatment on the pitch, yet doesn't have to leave the pitch for the customary 30 seconds. Why not?

RS player getting a yellow for blatant diving. Never thought I’d see the day.

Brilliant touch by Foster for that break. Foster looks competent on the ball

The Devil starting his warm up for a last minute winner?

Expect 10 minutes added here, the ref even trying to push the Burnley lad off quicker for the substitution!! They don’t even try to hide the bias!… If this finishes 0-0, I’m cracking a cold one. Coors Light for anyone wondering.

The whole ball has to be over the line for the penalty and they didn’t even show a replay or VAR. Was the entire ball over the line when it hit Hannibal’s arm? Didn’t even give us a replay so it must have been close... 🤣

And there we have it….a RS penalty. With a minute to go of added on time. To be fair it was a blatant penalty.

It’s almost obligatory now to give them a pen and a red card. I can see them getting three and two against us.

You just knew it.

Sadly Colin you are probably correct. If the scores are level at 90 mins they will be given something to help.

What a stupid bloody penalty to give away. If we can defend like that (up iuntil the pen) next week and pose more of a counter-attacking threat...

I never thought I could hate an RS manager more than Klopp but Slot is a next-level PoS.

Hope we batter them next week.

Yep..they will get a penalty or 2 next week. We'll have a man sent off. Half a billion spent, manager of the month.. its fuckin tiresome.

The body language by most of their opponents is one of awe. They virtually win games before a ball is kicked. Champions win, shithouses lose. Simples

Total ridiculous handball, and Salah's first kick of the game, the 2nd yellow was harsh, but they always get the decisions. Agree with Scott, Slot is more irritating than Klopp.

Soon losing players will be asking for their autographs, on the pitch!! It really is pathetic seeing so-called pros smiling after a defeat.

Jammy fucking red bastards!

Michael Oliver, reffed Everton at Molynuex, the other week and just before N’Diaye, had a goal ruled out for offside the Wolves player had took the lace out of the ball in the six yard box, as it was flying into the goal.

Decision, no goal offside, but N’Diaye, only put the ball in the net, after the initial goalbound shot was stopped from going into the goal by a Wolves arm.

I used to get angry but now I just shake my head and think that the game is definitely corrupt. It’s very off putting and actually makes me begin to dislike a major part of top level football, more and more, and not just because it was Liverpool who got this completely subjective, depending on the team, decision🤷‍♂️,

Not Jammy, they get help… was the entire ball over the line when it hit the lads arm? It looked close but we didn’t get a close replay.

Just swept under the rug as usual.

Quite unbelievable! The luck those twats get.

Poor Burnley.

I'd question the integrity of that Burnley player. Blatant move of the arm, couldn't even disguise it.

Do liverpool have all them coaches so when they score they can kiss and bow down to their despicable manager

I can’t disagree about champions winning, but I think the biggest shithouse inside Turf Moor, today, was Michael Oliver, Colin?

The last thing the PL needs is the league being over again by Christmas but the way it's going, it could happen. There's an inevitability about their matches. We all knew they would get something in the last minute because they always do.

Only them. Absolute devil's club. Couldn't write it.

Would the red and pen been given to Burnley, I think we all know the answer.

The good news is that the redshite have to play Athletico on Wednesday night, and then lunchtime Saturday, so here's hoping, and hopefully Mykolenko will be fit.

Surprised Slot hasnt winged about that Christy, Klopp would have done numerous times.

Just turned my iPad back on frightened to watch the last few minutes, just hoping, against bleedin’ hope, the score would still be the same, but wasn’t surprised to see the score or what minute it was scored in.
If Rob (10) says it was a blatant penalty then it must have been, he hates those bastards more than most of us. When will it bleedin’ end that fuckin’ Devil never sleeps.

Salahs 35th penalty goal. Three more for a season of penalties. COYBs beat them next time out.

Thinking about it, wasn’t it Slot that reffed our game yesterday?

Fucking fat, bald twat!

