Football coverage in the UK

RedStarUnited

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Nicked from the Rashford player thread...

it's important that they show every little foul or possible VAR situation ten times but dribblings like these are hardly replayed from different angles in Premier league broadcast for some reason. No respect for skills, but controversy is always more important to the english media. Just like their post match VAR discussion, but beautiful second goal is not even mentioned.
If anyone watched the game on BT Sports in the UK last night, After the game they literally spent half an hour talking about the VAR decision. I don't think they had a single replay of our second goal.

I have noticed it since I started watching La Liga frequently back in the Zidane days. If a bit of skill happens in the game in La Liga, it gets a replay when theres a pause. We hardly get that here, but we will get a replay of someone making a hard tackle.

Why is the coverage like that here and how comes it hasn't changed with the times?
 

TheNewEra

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Nicked from the Rashford player thread...



If anyone watched the game on BT Sports in the UK last night, After the game they literally spent half an hour talking about the VAR decision. I don't think they had a single replay of our second goal.

I have noticed it since I started watching La Liga frequently back in the Zidane days. If a bit of skill happens in the game in La Liga, it gets a replay when theres a pause. We hardly get that here, but we will get a replay of someone making a hard tackle.

Why is the coverage like that here and how comes it hasn't changed with the times?
Assuming controversy sells better, plus its a new technology, VAR talk I think will die out when its integrated more effectively.

It seems everyone is still debating how the technology could be used, that's subjective in some ways.

'It should be like rugby', 'referees should go to the monitor', 'they shouldn't be scared to overturn decisions'.

Everyone has an opinion, it's not like GLT (Goal-line technology) where it's 100% automated and "look its not crossed the line".

A lot of the VAR decisions are dependent on the angle, who makes contact first, is there clear contact and so on.

Some people will argue a player pushed them a little, some will say he went to ground easier. (what I'm saying is, there will be bias from opposition fans and pundits) and people still don't know how it should be used.
 

limerickcitykid

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I was watching NBC coverage any they showed about 10 replays of each goal with Andy Townsend (I believe was him) creaming himself the entire time about how he loves Bruno, Martial, and Rashford and how amazing they are.

English people just love to complain and moan, so no surprise they focus more on bitching about VAR. No doubt if some of them could just skip the football match and bitch about VAR and how it was better in the good old days for 90 minutes they’d do that. All they’re interested in is furthering their agenda against whatever it is they hate this month. You have to remember these are the same idiots that bitched and moaned about goal line tech too.
 

RUCK4444

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This! Regarding the VAR discussed in the OP.

VAR is a cancer of the beautiful game, we are doomed to forever watch mind numbingly boring lines/angles on a screen to figure out if somebodies big toe is offside. It’s pathetic and nobody will tell me different.

Ive consistently posted that I didn’t want VAR in the game and every concern I had has been realised and exceeded far beyond my original expectations.

The argument was always ‘where do we draw the line’ if VAR was implemented... well now we know, they are drawn across the screen and evaluated and discussed FAR more than the football we all want to actually watch.

VAR helped us out yesterday, and has helped us quite often, but I would still scrap it tomorrow if I could, for the betterment of the game. A game that was never broken to begin with.
 

hubbuh

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It’s sad and petty, but I’m going to spend some of my free time today (on a fecking Friday of all days - one of my day’s off!) to complain to BT about their coverage last night. Aside from solely focusing on VAR instead of the actual footy as mentioned in the OP, paying to watch Robbie Savage shout over the top of a referee who was trying to explain it from the ref’s perspective was the last straw. It was absolutely embarrassing, made worse by Jake Shepherd giggling to himself as it unfolded (he turned to Rio at one point to see if he was laughing too, he wasn’t. The paid host/annoying schoolboy stopped laughing after that, which says it all about him). It was so amateur, and the fact Sky have had all the games really makes me want to skewer those cnuts.
 

duffer

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It’s sad and petty, but I’m going to spend some of my free time today (on a fecking Friday of all days - one of my day’s off!) to complain to BT about their coverage last night. Aside from solely focusing on VAR instead of the actual footy as mentioned in the OP, paying to watching Robbie Savage shout over the top of a referee who was trying to explain it from the ref’s perspective was the last straw. It was absolutely embarrassing, made worse by Jake Shepherd giggling to himself as it unfolded (he turned to Rio at one point to see if he was laughing too, he wasn’t. The paid host/annoying schoolboy stopped laughing after that, which says it all about him). It was so amateur, and the fact Sky have had all the games really makes me want to skewer those cnuts.

While you are at it, can you chuck in a few complaints about Rio Ferdinand being about as biased as it's possible to be please?

I don't care enough to actually make a complaint but if you're already doing it, that would be great.
 

VP89

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This! Regarding the VAR discussed in the OP.

VAR is a cancer of the beautiful game, we are doomed to forever watch mind numbingly boring lines/angles on a screen to figure out if somebodies big toe is offside. It’s pathetic and nobody will tell me different.

