Ref Review : Newcastle – Arsenal

36 Replies to “Ref Review : Newcastle – Arsenal”

1. Great work guys. Thought the ref did well apart from the missed penalty and one or two cards. Overall not that too bad. Fortunately there’s no tailgunner aka rolf to dismiss your meticulous work as fantasy 🙂 Keep up the good work.

2. You really don’t have to go beyond this game to see how impossible the job of referees have become.

   Arsenal fans were not happy with Mariner for the penalty not given and some called for even more red cards for New Castle players, while New Castle fans were clearly outraged by some of the cards issued.

   Regarding the penalty incident. Too bad Refs don’t comment post match because it would be interesting to see why he didn’t give it.

   Was it because he was unsighted by three players or did he think the contact was incidental.

   Everyone who’ s ever had a problem with Hazard drawing penalties by initiating contact with a defender should perhaps ask if this wasn’t a similar case. On the replays from behind the play you could clearly see Bellerin’s left leg go wide to the side before Getting stepped on by Thauvin.

   I’m sure Bellerin’s didn’t do it to draw the foul but he did nonetheless.

   How “blatant ” were the penalty call and the sending off ?
   Suffice to say , the play by play commentator on Arsenal player.com didn’t even see the trip( he thought Bellerin’s was pulled back) , and he seemed genuinely surprised at the color of the card for Mitrivic when the card came out.

3. Did someone forget to lock the gates at le grove??

4. The need for video assistance for match officials was emphasised in this game…..if only to silence the outrageous home fans, whose bigoted attitude towards Marriner was a positive disgrace.

5. as usual another good review pointing out the weaknesses of the present system.

   Just something that i think u should give some thought. Since you already gave him a -2 for Thauvin’s 1st yellow card, giving him another -3 for the 2nd yellow/red is a bit harsh, maybe since the 2 combine maybe they should alltogether come to -3. Just my 2 cents.

   Cheers

6. @Tom

   ‘Everyone who’s ever had a problem with Hazard drawing penalties by initiating contact with a defender should perhaps ask if this wasn’t a similar case. On the replays from behind the play you could clearly see Bellerin’s left leg go wide to the side before Getting stepped on by Thauvin.’

   What absolute nonsense! There is absolutely no comparison to be made with Hazards leg dangling antics. You then go on to say

   ‘I’m sure Bellerin’s didn’t do it to draw the foul but he did nonetheless.’

   Well if he didn’t do it deliberately why on earth did you even bother to bring it up. And then we have

   ‘How “blatant ” were the penalty call and the sending off?’

   To quote john McEnroe ‘You cannot be serious.’ Both were as blatant as blatant can be.
   Are you a closet Newcastle fan?

7. A good review and I agree that overall Marriner had a reasonable game – apart from missing the penalty and apart from letting Colback away with quite a few fouls.

   However, Tom, it is totally unfair of you to try to belittle Bellerin, to suggest he was trying to play for a penalty and to compare him to Hazard the cheat/diver.

   I have watched the replay several times & it looks to me as Bellerin was changing direction to position himself for a shot on goal. Bellerin was at full pace, he did not slow up to wait for contact (and then the Hazard type Academy Award dive), he was intent on scoring (or crossing), the defender could only just reach the back of Bellerin’s ankle. That must have been painful and could, in some circumstances have damaged his Achillies Tendon – do you seriously think Bellerin was letting himself in for that possible outcome?

8. I really believe that with the speed and fitness levels of today’s professional players and increased numbers of substitutions that there should be 2 referees on the pitch in addition to video technology. I have not heard one good reason why this couldn’t happen. Other sports have evolved to deal with the increased professionalism of players by putting in more referees and or video technology…why not football? Because of tradition?…c’mon!!! that hasn’t stopped a lot of incremental changes including the balls we play with.

9. Mick
   From juniors players are being instructed to position themselves between the ball and the defender. It’s something that becomes the second nature with most technical players.

   Bellerin

10. Bjtgooner

    Belittle Bellerin?
    That’s hilarious .

    It’s simply how you play 🙂

11. @Tom

    Well – it may be how YOU played! 🙂

12. Bjtgooner

    Most definitely !!!!!!!