(Apologies to fat, bald non-twats)

Was the entire ball over the line when it hit Hannibal’s arm? No replays or VAR tells me it was close… just swept under the rug as per usual. I’m not convinced the entire ball was over the line. If it was most other teams it would have been looked at I’m sure… no way the entire ball was over the line when it hits him. Then to not even mention it or show a replay, they just move on to take the pen as quick as they can, that sells it for me.

Same old same old Red Shite.

Sean,

It was a handball inside the box.

Penalty.

The entire ball has to be over the line, and Hannibal's arm looked to be above the white line when it was hit. <:
P>They think we are stupid!! Maybe most of us are??? I'm not convinced.

Don't be shocked by them getting a spawny injury-time penalty, I'm surprised people aren't aware now it's stage-managed to get them the win, keeps the betting companies in business.

For what it's worth, they look shite, money they've spunked and they are sneaking over the line in injury time against crap.

If we get a fair hearing next week, I mean we won't like, VAR and the bent officials (I think we've well worked out now that David Coote is probably just one of many) will conspire to see they don't lose it, but if all was fair, I think we'd get at least a point at the Circus of the Killer Clowns next Saturday.

Quite correct, it’s all staged… how can a team who aren’t very good somehow keep sneaking wins and have 4 wins from 4 in the supposed best league in the world where all the teams are so competitive?!?

Look at Man City with Haaland and Co, in the bottom half because they are a little off the pace… it’s 100% scripted and there is too much money in the game for it to be any other way unfortunately….

Leicester winning the league and Wigan winning the FA Cup was bad for business. Lots of deep pockets failed to get lined on those years and the goal of VAR is to make sure the Leicester story never happens again. Fact.

The big teams had an off-year and a large outsider won the league. Now when the big teams are struggling, one of them still manages to be top.

Christ, the tinfoil hat brigade are out in numbers!

I absolutely despis the Red Shite, and they definitely get far more decisions in their favour than they naturally deserve (as Ferguson-era United did), but to suggest a conspiracy is, let's be honest, pretty pathetic.

The lad put his arm out and it was a penalty. He looked gutted afterwards and had to be accompanied off the pitch after the match as he was distraught.

Luck is temporary and will always run out. Let's twat them on Saturday!

UTFT!!!

Of course they'll up their game for a derby, but I thought they looked more shite than I've seen them for a long time.

Wirtz is lightweight, Konate's a disaster and Ndiaye will run Kerkez ragged on the right. We've nothing to fear from this lot. They're nowhere near champions level.

Are we watching the old Saturday wrestling with Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks lads?

For fuck's sake, I realize there’s bias from refs and the Premier League... but scripted? Really? Why are you even bothering to watch then if you believe that?

Everyone knows the game is rigged and we have to get used to it.

Rigged, is it? Have you told the two very wealthy top 6 Manchester clubs that? Because it’s not exactly working out well for them, is it?

Kerkez was taken off after about half an hour, because he attempted a pathetic dive to try and win a penalty (didn't take him long to learn the art of doing that) for which he was booked, and then an over the top challenge on a Burnley player which could easily have been a second yellow.

Needless to say, a further card wasn't given before Slop took him off. If Ndiaye can be on his game next week, he can turn Kerkez inside out and get the bastard sent off.

Man City have 115 charges pending, not a good look if they win it or do well in any way before getting off with the charges...

Also, Jim Ratcliffe said recently that Man Utd would have run out of money before the end of the year if they didn't change things. They are skint!… which also makes sense why they aren't doing well.

I watched about 35 minutes of the Mancs derby game but switched it off.

I didn't think the Everton v Villa was all that good but I think most neutral fans would have thought it was better than that boring derby match.

Sean - the charges against Man City were brought in February 2023. They won that season and the next one. Man Utd are the second wealthiest club in the world – worth £6.6B.

Whoever's in charge of this “rigging” is pretty shite at it, don't you think?

