RATE THE REF - Michael Oliver v Liverpool

[claretspice]

I don't think you can argue Oliver got anything wrong, in isolation, today. But I think in other games, on othe occasions, Hannibal might have got the benefit of the doubt or Ugochukwu might have got away with two tackles that were genuine attempts to play the ball.

But I particularly agree with the point that Ekdal was fouled quite clearly, immediately before the first Ugochukwu yellow card and there was a pattern in the first half of Liverpool getting the odd soft foul and Burnley not getting more obvious ones. Whether that's soft bias or just because those clubs know better how to play those referees, I don't know.

[wadeswondergoal]

A6
B7
C6
D6
An away blower chocked on all decisions for us

Probably about time you gave up posting

[Cardclaret]

Virtually every corner Salah wrapped his arms round Dubravka and leant into him. Sometimes goalie managed to force him off and sometimes not, when did manhandling the keeper while the corner is coming over become legal.

[CaptJohn]

I just don't like it when the referee celebrates awarding a penalty

[dougcollins]

His body language when he gave the second yellow, and then the penalty, was worrying to me.

Almost celebratory.

[dougcollins]

Virtually every corner Salah wrapped his arms round Dubravka and leant into him. Sometimes goalie managed to force him off and sometimes not, when did manhandling the keeper while the corner is coming over become legal.

Pretty much all teams do this, but its up to the ref to sort it.

It's usually a small guy who's not going to be involved in heading the corner.

We've used Cullen in that role.

[claretspice]

Pretty much all teams do this, but its up to the ref to sort it.

It's usually a small guy who's not going to be involved in heading the corner.

We've used Cullen in that role.

Stephen Ward was a master at it.

Apart from the foul on Ekdal before Ugochukwu's booking, I'd like to see the second foul by Kerkez again. If it's the one I think it is, and didn't spot him as the culprit at the time, but it looked pretty arguable for a booking because it was a cynical pull back, and if so he's extremely lucky.

[claretspice]

His body language when he gave the second yellow, and then the penalty, was worrying to me.

Almost celebratory.

I don't think that's true, or especially fair, or helpful.

It was just decisive. It was the same body language he displayed when he booked Kerkez for diving.

[Ashingtonclaret46]

Stephen Ward was a master at it.

Apart from the foul on Ekdal before Ugochukwu's booking, I'd like to see the second foul by Kerkez again. If it's the one I think it is, and didn't spot him as the culprit at the time, but it looked pretty arguable for a booking because it was a cynical pull back, and if so he's extremely lucky.

I haven't seen any of today's game, however, I have noticed that, in the last few weeks, there have been quite a number of cynical pulls which have not seen a card issued.
It is another thing which seems to have entered the 'hit and miss' category. Sadly, this may well be the directive from the PGMO who seem to change interpretations at a whim.
We really need to get back to enforcing The Laws of the Game instead of trying to make things more entertaining by ignoring the Laws.

[dougcollins]

I don't think that's true, or especially fair, or helpful.

It was just decisive. It was the same body language he displayed when he booked Kerkez for diving.

Fair comment spice. Open to interpretation in the heat of the moment.

[wilks_bfc]

Stephen Ward was a master at it.

Apart from the foul on Ekdal before Ugochukwu's booking, I'd like to see the second foul by Kerkez again. If it's the one I think it is, and didn't spot him as the culprit at the time, but it looked pretty arguable for a booking because it was a cynical pull back, and if so he's extremely lucky.

I thought that was the reason Slot took him off before half time.
He was lucky to escape the second yellow and if he hadn’t have been subbed I doubt he’d have lasted the full game

[Goody1975]

He did apply the rules, the player doesn't have to leave the field if a card is given for a challenge that makes them need treatment.

Ah, but unless the directive has changed then the length of time that treatment is administered determines if a player stays on or not.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Have given this time to get home and think, but without seeing highlights.

