Robinson tackle

[andyk]

The ref definitely thinks about it for a few seconds. He knows its borderline, but more red than yellow.  What goes through their mind is " what's this gonna cost me? " If he's got a big club management team to deal with, I reckon he goes yellow.  But Fulham? He's nothing to lose.

[fulhamben]

The ref definitely thinks about it for a few seconds. He knows its borderline, but more red than yellow.  What goes through their mind is " what's this gonna cost me? " If he's got a big club management team to deal with, I reckon he goes yellow.  But Fulham? He's nothing to lose.

it was backed up by var though. you could clearly see him wait before insisting that robinson leaves the pitch and you can see him talking on the head set. so that being said, var would have probably made him look at the screen if he only gave a yellow

[FFC1987]

The ref definitely thinks about it for a few seconds. He knows its borderline, but more red than yellow.  What goes through their mind is " what's this gonna cost me? " If he's got a big club management team to deal with, I reckon he goes yellow.  But Fulham? He's nothing to lose.

I think that's the old mentality. I think the new mentality is, if I give the more extreme 50/50 (if that's how you saw it) he gets to definitely review his decision. So yesterday there was a penalty given to WBA and I think the players tackle was outside the box, you could see the ref stall, then think, then give the penalty. If he gives a FK, potentially VAR won't review (they should but its VAR so who knows what they definitely decide to check) but if it's a penalty, it *should* get checked more frequently. So for the sending off here, he might of given a yellow and VAR might say 'go take a look' but its more likely they won't compared to giving a red and telling him to check.

Lastly, the absolute cop out and to me, shows a level of corruption, is the definition of 'a clear, open and obvious error' rule. What that really means is, if its contentious, who does it impact? Big club, don't worry about it, we'll hide behind this definition to appease clubs and large fan bases. if its Fulham, well, it wasn't clear and obvious was it?......You might think thats tin foil hat, and it is to some extent, but I'm struggling to see how a simple use of revisionist software can be used so bloody badly in whats considered the best league in the world. Either the clowns who make the rules need getting rid of, or the failed ref's who use the software need stripping away for proper video analysts. And the refs unions can do one as well. From their continuous statements about refs and control, you'd think they directly wanted to influence matches to their hearts content each week......

[andyk]

I think the bias still applies 
If he gives a yellow to a big club and they say "review", it still lands on him. He's also got the big club management team glaring at him a few yards away and despite the rules they are definitely in his ear.
It's not intentional or some conspiracy, it's just human nature. The borderline decision goes the way of the big club, because the ref knows he will get more hassle from those decisions We just have to live with that, coz I can't see it changing.

[FFC1987]

I think the bias still applies 
If he gives a yellow to a big club and they say "review", it still lands on him. He's also got the big club management team glaring at him a few yards away and despite the rules they are definitely in his ear.
It's not intentional or some conspiracy, it's just human nature. The borderline decision goes the way of the big club, because the ref knows he will get more hassle from those decisions We just have to live with that, coz I can't see it changing.

I did acknowledge that to be fair in my post. They just hide behind the 'clear and obvious error' rule to escape out and out criticism from small clubs.

[mrmicawbers]

Went for the ball but unfortunately it was gone.Looked much worse than it was imo.poo ball from lookman didn't help.

[ffcne]

Went for the ball but unfortunately it was gone.Looked much worse than it was imo.poo ball from lookman didn't help.

Lookman was being manhandled by Mount .
Which was a definite foul.

[Bill2]

Went for the ball but unfortunately it was gone.Looked much worse than it was imo.poo ball from lookman didn't help.

Lookman was being manhandled by Mount .
Which was a definite foul.

Of course this doesn't get a mention by any of the media pundits, but if you look at the highlights Mount who was nowhere near the ball physically dragged the Fulham player back so the Chelsea player could get the ball, clear foul. The tackle of Robinson was not that bad and the only connection with Zap was on the follow through, he had jumped in the air so the tackle spun him round, had he had a foot on the ground it would have knocked him over but wouldn't have looked so bad. Zap being the professional he is let out a loud cry and rolled around holding his leg even though that was not touched, by the way when I say professional I really mean something else, a bit like when Rashford did the same thing to Frank a couple of years ago at Old Trafford. However, Robinson gave the Ref a chance to issue a red and he did.

