VAR and Refereeing 2025/26 | General Discussion

[Oranges038]

Gaslighting us all week on week.
Atwell studying Sesko's goal for the most micro of contact.
It's becoming ridiculous.

As soon as I heard he was on VAR, I knew he'd try his best to rule it out.

No replays of anything else though, I'd like to see that one on Bruno that was cleared at the end.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

It did look like it brushed his fingers. Absolutely peak VAR to disallow a goal for that but I’d be fuming if I was a Liverpool fan.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

As soon as I heard he was on VAR, I knew he'd try his best to rule it out.

No replays of anything else though, I'd like to see that one on Bruno that was cleared at the end.

Yeah, same.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Who decided to give this shit ref this game?

What constituted a foul today was basically a lottery

 

[Idxomer]

Ridiculous how they zoomed on Sesko.

You could argue that there were two fouls committed on him during the phase of play. The first looked like a clear penalty and a red card.

 

[SirScholes]

Ridiculous how they zoomed on Sesko.

And still got it wrong haha

 

[Rockets Redglare]

It did look like it brushed his fingers. Absolutely peak VAR to disallow a goal for that but I’d be fuming if I was a Liverpool fan.

I wouldn’t want that disallowed against United, it barely touched him.

 

[Doracle]

It did look like it brushed his fingers. Absolutely peak VAR to disallow a goal for that but I’d be fuming if I was a Liverpool fan.

Yeah, very surprised it wasn’t ruled out as my initial thought was it brushed his fingers.

I just want them to get rid of that terrible handball rule. Just apply the same handball to goalscorers as for any other player/incident. That worked fine for 100+ years and avoids this need to check if there might have been a tiniest brush of a finger.

 

[Gregawa]

I still think the worst decision in the match today was the non-decision when Konate ran through the back of Sesko (maybe Cunha) down the slope. It was the clearest shove / elbow, and nothing was given. It's a big joke.

 

[NinjaZombie]

I still think the worst decision in the match today was the non-decision when Konate ran through the back of Sesko (maybe Cunha) down the slope. It was the clearest shove / elbow, and nothing was given. It's a big joke.

Yeah. It was Sesko. I'd be fine with that if he reffed the game for both teams in that same way but Liverpool were getting all the soft calls.

 

[Berbasbullet]

I still think the worst decision in the match today was the non-decision when Konate ran through the back of Sesko (maybe Cunha) down the slope. It was the clearest shove / elbow, and nothing was given. It's a big joke.

The Cunha “foul” in the second was bad too.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Yeah, very surprised it wasn’t ruled out as my initial thought was it brushed his fingers.

I just want them to get rid of that terrible handball rule. Just apply the same handball to goalscorers as for any other player/incident. That worked fine for 100+ years and avoids this need to check if there might have been a tiniest brush of a finger.

Yeah, agreed.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Yeah. It was Sesko. I'd be fine with that if he reffed the game for both teams in that same way but Liverpool were getting all the soft calls.

He literally gave a foul towards the end because Dorgu ran near Gravenbach... (Who didn't even appeal for a foul)

 

[kouroux]

I still think the worst decision in the match today was the non-decision when Konate ran through the back of Sesko (maybe Cunha) down the slope. It was the clearest shove / elbow, and nothing was given. It's a big joke.

I'd love to hear his justification for not giving a FK and a yellow card

 

[goldenboy]

I have to say I thought it looked a handball for Sesko's goal.

United are due a bit of luck from the referees though.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

Whats the rule on stopping play when a mans down in the box?

 

[LARulz]

It definitely went off his fingers, ball changed direction marginally and more importantly, his fingers went back

 

[acnumber9]

By the rules the goal should’ve been disallowed. Outside of that, the ref let them make constant fouls with no punishment and that has a pretty big impact on a game. Particularly on a team relying on pressing to create anything.

 

[PSV]

Lucky today.

Could have had the Bruno tackle looked at and technically got lucky on the two goals.

 

[Davie Moyes]

I've still not seen a replay that shows it actually touched Sesko's fingers. Annoying but typical they spent ages trying to look for something to get it disallowed, yet we see no replays of Utd's calls and they get cleared after 20 seconds.

 

[Swedish_Plumber]

The Liverpool loving media will go big on the Sesko non call and United will never get a decision again

 

[NinjaZombie]

It definitely went off his fingers, ball changed direction marginally and more importantly, his fingers went back

Then we should have been given a penalty. He got clattered trying to get something on the ball.