If you don't think it's not rigged to help certain teams, then I salute your great sense of fair play, Jake.

I wish I had the same feelings as you, Jake, because sometimes I find it hard to comprehend some of these very inconsistent subjective decisions.

Football has definitely become more bizarre with the invention of VAR but it's very rare for anyone to be called out.

Anyone believed that Burnley would get that penalty?

The top teams definitely get the rub of the green from Referees, but to say it's rigged is completely over the top.

We should be going to Anfield full of confidence, hopefully with a near fully fit squad.

With all the money they've spent during the window, even though they're scraping through games, they are not playing well, and not to be feared.

Tony (51) - There's a huge difference between whichever teams are ‘in fashion' getting more favourable refereeing decisions and the game being ‘rigged'.

Only losers would suggest that they or others can't win because the system is rigged. And doing so is far worse than complaining about ‘taking a knife to a gunfight'…

I understand, Scott, but surely certain teams getting a lot more favourable decisions is just that?

When Lampard got fined for questioning certain decisions at Anfield, by saying that if it had been at the other end of the pitch, then he was sure Liverpool would have got a penalty, I've seen loads of decisions since that prove our former manager had a very valid point.

I love football but a part of it now makes me despair simply because I don't believe that everyone is treated equally and certain teams definitely get a lot more favourable decisions than others.

I enjoyed going to Bramley-Moore Dock yesterday but I really can leave football alone nowadays because I feel it's full of cheating.

A referee giving a decision that he might not give next week can often leave you feeling that you have been cheated, whereas taking a knife to a gunfight suggests a team displaying an attitude that suggests they have already been beaten.

Still subjective, Scott, and nowhere near as comprehensive as the hiding that Man City are giving to their neighbours right now!

Tony - Really appreciate the response, mate.

I think, if we're honest, referees have always had their biases or been influenced by circumstances. Remember Clive Thomas back in the day? What about the refereeing in the 1966 World Cup Final? Etc etc.

The key is that I don't see it as a joined-up plan or conspiracy. They are weak decisions made by referees, VAR, or both. Fulham's goal being disallowed last week for instance.

Unforgivable but just a stupid decision, albeit one that was made by an official not worrying about the wrath of a club with a huge global fanbase, which it would've been if it was a Chelsea player.

Keep the faith, Tony! We might be off to a gunfight next weekend but a well hidden shiv used at the right moments can be devastating!

UTFT!!!

Scott,

I will tell you a true story about what happened Ireland during the infamous Thierry Henry handball debacle. The majority of the footballing world were 'outraged' by the handball decision but that wasn't even the real controversy.

Three of the giants, France, Germany and I think Portugal or maybe Holland finished second in their groups that year. Up until that point the second-place teams went into a hat as equal-placed runners-up having been seeded in the original draw.

Before the draw was made, Uefa fucking changed the rules. This is not opinion, conspiracy or tinpot hat stuff. This is a fact, they changed the rules midway during the campaign. They changed the rules as 3 of the establishment were in danger of missing out on the pinnacle of world football.

Ireland at the time could have drawn Bosnia or Albania in the play-off. Instead they got France. Ireland played the French off the park yet were apparently on the wrong end of a poor refereeing decision. All the big 3 qualified against Ireland, Albania and Bosnia.

Conor,

Yeah, that's a bit like Uefa changing the rules so a certain unnamed team can take part in a certain tournament.

I think the best way to keep the faith is by watching less football, Scott!

Seriously, I see a lot of these weak, subjective decisions, being made on a regular basis and the inconsistency of some of these decisions has already started driving me away from watching a sport that I have always loved.

I stayed in and watched the two games today and I can honestly say I don't think I will be doing that very often in the future.

Each to his own, but watching them talking about today's game now on the television, with their expert analysis, actually bores me to tears.

As for being rigged, I don't buy it.

The better teams spend more time in their opponents' penalty area and exert more pressure in general and have more of the ball, hence the obvious outcome: more free kicks and penalties.

Simple really.

Paul Smith (60). I admire your even-handedness etc.

But put aside whatever had happened in the previous 94 minutes, how many chances Liverpool had had, how much time they'd spent camped in the Burnley penalty area etc because they are not relevant to the decision: do you think if Burnley had been on the attack in the 95th minute, that penalty would have been given to Burnley? Because I don't.

Sorry, it might have been given if Liverpool were already 3-0 and out of sight; but to decide a game? No way.

It isn't rigged but it's not fair either is it. The pundits, coverage etc is all set up for a global audience that wants to see a big club win in style. The refereeing isn't fair either. It all contributes to helping an elite group of clubs.

It's probably worse in Spain. The refereeing favouritism for Real and Barca is pretty scandalous but I think they're desensitised to it.

Arsenal carried on playing Thomas Partey. Almost immediately his contract ran out, he was charged by the Met - how convenient eh?

VAR is being used to aid the so-called big clubs, just as PSR is. Without PSR, Newcastle could have bulit a squad the equal or better than any of the Big 6.

What happened? They had to sell Anderson to adhere to PSR. Whilst they have to take a slower lane to get to the top, one of the Big 6 - the RS - comes along and cherry picks Isak off them.

Oh yes, they get mega bucks... but ask Howe what would he rather have, money in the bank or Isak at ce
ntre-forward?

Palace have had Olise and Eze cherry picked and Wharton will be next. Bournemouth have had practically all of their defense from last season picked off. Kudus was picked up by Spurs from West Ham Utd. Spurs took Richarlson from us because of PSR.

The game is corrupt because money talks. Sky will be really pissed if the RS runaway with the title as it will affect their revenues.

Maybe having the RS win title after title won't be a bad thing in the long run, because in my opinion the game is losing its drawing power. Many fans are fed up to the back teeth of the way the game is going. The tail is wagging the dog more and more.

Robert# 62, “it isn't rigged, but it is”

Of course it's rigged, from the TV, news coverage, media bias, refereeing bias, advertising, the whole game is rigged for the big boys.

They even love it when a Palace wins a cup, cos it hides the whole rigged league cult, and European football is more rigged than ours.

Why watch a sport which you're convinced is rigged, Jeff?

What's the point?

Liverpool have been awarded more penalties than any other Premier League team this season and have also conceded the fewest.

Referees have been trying so hard to be part of the game. They finally partnered Liverpool to become PGMOL FC.

Aw, come on, Svein-Roger and Brian. That was an absolutely stone-cold clear-and-obvious no-question penalty. No Burnley player said a word. Hannibal looked like he broke down and cried.

That would have been given at any time in any game for any team. It sucks that the RS were handed that gift, but the blame is all on the player.

Brian #61

Exactly right, they give decisions to the lower profile teams when it doesn't matter, that's where the unevenness/cheating happens.

Not enough people speak up about this and our managers are particularly pathetic at getting this point across.

Joe Royle famously used to say in the tunnel at Anfield, ‘Are we playing by the same rules today, ref?'

Shankly made a deal with the devil. It's that simple.

No other sports team anywhere in the world that even get close to them. Ever.

So how does the frigging rigging work?

Obviously... in the Top 6's favour but what happens when those teams meet each other? And what's the directive when non-top 6 teams meet?

Pretty sure when we were docked points because of PSR and it was reduced on appeal, there were plenty of fans of the teams in the relegation mix at the time screaming "Of course the Premier League were never going to let a team like Everton go down".

In recent seasons, the three promoted teams have been the teams to go back down... is that also rigged?

The only football I watch now is Everton. Perhaps a lower league now and again but rarely a "top team".

At the very least, it's referees making "confirmation bias" decisions because of a team's alleged "star quality" and who they are. That's not luck or rub of the green, it's bias; it's not merely incompetence, it's favour.

The application of rules to suit a team or a situation is corrupt; if nothing is being done to remedy, it's corrupt.

