Was it a foul?

[Longshanks]

I don't think it was foul, neves had no control of the ball in first place the contact was absolutely minimal just a 50/50 you could argue the pogba was lunging but the ref let far worse go in the game including a far worse lunge at sacho the sancho pulled out of that Tyler described as a robust challenge.

If the refs are going to let a little more go this season they can't suddenly change there mind if a goal is scored.

 

[Infra-red]

The real question though, is that a booking?

To be fair, Souness definitely got the ball(s).

 

[big rons sovereign]

Don't care, nobody cared last week when Bruno got flattened.
Swings and roundabouts.

 

[roonster09]

Depends on the mood swings of the ref. Bruno was kicked and it wasn't a foul (when Wolves player kicked the ball out of play), then ref called few soft fouls.

Would have been gutted if it was against us btw

 

[CloneMC16]

It was a foul. Pogba completely missed the ball. If that went against us, we'd be pissed. I'm happy, because we got screwed over last week. One went for us today. Souness saying that's a leg breaker is a joke, though. Pogba made a little contact with his shins. If Pogba made stronger contact, he might have a point.

 

[King Eric 7]

It was one of our players who made the challenge, so no, not a foul.

 

[Matthew84!]

Well gotta say I'm surprised how many people think it was a foul, it wasn't a foul and we scored. Anyone saying anything else is going against the ref and the officials.

 

[Duffy]

It's a foul. You want to know the issue? It's that Mike Dean, if you watch the replay, closes his eyes when they make the tackle. He doesn't give anything cause he didn't see anything other than Neves still stood up. Once the ball goes in, if VAR overturns it, it'd have made Dean look absolutely useless cause he's literally stood a yard from the tackle - maybe they think he's so close that it's not a "clear and obvious error".

 

[Bobski]

I am more comfortable with the one against Bruno not being called a foul than this one today, simply because any kind of lunge with the studs presented can end up very ugly.

 

[TheReligion]

Did anyone else think Neves was talking shit?

He said he stayed on his feet after the challenge because he wanted to see where the ball fell. So basically he'd have carried on if they retained possession but when they didn't looked at the ref and decided to go down.

It's a foul to the letter of the law but it's also obvious there wasn't enough contact for him to go down (as he didn't) so I have little sympathy.

 

[InfiniteBoredom]

It is a foul but not a leg breaker. Still could've been fairly bad if he got Neves's ankle though.

 

[DSG]

They are letting incidental contact go this season. Greenwood got a boot to the face by Neves on a high kick challenge and it was rated as incidental contact. Consistency is what we want. He was consistent. Moving his ship and on a 50-50 challenge, then Neves feigning injury. Souness can sod off

 

[TheReligion]

I am more comfortable with the one against Bruno not being called a foul than this one today, simply because any kind of lunge with the studs presented can end up very ugly.

I'm more comfortable taking three points to be honest.

 

[Tom Cato]

The real question though, is that a booking?

Football was different before. Players used to throw fists and karate kicks everywhere and be awarded with a yellow, or sometimes nothing at all because no one laid down and died on the spot.

Cantona got punched in the face and stood there, rubbing his chin wondering if the ref was gonna blow the whistle or not

 

[Jippy]

Heard Ince and sourness both were losing it.

On NBC the post game people were basically saying it was a red

I only saw the Sky pundits. Ince is weirdly bitter too though.

 

[worldinmotion66]

No foul for me, the contact was so minimal. But I could see it being given the way that football's going. Just for perspective, I didn't think there was enough in the Fernandes one last week to be a foul either.

 

[Bobski]

I'm more comfortable taking three points to be honest.

And that is fine, but discussion now will not change the end result, there is nothing to lose by looking at it neutrally.

 

[RUCK4444]

I'd say yeah, but not a clear and obvious mistake and therefore fine for VAR not to overturn it.

Certainly wasn't a leg-breaker.

This. This should be an option as an answer on the poll.

 

[NWOntario]

It's a contact sport. Contact in and of itself isn't enough to constitute a foul. It's a no for me, but the more I listened to Paul Ince afterwards, the more I didn't care and the more I just wanted to luxuriate in his anger.

 

[Tarrou]

i think it is - just

but he was genuinely going for the ball

if Neves went down right away it'd have been given

however Sounness describing it as Pogba looking to do someone, and a leg breaker, is absolutely ridiculous

 

[Lappen]

The ref was awful and had so many strange decisions against us, so I don't feel bad about that decision going our way!
Last week we should have had a freekick on Bruno when they scored...

 

[TheReligion]

And that is fine, but discussion now will not change the end result, there is nothing to lose by looking at it neutrally.