[love4ffc]

This is the Bobby Reid tackle that I thought was not a yellow card.  More importantly as shown in this tweet by Bryan Stamey the ref watches Giroud push Reed over and completely disregards it.  The ref points to the incident but never addresses it. 

For me that is red card as Giroud pushes Reed with hands to head.  But that would never happen because of the double standard in the league  :031: 

How can ref give @bobbyreid93 a yellow here?? He won the challenge!! Plus the ref watches Giroud push Reed over and disregards it?!? #FulhamChelsea @WhiteNoise1879 @FulhamFCUSA pic.twitter.com/NI2EWrspl8

— Bryan Stamey (@bryan_stamey) January 16, 2021

[Bill2]

This is the Bobby Reid tackle that I thought was not a yellow card.  More importantly as shown in this tweet by Bryan Stamey the ref watches Giroud push Reed over and completely disregards it.  The ref points to the incident but never addresses it. 

For me that is red card as Giroud pushes Reed with hands to head.  But that would never happen because of the double standard in the league  :031: 

How can ref give @bobbyreid93 a yellow here?? He won the challenge!! Plus the ref watches Giroud push Reed over and disregards it?!? #FulhamChelsea @WhiteNoise1879 @FulhamFCUSA pic.twitter.com/NI2EWrspl8

— Bryan Stamey (@bryan_stamey) January 16, 2021

I think this says it all about this ref, a red and yellow card to Fulham players but two off the ball incidents by Chelsea go unpunished

[toshes mate]

It is quite extraordinary to me that contributors to this thread can be certain that what they saw as a red card offence could be considered by others as not a red card, and vice versa.   To add credence to my argument that neither side can claim superiority I would say that had you been asked beforehand what the punishment would be for Robinson's coming challenge on Azpilicueta many of you would have guessed wrong especially if you were going to see the whole thing live in three dimensions and not on a TV with very mixed and marginal levels of quality. I never listen to commentary or punditry because it does interfere with the effectiveness of your other senses.  I also believe there are many other variables acting on each and every outcome which defy easy definition.

That is the reason why watching in two dimensions has to done with care and caution because we don't see what the referee and others at the game see, and is my condemnation of VAR as anything other than a tool for watching offside margins and balls crossing goal lines between the posts.  Even most handballs are not very clearly or cleverly seen in two dimensions.

In the broadcasted event Robinson seems marginally late to the ball but not aiming his tackle at his opponent but at the ball.  Both players have momentum that causes the clash between them, with Robinson unable to do anything other than slow down as fast as he can, and Azpilicueta to move his legs and body out of the way as fast as he can which he is already in the act of doing when Robinson's lower leg catches him very slightly and accentuates his lift and roll.  It looks much worse than it actually is but, at the end of the day, referee Peter Bankes make his decision quickly.  Whether it was right or wrong seems immaterial now but Bankes has hardly excelled himself at refereeing lower levels of football and probably would not be in the upper realms were it not for the current dearth of decent officials.  But he was in charge and he decided as he did.   He cannot help his mediocrity if that is what he suffers from.  Would another referee have called it the same way?  Who knows other than to say there is no certainty involved in any of this?

My own call was one of acceptance that it would be a red card because it has been that way all season.
   

[fulhamtom]

I think that inthis day and age it was always looking like a red but Azpilacueta had to roll over and over around 4 times. It shows he was putting it on as, in my opinion, if you are taken out you don't naturally roll over and over like that.

[bill taylors apprentice]

Whatever we think about refs and their management of games, this kind of action by any player gives the ref a very strong opportunity to show a red card and in todays game it's very likely any ref would do so.

[bahay18]

I think the main reason im annoyed by the decision is the consistency factor . We all know that some point this season a fulham player will get absolutely clattered and it will be a yellow .

You see these reckless/out of control challenges all the time .Cavani in the carabao at everton .he  Sent richarlison flying , fella got up spitting blood and genuinely had to be helped from the pitch and subbed as he was so dazed (not like the chelsea guy at the weekend) and its not even a yellow card . funnily enough , same game he grabbed the everton centre half by the throat and threw him to the ground , not a yellow for that either

Billy sharp last week agains newcastle , lands on the guys Achilles from behind with a lunge and its yellow , kamara was red .