Institutionalized corruption — and I long for the end of the Premier League because of it.

There's always been referee bias - that prick Clive Thomas was around a long time before Sky, VAR and PSR - and the media will always discriminate in favour of the bigger clubs, of course they are because their business model is all about audience share.

The bigger clubs will always get conscious or subconscious refereeing bias and attention, but the idea that the whole sport is deliberately and entirely manipulated by Sky, sponsors, betting companies, oil states is just alehouse gibberish.

Up until the end of last season, the rs were obsessed that VAR was all controlled by the UAE so Man City would win the Premier League every year. Funny that they've shut up about it now. Because even they've realised it's bollocks. And they're the ultimate gobshites.

Christine (71),

With respect, if you only watch Everton, how can you have an accurate perspective on whether the decisions currently being made by Premier League officials are unfair?

Scott, there was a time I enjoyed a good game of football, how can I now say it's corrupt?

I see decisions, highlights, and frankly that's enough, but add in when we play those so-called top teams and you don't need to be an all-seeing entity to see what's happening, week-in & week-out.

Christine - There's a huge difference between confirmation bias and corruption. The latter requires intent whereas the former is subconscious.

As I've said on this and another thread, I genuinely believe that, on the spot, officials unintentionally favour certain teams. I don't think that means there's intentional favouritism within the sport, and definitely no ‘rigging', collusion or corruption of that nature. I guess, based on your original comments, we kind of agree! 😜

I think I probably reacted because your comment looked a little like: “I don't follow current affairs but this is what I think!”

As with most things it comes down to money, the most successful clubs in recent times have the most followers home and abroad.

Its a case of TV rules ok, without TV we wouldn't see most matches, thats the reason they favour those teams because they put more bums on seats. The same goes for radio and newspapers. If the refs make a poor decision against the biggest teams they know subconciously they are going to get slated more, so they tend not to.

I think the officials should have an eye and IQ test at least once a year because theres a few of them that definitely would not pass.

You see players blatantly pushed over in the box and no penalty given, the excuse by commentors is 'he wasn't strong enough' what sort of excuse is that.

Raymond #76

Not sure Manchester City have a big following outside of Manchester or even inside...

I just think those teams that get those type of decisions, just hound the Ref and other officials more.Years ago I remember a program on this particular subject and the evidence they give showed it being sutley done.Liverpool and Man United were absolute experts at it.

Jerome #78

I remember Moyes Mk1 sending a video to the FA of Everton on the wrong side of bad ref decisions.

Pretty sure he got a sympathetic response...

Comparing Liverpool to Three Closest Rivals, aka the Best Four
Here’s the rub: Liverpool are refereed radically differently to their rivals, which can be shown clearly in the data.

Sean Kearns (various), where did you get the idea that the whole of the ball needs to be over the line for it to be a penalty?
Surely the only thing to be pinpointed is where the illegal contact with the ball takes place?
Confirmation bias is an incompetence that can be lessened by training and open discussion when mistakes are made. Unfortunately it is not the modern way for people to admit to their mistakes (which just reinforces the concept of corruption in those who see those mistakes).
The whole world becomes a terrible place when you start automatically seeing what could be simple incompetences as malicious. Better to assume the world is actually nicer than that, just full of idiots.

Not really sure, I was just typing on emotion and talking shite. The ball must be totally over the line for goals or corners etc but I suppose that is the boundary of the field of play and the same rules may not apply for penalty offenses. It very may well have been a legit penalty now I think about it… they are still a load of wool tourist sheep shagging bastards though!!! And that I say with absolute conviction.

People really don't think it's scripted?

Read the interview from the former referee Mark Halsey.

Halsey, who was actually one of the better ones, spills all on what the refs were told prior to kick-off when being in control of a gas involving the media darlings.

It's even worse now I imagine what with the betting companies and tne scandal that's ran through other sports.

Si (81), You might agree Si that those simple incompetences happen very regularly and it’s open to question which teams get the benefit of those incompetences.