It's not about being comfortable with the decision. It's about the law of the game. Bruno's was a foul as was the one today.

 

[Andersonson]

It's a foul.

Poor from the ref and VAR. I think Keane was spot on. If Neves has gone straight down the ref would've given it.

 

[kiristao]

For me it was a foul because there was contact. Yes it was minimal contact but it was high. Fred got booked for something much lesser when he made much more contact on the ball and then caught the Wolves player in the follow through.
What went against Neves is that he didn't go down screaming the way the Wolves player that got Fred booked did.
Then again, The absolute off the ball body check on Greenwood was deemed not a foul so what do I know??

 

[GreenFieldsGoldenBarley]

Maybe, but Neves’ reaction cost him the free kick, it’s exactly what is wrong with football these days.

I lost the ball,I look a bit silly now what should I do. TIMBERRRR

This, basically. I think the refs have been told not to reward players who are playing for the foul to slow down the game. So if Mike Dean was thinking about it, when he saw Neves take a step and then go down screaming in pain he was like 'no chance'.

 

[Giggs' right foot]

Neves took some time to see if he got a reaction, then laid down and acted like he was in pain.

This is what yellow cards for filming is for

Nah, I don't agree. Filming is for no contact at all in my book. Or an overexaggerated dive compared to a next-to-no-impact situation. But here there was impact.

You see dozens of these situations each game - situations where the players quickly (some quicker than others, Neves ) assess the situations they're in and then simulate pain/a fall/whatever to get the foul. Players for example putting on the brakes mid-run, for being pulled. They don't stop because they physically can't continue, but because they know that according to the law, it's a foul. I'd say it's the same with Neves. He falls to the floor because 1. he can see, that the ball will end at the feet of a United player, and getting a foul is the best bet to get it back, and most importantly 2. he knows that according to the law, it's a foul. Pogba hit his shin. He felt the contact.

Pain, or lack thereof, is not necessarily relevant. Pogba missed the ball and hit Neves' shin. Luckily Neves didn't feel even a tiny portion of pain, but that's still a foul if you ask me.

 

[Ace of Spades]

I don't think it was foul, neves had no control of the ball in first place the contact was absolutely minimal just a 50/50 you could argue the pogba was lunging but the ref let far worse go in the game including a far worse lunge at sacho the sancho pulled out of that Tyler described as a robust challenge.

If the refs are going to let a little more go this season they can't suddenly change there mind if a goal is scored.

Exactly, but it was not even looked at so fair play, under the new rules they seem to have been consistent at least in this match.

The one against Bruno was far more clear and obvious as he actually had the ball under control, and was fouled. But again, fair enough if it the game is allowed to be continued like that, only hope that it is consistent.

 

[UncleBob]

Clear foul, shit refereeing

 

[Rojofiam]

50-50

Neves wouldn't have gone to the ground if a Wolves player picks up the ball instead of Varane

 

[drunkmonkmeth]

It was a foul and so was the foul on bruno last week. clearly they have decided not to reverse these.

 

[Pjisared]

30% said it was 70% thought it wasnt. 100% couldnt give a flying feck

 

[Bilbo]

There wasn't really anything in it. These things always look worse when you slow them down

 

[UncleBob]

I thought it was a reckless tackle given the way he goes in with his studs, and that it should've been a free kick.

We got shafted last week, so yeah.

 

[Ace of Spades]

There were plenty of weird decisions in the game, the body check on Greenwood, the lunging tackle on Sancho that he avoided, and it was allowed to go on. The contact was minimal, and the fact that Neves admits that he was on his feet to see where the ball was, and only went to ground after seeing it going to the opposition is the point.

 

[Shimo]

How many non-calls did we get leading up to that? In the way the game was called through out, that wasn't a foul. Also, after the non-call on Bruno last week, would have been kick in the teeth had it been pulled back.

 

[Paxi]

Sounds low.

 

[UncleBob]

There were plenty of weird decisions in the game, the body check on Greenwood, the lunging tackle on Sancho that he avoided, and it was allowed to go on. The contact was minimal, and the fact that Neves admits that he was on his feet to see where the ball was, and only went to ground after seeing it going to the opposition is the point.

I agree.

But it's not much of a point though, the standard of refereeing is so shit that it's acceptable.

 

[Fluctuation0161]

Tried to kill him. Drive by shooting that was. Ref missed it but the police and Graham Sourness won't miss it.

 

[Ace of Spades]

The ABU media being salty is delicious though, fair enough if you think it is a foul, but this pathetic narrative that it could have been a red if it was different is hilarious. The same could be said about other challenges.

 

[Tallis]

If you wanted to know if it was a foul, just need to see his face rather than his feet. The moment when he decides he needs to dive is very obvious.