Ive consistently posted that I didn’t want VAR in the game and every concern I had has been realised and exceeded far beyond my original expectations.

The argument was always ‘where do we draw the line’ if VAR was implemented... well now we know, they are drawn across the screen and evaluated and discussed FAR more than the football we all want to actually watch.

VAR helped us out yesterday, and has helped us quite often, but I would still scrap it tomorrow if I could, for the betterment of the game. A game that was never broken to begin with.
This is too far. VAR is in it's debut year and the lawmakers are undoubtedly revising the parameters for which its implemented. Next season you'll find a lot of these fractional calls will be ignored by VAR and it will be implemented with a bigger focus on clear/obvious only. I mean thats what they should have been doing to begin with but you can forgive a teething period.

VAR has a massive impact on how the game is officiated, this idea that one can rule it as a success or failure after one season of settling is just ludicrous to me. You need to allow for the lawmakers to tweak the application of VAR to suit the flow of the modern game. It's not as binary as "Oh I've had 9 months of them using it, it's a "cancer" to football".

The guest referee on BT Sport confirmed that from next season, lawmakers won't be looking to implement VAR for fractional offsides like what we saw yesterday. He confirmed there are many things they are going to tweak and implement from next season.
 

VP89

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While you are at it, can you chuck in a few complaints about Rio Ferdinand being about as biased as it's possible to be please?

I don't care enough to actually make a complaint but if you're already doing it, that would be great.
Yeh he's not a good pundit. He was hyping us way more than we deserved after full time.
 

hubbuh

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While you are at it, can you chuck in a few complaints about Rio Ferdinand being about as biased as it's possible to be please?

I don't care enough to actually make a complaint but if you're already doing it, that would be great.
Anything in particular or just general bias? I’d turned it off after all VAR guff, must have missed the chat about actual football.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Probably pandering to arseholes like me because I think the endless replays of any shit skill in La Liga is as tedious as it is grating.

That said, it perhaps would be better to see more emphasis on slick team play rather than obsessing over decisions. I guess it's part of the British psyche for fair play in sports (yes I know that ideal isn't always adhered to and the British Empire was really bad etc etc).
 

hubbuh

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Yeh he's not a good pundit. He was hyping us way more than we deserved after full time.
As a United fan I fecking love him! I reckon you’ll be in the minority on here as a Rio dissenter. An ex pro that has a bit of charisma and over-the-top love for the club?! Sign me the feck up!
 

cyberman

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BT asks for tweets and social media interaction during their coverage, they create the outrage for exposure.
 

Tiber

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Couldn't give a toss what they show after the game as long as they embrace the 21st Century and keep every game on TV in the seasons to come. It's been a very positive development since the restart.

Much better to actually get a load more games on my expensive Sky subscription plus a handful on BBC rather than having to watch a crap stream.
 

duffer

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As a United fan I fecking love him! I reckon you’ll be in the minority on here as a Rio dissenter. An ex pro that has a bit of charisma and over-the-top love for the club?! Sign me the feck up!
I can see why fans like him. It just feels like the sort of thing you'd see on Man United TV, Chelsea TV or a FanCam channel.
 

RUCK4444

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This is too far. VAR is in it's debut year and the lawmakers are undoubtedly revising the parameters for which its implemented. Next season you'll find a lot of these fractional calls will be ignored by VAR and it will be implemented with a bigger focus on clear/obvious only. I mean thats what they should have been doing to begin with but you can forgive a teething period.

VAR has a massive impact on how the game is officiated, this idea that one can rule it as a success or failure after one season of settling is just ludicrous to me. You need to allow for the lawmakers to tweak the application of VAR to suit the flow of the modern game. It's not as binary as "Oh I've had 9 months of them using it, it's a "cancer" to football".

The guest referee on BT Sport confirmed that from next season, lawmakers won't be looking to implement VAR for fractional offsides like what we saw yesterday. He confirmed there are many things they are going to tweak and implement from next season.
Why is it ludicrous to expect something so massively important to be implemented properly initially?
In any other industry it wouldn’t be accepted to ‘learn on the job.’ That’s farcical.

Also how are they going to ignore the marginal calls? They can’t. That’s the inherent problem, you can’t give offside for somebody that was 2 clear yards offside and then ignore one that’s marginal - there will be uproar. Which was always the argument for ‘where do we draw the line’ prior to it being implemented.

It’s slow, clumsy, inaccurate and above all it detracts from the game itself - which it should never do.
 

hubbuh

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I can see why fans like him. It just feels like the sort of thing you'd see on Man United TV, Chelsea TV or a FanCam channel.
He definitely slides between fan/pundit. I don’t think it’s fair to reduce him to one of those loons you’d find on fan club Internet pages, though?! Is that how low opposition fans regard him? He was one of the few pundits who vocally defended Pogba after the incessant Souness and Keane bashing. For that alone he deserves a bit of credit!
 

ShinjiNinja26

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While you are at it, can you chuck in a few complaints about Rio Ferdinand being about as biased as it's possible to be please?