 

[Phil]

every smaller decision went Liverpool’s way, was absolutely infuriating. The contact level was different for each team and that Dorgu one at the end was absolutely insane.

Would’ve loved to have seen a replay of the penalty call on Bruno, but hey ho.

 

[BorisManUtd]

I've still not seen a replay that shows it actually touched Sesko's fingers. Annoying but typical they spent ages trying to look for something to get it disallowed, yet we see no replays of Utd's calls and they get cleared after 20 seconds.

It can be seen but only from a video that was shown like 20 minutes later. That angle wasn't there for a ref to see when he was making the a decision. From replay he (and all of us) was shown, it looked like it doesn't touch Šeško's fingers so looked like correct decision to give the goal.

 

[M Bison]

I still think the worst decision in the match today was the non-decision when Konate ran through the back of Sesko (maybe Cunha) down the slope. It was the clearest shove / elbow, and nothing was given. It's a big joke.

Yeah shocking that, as clear a foul as you’ll ever see. Surprised Sesko didn’t kick off over it a bit, the players all just seemed to accept it.

 

[Who's Kissing Cameras?]

A truly horrific refereeing performance today. A disgrace. Not surprising given it was the Scouse.

 

[Blood Mage]

Scousers complaining about Sesko's goal when the ref gave them everything today, always the victims.

 

[Davie Moyes]

It can be seen but only from a video that was shown like 20 minutes later. That angle wasn't there for a ref to see when he was making a decision. From replay he (and all of us) was shown, it looked like it doesn't touch Šeško's fingers so looked like correct decision to give the goal.

Ah I see. Cheers for that.

 

[Lay]

I don't usually like to comment on bad refs but that was shite today. He ruined the flow of the game and blew up for nonexistent fouls constantly.

 

[Ayush_reddevil]

So much talk about the handball but what got missed is Sesko gets a push in the back in the chance before that and it should have been a red plus a penalty

 

[Bowlcut11]

I don't usually like to comment on bad refs but that was shite today. He ruined the flow of the game and blew up for nonexistent fouls constantly.

But then also didn't blow for the same fouls in other parts of the pitch including the Konate on Sesko one. Very very strange performance

 

[Apokalips]

I'm fine with it standing today because feck Liverpool but a fingernail, a finger or a full blown volleyball serve should be treated the same.

No it shouldn't, there should only be disallowed goals if touching the hand has a material effect on the goal being scored vs not being scored IMO. Fans complain about VAR taking time but at the same time want us to spend minutes zooming in to see if an immaterial touch of the ball happened?

I don't understand how numerous pushes in the back didn't result in fouls for us today, how can defenders be allowed to just push an attacker from behind constantly to win the ball back via goal kick/throw in?

 

[hellhunter]

I'm fine with it standing today because feck Liverpool but a fingernail, a finger or a full blown volleyball serve should be treated the same.

As it should according to the rules.

I think Sesko touched the ball with his hand. It seems likely to me. But I haven't seen any replay really proving that suspicion, so would assume they can't rule it out on that basis

 

[TheReligion]

I think it was inconclusive RE the fingertips either way so can understand why they didn’t give it. Slot didn’t seem bothered.

 

[Shane88]

They had to slow it down by 200% and zoom in by 400% to see the skin of his hangnail may have whispered to the ball.

 

[always_hoping]

If Sesko goal was disallowed for fingertips then I believe VAR would roll the clip back to see he was fouled just before that so not only a penalty would be given but would be Liverpool down to ten men, something to consider for those that think United got "lucky"

 

[Dansk]

At least he didn't give Liverpool 11 minutes of injury time.

 

[The Purley King]

Was there even a replay of Sesko potentially getting a push in the back a few seconds before the goal?
If asked I’m sure we would have preferred a penalty and a red card as opposed to a goal .

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

Was there even a replay of Sesko potentially getting a push in the back a few seconds before the goal?
If asked I’m sure we would have preferred a penalty and a red card as opposed to a goal .

It’s technically a foul, but precedence shows they never get given. It’s made worse by the drop off at OT.

Yes there were replays.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Was there even a replay of Sesko potentially getting a push in the back a few seconds before the goal?
If asked I’m sure we would have preferred a penalty and a red card as opposed to a goal .

Don't remember seeing one, they just seemed hell bent on proving that the ball grazed Seskos finger nail instead.