A - 10. Far too many little fouls not given to us. Not convinced by the pen - he was blindsided and must have guessed, I’m still not certain the ball was over the line as the elbow was pointed forwards. Should have been play on while VAR has a look.
B - 5. Kerkez booking only firm thing against them but he should have gone later.
C - 20. Generally good but I don’t like this modern positioning as they are too close to play and get view obscured.
D - 10. Too chummy with the lot he refs every few weeks and there was one obvious one where the Liverpool player asked for a foul and got it.

Not 100% certain on the Lesley bookings or the pen, without seeing a replay, but what seems irrefutable is Oliver was desperate to get involved and make game changing decisions. The pen had numerous doubtful aspects, was the elbow over the line, was the arm unnatural - they just didn’t take time to ponder or for a proper VAR check. At the other end, they would. Also, he gave Kerkez the benefit of the doubt when he dragged down Anthony, but didn’t give Lesley the same consistent courtesy with an honest try at a block. That wasn’t elite reffing.

So on balance we were halfway between being desperately unlucky and being unfairly affected by the officials.

[RammyClaret61]

Watching on TV got all the big decisions correct

But all the smaller decisions he ignored, or got wrong. these created some of the big decisions he then gladly gave.

[quoonbeatz]

He’s a poor referee and always has been. On our part we have to learn to manage these referees better. We know Oliver is going to be looking for the slightest thing to give the big clubs the points, that’s how he’s always been, overawed by the big name players. Don’t give him the chance. Take Big Les off, like they did with Kerkez (who should have been off for a 2nd yellow by then, but of course wasn’t). And don’t turn your back with your arms out in the area.

He got the Kerkez booking right - he’d have looked a right plank if he’d got that wrong as it’s the most blatant dive there’s been in years - but this was another largely crap performance from a referee who has never really understood the game since he was fast tracked far too early.

[quoonbeatz]

Watching on TV got all the big decisions correct

Every decision is a big decision. Everything that happens in football affects what happens next.

This is why you can largely ignore tv views, everything is looked at in isolation, you don’t see half of what happens on the pitch, like you do at the ground.

[clarets1978]

He did apply the rules, the player doesn't have to leave the field if a card is given for a challenge that makes them need treatment.

Did the same for Anthony in the 2nd half as well so he applied it correctly and for both sides

[BurnleyFC]

Szoboszlai I think it was drilling the ball miles over the bar then appealing for and getting a corner from both Oliver and the linesman was an absolute joke.

[Sheffield Claret]

The same linesman who gave a throw to Liverpool in injury time which was clearly ours. So rather than us running down the clock and giving our defence our breather, they go up the other end and score. Difficult to decide between incompetence and bias - neither one reflects well on the officials.

[Tricky Trevor]

Most on bere know my opinion of bim but he was fine.
My only disappointment was the second yellow. Most refs would have just given the FK against a player on a yellow already.
A) Wirtz had played the ball to Hartman.
B) It was more of a trip than an ankle assault
The downside is he was off his feet.

[IanMcL]

Big team/Premier Leagur number one enforcer.

So biased and ready to give to the key teams.

[Turfmoorclaret]

A. Decision Making (including use of advantage) - 23 thought he got all the big calls correct.
B. Consistency - 13 my honest assessment after sleeping on it hasn’t changed from my feelings on the game Liverpool seemed to get an awful lot of soft free kicks that weren’t replicated.
C. Fitness and Positioning - 25 I don’t think we can argue this always where he needed to be to see the big calls.
D. Control and Authority - 20

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

The same linesman who gave a throw to Liverpool in injury time which was clearly ours. So rather than us running down the clock and giving our defence our breather, they go up the other end and score. Difficult to decide between incompetence and bias - neither one reflects well on the officials.

He also gave a suspect offside against Laurent a few minutes before this.

[ClaretTony]

I've watched all the big decisions again including the yellow cards he gave and the ones he didn't. From what I can see he got them all correct.