I don't care enough to actually make a complaint but if you're already doing it, that would be great.
I love him but obviously I’m a United fan but its nice to see for a change especially when you’re used to Gary Neville who goes so far the other way and has regular digs at the club to prove he’s not biased. Plus every other club has pundits that don’t seem to give a feck about being biased especially Liverpool I.e Carragher so it’s refreshing to see from a United POV.
 

duffer

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I love him but obviously I’m a United fan but its nice to see for a change especially when you’re used to Gary Neville who goes so far the other way and has regular digs at the club to prove he’s not biased. Plus every other club has pundits that don’t seem to give a feck about being biased especially Liverpool I.e Carragher so it’s refreshing to see from a United POV.
You've got Ferdinand and Evra. Liverpool have a load. Who are the Chelsea ones?

Joe and Ashley Cole occasionally pop up but both are not huge cheerleaders like Ian Wright.
 

VP89

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Why is it ludicrous to expect something so massively important to be implemented properly initially?
In any other industry it wouldn’t be accepted to ‘learn on the job.’ That’s farcical.
What are you on about? It's not a switch to flick on. There are laws implemented and referees need to adapt to them. You're being farcical if you think they should just seamlessly transition without any problem whatsoever.

Also how are they going to ignore the marginal calls? They can’t. That’s the inherent problem, you can’t give offside for somebody that was 2 clear yards offside and then ignore one that’s marginal - there will be uproar. Which was always the argument for ‘where do we draw the line’ prior to it being implemented.
They can, because the frame rate of the videos can't keep up with the play and it becomes too difficult to decide whether it's one way or the other. The guest ref confirmed this is something actively being looked at and altered for next season, especially when you consider the "clear and obvious" guidance.
It’s slow, clumsy, inaccurate and above all it detracts from the game itself - which it should never do.
I don't give 2 fecks if its slow as long as its more right than wrong. And I enjoy games all the same, along with many others.
 

RUCK4444

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What are you on about? It's not a switch to flick on. There are laws implemented and referees need to adapt to them. You're being farcical if you think they should just seamlessly transition without any problem whatsoever.


They can, because the frame rate of the videos can't keep up with the play and it becomes too difficult to decide whether it's one way or the other. The guest ref confirmed this is something actively being looked at and altered for next season, especially when you consider the "clear and obvious" guidance.

I don't give 2 fecks if its slow as long as its more right than wrong. And I enjoy games all the same, along with many others.
I watched exactly the same clip your referring to on BT where the ex ref talked about the frame rate. But ask yourself a basic question, where do the refs draw the line and say ‘that’s clear and obvious’ and ‘that’s not clear and obvious.’

There’s probably not an easy mathematical or feckin quick way of deciding that case by case, during each live game. Not without getting our feckin calculators out and our old physics teachers to decide what’s fair - and even then you will have fans being unhappy.

It’s a bottomless can of worms, the most boring worms in the world, worms that eat nothing but fun and excitement and replace it with a big pile of steaming worm sh*t on the face of what was a perfect feckin game. Facts.:D
 

VP89

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I watched exactly the same clip your referring to on BT where the ex ref talked about the frame rate. But ask yourself a basic question, where do the refs draw the line and say ‘that’s clear and obvious’ and ‘that’s not clear and obvious.’
It shouldn't be a hard call. Clear and obvious in the context of offsides can be given an actual number of mm or cm or whatever where its forgiven for an error. Whereas handballs, clear red cards missed by the ref, more clear offsides missed etc.. these are all VAR worthy decisions.
There’s probably not an easy mathematical or feckin quick way of deciding that case by case, during each live game. Not without getting our feckin calculators out and our old physics teachers to decide what’s fair - and even then you will have fans being unhappy.
As above, I think there is. If you're pointing to a fraction offside like the vid yesterday, it's not clear and obvious and you move on. OK VAR might need to check on it for 1 minute after the goal, but in those circumstances the time is cut massively short because they rule it's not obvious to them on the surface of a video replay, so its granted.

Right now they are just seeing whether its offside, even if its not obvious from a replay, which is wrong. They should just view it with an agreed parameter that "x mm is allowed as an error, if its not obvious when we re-watch then its not offside". I think this will cut out a big part of the problem from both 1) time wasted on analyzing the play and 2) the moan on whether its right or wrong.
It’s a bottomless can of worms, the most boring worms in the world, worms that eat nothing but fun and excitement and replace it with a big pile of steaming worm sh*t on the face of what was a perfect feckin game. Facts.:D
Yeah we can just agree to disagree on this bit
 

ShinjiNinja26

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You've got Ferdinand and Evra. Liverpool have a load. Who are the Chelsea ones?

Joe and Ashley Cole occasionally pop up but both are not huge cheerleaders like Ian Wright.
Yeah sorry can’t help you there. Cole ain’t too bad but Ashley Cole is brutal. You could defo do with having better representation. :lol: