Whilst I understand what you are saying it is this sort of attitude around football generally that is ruining the game. The dive because you can cheat a penalty, the professional foul because you know it’s only a yellow, the rotational attacking of one player. It’s hardly the beautiful game any more is it? I have to disagree with your last paragraph. It’s the refs that need to change.

Referees across the board are terrible. I cannot think of even one who can do the job adequately, let alone exceptionally. Martin Atkinson evokes the least amount of pant shatting when you see his name, John Moss the most.

This is all down to the culture of refereeing: "Game management" rather than rule enforcement.

The difference between the Palaces of the world and the Uniteds of the world boils down to a difference in attitude towards this fact.
Whilst our players are left to rue bad decisions and flap arms, the players at the big clubs accept the fact that the refs are s*** and take advantage. They practice all manner of conning and deception. They have been told "if you get a touch you need to show us" so they hone their diving skills. That's just making the most of it.
Referees are concerned with "game management", so what do clever players like Ferandinho and Xhaka do? They rack up 10-15 niggly fouls a match which they know will go unpunished by the ref but will ruin any counter attack.

Refereeing isn't going to get better so we have to change our approach. The captain should ride the ref all game long, our players should put in the cynical fouls, and yes: we should be diving about all over the place. Whether you get the fk or get a card, just shrug your shoulders and get on with it. It's the public calling out they don't like, not the cheating.

Whilst I agree, maybe we will see a change with VAR next season.

A couple of weeks back I was listening to a piece on Real Madrid & their poor season. There were several VAR decisions that, if they'd happened previously, the refs alone would probably let go their way (they are Real after all). By applying the letter of the law VAR was estimated to have cost them 11 points over the course of the season.

The guy then went on to say that their performance in games was noticeably impacted when they 'lost' a decision to VAR. Could simply be the perception but the games they've had VAR issues in have tended to be drawn or lost.

That said, I got the impression that Spanish refs were glad of the help but think English ones may not be so welcoming of the technology.

Bissouma. Ref spoke to him and Dunk pointing out how many fouls he had committed....no card. He was also the t*** who was trying to put Luka off at the penalty...no card. Pawson is a very poor ref, completely bottled giving the early red card but....is this the influence of Sky who always like to see 11 v 11

Great post. In theory, I think you're absolutely correct and I like the La Liga comparison which we can see really is having an impact.

We'll have to wait and see, but I predict VAR is going to be an almighty balls up for the EPL. The culture of refereeing is so reliant on subjectivity that the problems are going to be magnified as the the person in charge of VAR is of the same mindset as the one on the pitch. They'll be looking to justify their own bias rather than to enforce objectively.

For VAR to work, a complete (and long overdue) overhaul of refereeing standards is required. This will involve far too much work and self reflection. I reckon they'll abandon it after a season of calamity.

Edited by ChrisGC (11 Mar 2019 4.49pm)