Am I the only one who thinks he might not have handled the ball? Surely VAR didn't provide sufficient proof for the ref to change his mind. None of the camera angles showed the ball make contact with his arm.

Much as I would like to say otherwise, clear handball for me.

He knew.

The view from behind the goal showed it hit his elbow which was slightly away from his body. Probably a pen but the double whammy of a red card was excessive. Not the refs fault he followed the laws.
Silva and Mitrovic were well out of order and should suffer for their actions.

Clear handball, can’t believe they took so long to send him to check it

Only slightly handball

Okay - I was wrong, as shown by that photo!

Im_not_Robbie_Blake wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:15 pm

Am I the only one who thinks he might not have handled the ball? Surely VAR didn't provide sufficient proof for the ref to change his mind. None of the camera angles showed the ball make contact with his arm.

Yes

Clear handball unfortunately as Fulham were in total control of the game and he personally was playing brilliantly. However he seemed too mess up and allow Utd to break from Fulham's corner and the rest was a total implosion. I was really fed up as I was hoping that lot were heading out.

But it isn't Marco Silva's fault, just those pesky cheating Officials that have followed him from Club to Club

One of the least professional reactions I’ve ever seen. Even given the penalty Fulham had a fighting chance… for about ten seconds. Mitrovic (sp?) will be lucky not to face a serious ban. How experienced do you need to be to understand you cannot bully the ref, agree with him or not. Crazy

Silva was angry with the ref for a penalty shout in the first half that VAR never checked.

Why not?

What else are they doing while the game is going on that they can't check it?

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 7:51 pm

Silva was angry with the ref for a penalty shout in the first half that VAR never checked.

Why not?

What else are they doing while the game is going on that they can't check it?

Does the ref decide which incidents are checked by VAR? Silva was outrageous, was he really trying to argue it wasn’t a penalty and it was a cheating ref?

Burnley Ace wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:11 pm

Does the ref decide which incidents are checked by VAR? Silva was outrageous, was he really trying to argue it wasn’t a penalty and it was a cheating ref?

That's the thing. Nobody knows how VAR works, even after a few years.

When watching bits of the rugby this weekend, even though I don't know the full rules, the refs took you through their decisions very clearly.

Why can't football be like this?

I thought that var did check the pen on mitrovic in the first half? Despite that you can’t behave like the manager and he did today. Mitrovic deserves a long ban.

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:50 pm

That's the thing. Nobody knows how VAR works, even after a few years.

When watching bits of the rugby this weekend, even though I don't know the full rules, the refs took you through their decisions very clearly.

Why can't football be like this?

I can’t understand why VAR needed the ref to look at the monitor,they don’t ask him to check if someone is offside ,why would he need to check if it was handball?

PaintYorkClaretnBlue wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:10 pm

I thought that var did check the pen on mitrovic in the first half? Despite that you can’t behave like the manager and he did today. Mitrovic deserves a long ban.

Silva said in the interview afterwards they didn't as well as the commentator at the time.

But as a viewer I couldn't 100% tell you one way or another.

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 9:27 pm

Silva said in the interview afterwards they didn't as well as the commentator at the time.

But as a viewer I couldn't 100% tell you one way or another.

I may be mistaken but I thought that they said in commentary that it had been checked?

Totally agree with the referee's decision, and Mitrovic should get a lengthy ban. However, what's so different in what Mitrovic did and Fernandes push on the linesman at Anfield a few weeks ago?

Quickenthetempo wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 19, 2023 8:50 pm

That's the thing. Nobody knows how VAR works, even after a few years.

When watching bits of the rugby this weekend, even though I don't know the full rules, the refs took you through their decisions very clearly.

Why can't football be like this?

Because there still wouldn't be agreement (even on here there is still disagreement on the handball and I wasn't immediately sure that Willian could avoid doing what he did). Much of the argument is emotional not factual. Fulham were doing well, then concede a penalty. If it's a penalty it's a red card in this case. From cruising along they're now 1-1 and down to ten men. What gets me is why in this day and age experienced people like Silva and Mitrovich still think they can bully the ref.. I hope they get the punishment they deserve.

Explanations can help in minor incidents but not in major ones like this where games can be turned (I know because I tried as a park football referee. We were trained to be aloof but I thought I knew better. I was wrong unfortunately and that's down to players and club officials).

It works in rugby I think because firstly it is a highly technical game and explanations are needed, but secondly, the mentality of the players seems different. It's also a less flowing game so easier to stop and explain.

Silva’s reaction was mainly for the benefit of the crowd and his club directors, just like most managers’ reactions. At all times the security of their jobs is in the back of their minds, which is why everything is always the fault of the referee, nothing is ever their fault.

Mitrovic was well out of order and for me any player touching an official should receive a lengthy ban.

Di Canio got 11 games for pushing Paul Alcock in 1998, and both Fernandes and Mitrovic should be having similar lengths of bans.

Zero tolerance is the only way to clamp down on this behaviour. And for once I'm in total agreement with Chris Sutton.

On room of the inevitable heavy ban for Mitrovic, I’m assuming retrospective action against Bruno will be taken when he pushed the linesman at Anfield??

*As well as the…

box_of_frogs wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 20, 2023 6:01 pm

On room of the inevitable heavy ban for Mitrovic, I’m assuming retrospective action against Bruno will be taken when he pushed the linesman at Anfield??

His defense will be "I wanted to get on with the game and he was in my way'...... and it's difficult to argue against, whereas Mitrovic was blatant harassment