Don't blame the ref , he could have unsighted but VAR is there for exactly that reason .
While I don't believe in the corruption angle , you have to think there may have been some inherent bias involved .
If no bias then clearly should never be in the VAR seat again , there has to be consequences .
Ref went to the screen, saw it, and still didn't give the handball.
That was his choice, even with multiple angles showing it was handball and the VAR team telling him he's missed it and should look again.
Ref here 100% in the wrong.
I don't go in for the whole corruption narrative
But that decision was farcical
Stone wall penalty
How many wrong decisions need to go against us for you to agree it is a thing.
Whether it's a directive by a body of people, or just a collection of refs who coincidentally all dislike us enough to make wrong decisions, you can't keep denying it.
Something is off.
I do not think there is any sinister match fixing - every team claims it is against them. It is just refs and VAR being shit. Before VAR there were more bad decisions, just fans accepted human error more. VAR should only be used for the clear and obvious errors instead of checking for any reason to disallow a goal, or replaying tackles in slow motion.
I think it can go one of three ways:
1. Get rid of VAR altogether.
2. Only use it for obvious cheating / mistakes (Maradonna's hand of god, Thierry Henry's handball against Ireland in the WC play off game, Mendes goal at Old Trafford etc). In this event, replays do not need to be watched in slow motion. Restrict VAR replays to no more than 3 at normal speed.
3. Restrict VAR usage to when manager's challenge the ref's decision, with only 3 challenges per game. Challenges need to be made to the 4th official within 20 secs of the event that is being challenged (to prevent coaching teams watching replays first and then challenging).
I would keep goal line technology whatever happens to VAR.
And yet more and more stats are emerging showing it's not even close as to how "differently" we're being reffed.
Nobody has suggested that it only affects us. But it's clearly affecting us way more than others.
And teams like Everton and Newcastle recently have had decisions go against them because those decisions hurt us.
Whilst some fans only observe the direct ones in our matches, some of us have seen how far reaching this bias now goes.
There's no way on earth would Newcastle not have got that penalty, nor have Soucek sent off if those decisions didn't help send us down.
I want a theme from us from now on, of calling out poor ref decisions that have hurt us in the week before the current game.
WH have no successfully defend oppo attacks 3 times with their hands.
Once is an annomoly.
3 times establishes this as a new rule in football. So surely we can handball it in the box too?
Just remember. This wasn't handball even though the ball was pushed away from Gallagher. Arguably a season defining moment.
This wasn't handball. The score was 1-0 WH and could well have made it 1-1 and changed the ultimate outcome. We would have got out of the relegation zone a week earlier and been safe now. This wasn't given, let's not forget, because it was deemed as "grappling"
Which is ALSO A PENALTY.
And then yesterday, with the score a 0-0
Tell me why WHU have been getting away with these since our game?
Had we got that penalty in January, we would have likely moved so far clear of them and taken their hope away it would have been over there and then.
Instead it started one of the most almighty swings in PL relegation battle history. And it's been pushed every week since.