13. As a Newcastle fan looking at this, I have to say you seem a little biased. The big decision of the red card was correct, though in fairness to Mitrovic he was looking at the ball so i don’t think it was with malicious intent, but it was definitely a red.

    The ‘penalty’ was clearly a penalty, so that decision was incorrect. But you can’t look at the decision to book Mbemba for stopping an attack (with a shoulder to shoulder challenge) and say that was a justified Yellow Card, then dismiss the incident in the second half when an Arsenal player actually PULLED BACK Thauvin to stop him progressing, and got away without a booking.

    Overall I’d say the majority of decisions were correct, and in your appraisal you rectify some of the decisions which were wrong. But you also have that little bit of bias in there too. To say the ref was inconsistent would be an under statement, and consistency is all we want to see really isn’t it?

    Regardless of decisions in this game, I hope Arsenal have a good season and it was actually a bit disappointing to see your lot not perform to your devastating best (though it did prevent us getting a tonking in the scoreline).

14. @Tom
    Don’t be ridiculous, Bellerin was clean through and got took down from behind, he didn’t ‘position ‘ himself either deliberately or subconsiously because that’s what he has been taught. Hazard quite often does deliberately position himself in order to initiate contact. There is no comparison between what happened to Bellerin and the way Hazard engineers such situations.
    Are you trying to excuse Hazard by drawing such a silly comparison, as in your quote ‘I’m sure Bellerin’s didn’t do it to draw the foul but he did nonetheless.’ therefore Hazard doesn’t do it deliberately either.

15. Furthermore Tom re your last paragraph…

    ‘Suffice to say , the play by play commentator on Arsenal player.com didn’t even see the trip( he thought Bellerin’s was pulled back) , and he seemed genuinely surprised at the color of the card for Mitrivic when the card came out.’

    Just because some people, including the ref and the Arsenal commentator and Uncle Tom Cobley and All didn’t call it correctly in real time is irrelevant. Replays showed it was blatantly a penalty and a sending off, they all got it wrong, end of story. That’s why we need the help of technology.

16. Ah!! a vision!! – a young Tom running around a football field sticking his leg out so that someone would run into it, and he would win a foul – totally within the rules. 🙂

    Wish we could see some replays on MOTD!!

17. Bjtgooner
    🙂 🙂

18. Tom, I agree the Refs have a tough time of it with players moving at the speeds they do and with some players purposely trying to trick the referee into giving the other team fouls.

    With regards Bellerin’s fall in the box, it is extremely unlikely that anyone but a Newcastle fan will see it as anything but a foul.

19. Tom – you are absolutely right. Now get mummy to red you a story & put you to bed.

    Read the post little boy.

20. Al
    I ignored your post since it didn’t make any sense( none of them do).
    Let’s face it, you are one of the few on here who haven’t had an original thought in like …..ever, but then on a hunch I went to Le Grove and low and behold , the first few comments were from a poster name Tom.

    Now, since I don’t go on Le Grove, let alone post there, I find it hilarious that you do and read the comments section.
    How screwed up is that ?

    You are truly a gift that keeps on giving 🙂

21. GoingGoingGooner

    Yes,it’s a foul but my comment was in the context of the ref review of Mariner’s performance.

    If you look at replays, you can clearly see Mariner is in no position to make that call. There are three players obstructing his view.

    Also , when you say ” blatant” , do we mean upon numerous replays or in real time.

    After seeing the replays of both incidents it does become clear it was a penalty and probably a sending off, but in real time it wasn’t so obvious.

    Thus my bringing up of the reaction from Arsenal player.com announcer, who in real time didn’t think much of either challenge.

    Don’t get me wrong, wether Mittovic stomp deserved a red or just a yellow , I have no sympathy with the New Castle team who clearly set out to foul Arsenal out of their rhythm of play.

22. Al
    A quick word of advise. Next time you see a poster on UA who holds opposing views from yours, don’t tell him to piss off.

    Because apparently after he does , you begin to miss him desperately and call for him to come back.
    And when he doesn’t , you go on anti Wenger sites to find him. You really miss Rupert. Don’t you 🙂

23. Mick
    Yes , you and I agree about the technology as the solution , or we can just send ” I saw it in person” – Menace to all PL games as the fifth official to have a final say 🙂

24. @tom

    not sure if the commentator was right wrong, but after two to three replay, he claim that the referee is in a good position, while the assistant was blocked~

25. Walter
    Good report, but wasn’t there an incident with Gabriel wrapping his arms around a Newcastle forward?

26. @Mick

    I watched the match on BT Sport – they identified the penalty incident instantly and comfirmed within seconds on a slow mo replay.

    I agree with you about the (long overdue) introduction of technology.

    The importance of getting ref decisions right is absolutely vital and should be paramount to the argument about technology.

    It can be quite distracting (or amusing) to debate the issue with people like Tom who usualy see or choose to interperet something different to real events – but that is not important – the important point is that the refs need to get the decisions right in real time – they are not doing that and the denial of the aid of technology by the PGMO is incomprehensible.

27. Tom
    I’ve never ever visited le grove and never will. If at all I’ve ever opened that site in my browser it’d have been from clicking a link posted by a fellow contributor here, particularly at the height of copying and pasting, not a conscious action on my part. As a matter of fact the only two sites I rely on for Arsenal news are UA and arsenal.com. I’ve heard enough of that site from fellow posters here to know there’s nothing for me there. I don’t visit these Arsenal bashing sites at all, period. Occasionally, when I “want a fix” of bad news I click on the BBC, telegraph, etc websites. But I can understand you thinking I visit le stench coz you think everyone is like you; feed of negative news.

    So I’d no idea that the chief poster at that dump also happens to be, erm, Tom. Is it coincidence or just some pathetic preemptive action from you, I don’t know and don’t care. What I know is I’ll never visit that horrible site as I’ll never convince the lunatics on there to see things my way, and frankly why would I bother. I do have a problem with you though as you come here and 101% of your posts don’t agree with what everyone will be saying on here. It’s healthy to disagree but when that is the rule rather than the exception then clearly there’s a problem don’t you think. Hasn’t it dawned on you that your views and those here are just too divergent to ever meet?

    You say you ignored my post coz it didn’t make sense, but then responded to it,why? Is it because it made sense?? Just trying to follow your logic. I didn’t even bother to try and take your nonsensical post apart (in which you accuse Bellerin of diving like that cheat hazard), as that’d have resulted in me writing another article on its own. Fortunately my colleagues exposed your flawed arguments in your stupid post, making it pointless for me to try add more. Frankly I don’t like responding to your gibberish comments, as I expend a lot of energy in the process and I’d rather channel that energy to something positive. Feel free, and keep visiting from your natural habitat at le grove, to make a fool of yourself here.

28. @bjtgooner
    Re technology

    I watch a lot of rugby and they are meticulous in using technology to not only ensure the correct decision is reached and is also openly seen to reached. The same in cricket, tennis and all other major sports. It is an embarrassment to the game when you see blatantly incorrect decisions allowed to stand and shame on the games administrators for allowing this situation to continue. It must be embarrassing for the match officials as well to know that the whole world knows they have made a mistake but there is nothing they can do about it, sometimes a mistake that has dire consequences for the wronged team.

29. Al
    The lady doth protest too much ????

    Besides, I’ve already called Obama who personally monitors all internet activity to check on yours, and he confirmed that you do in fact visit Le Grove.

    Liar, liar pants on fire 🙂

30. Abusive comment removed

31. Al
    Obama or me ?

32. Whoops!!

33. It’s not for me to say who visits Le Grove ( I do visit daily though), but I will anyway. I have seen someone called Tom but also another called Al. This may not be Weird Al, and Tom says it’s not him. What I can’t understand is that someone would post a long comment of denial. Le Grove isn’t so bad after all. The comments section is a bit toxic, but so is Untold’s sometimes.

34. This is an amazing piece of work. If only Mike Riley had been aware of these laws (and be honest) we’d have gone far more than 50 unbeaten.

35. 02:39 – you say the decision is wrong but don’t actually explain why.

    Yellow card was awarded to the right player as you accept so how was the foul wrong?

36. GW,

    That was a slight typing error, it was a correct foul. Anything incorrect is highlighted red.