Officials- What a joke.

[keaton]

Apart from those of us dead in line with it who could see Lopez (I assume that was the one you were talking about) was just offside.

Also there was uproar in WSL when the linesman flagged for an offside against Lingard in the first half quite late but even that in my opinion was perfectly correct. He was a long way from the ball when it was played (but still offside) and so the linesman had no reason to flag but as he chased the ball he looked close to getting it which was why the flag was so late.

There were three offsides decisions that everyone seemed to get angry about in the first half, they were all offside and the delay in giving them was because the linesman waited for our player to interfere before giving them.

I though the ref was very poor for the sending off, not because it was clearly not a yellow card (it was but they're often not given if it means a sending off) but because he had no intention of booking him until he was shouted at.

I said there'd be 6 minutes of injury time with half an hour left, possibily slightly generous but if you compare it to the Wigan game where we got 4 minutes was taking the piss as in the Wigan game the ref stopped play twice to warn people about time-wasting, booked someone for time-wasting and there was one more sub and one more goal.

I'm also not sure how there player was sent off for the foul on Lopez if a winger with the ball at his on the edge of the box and only a striker and keeper near them isn't a clear goalscoring opportunity i'm a little confused what is.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The ref's biggest error was the complete lack of control over the match. He showed a shocking lack of consistency over fouls, diving, etc. Blowing sometimes, cards sometimes and playing on (when there was virtually no advantage to be had) sometimes. Shame, but demonstrates that he shouldn't be officiating at this level.

The linesman down the west side had the real shocker. At least twice he called it wrong when it occurred within 5 feet of him! The real lino was taken ill and they got the bus driver to replace him!

The other lino actually seemed, from our vantage, to have had a reasonable game. I guess 1 out of 3 is better than nothing.

Exactly how I saw it. There was one yellow for a dive but not one for Drenthe when he did the same thing. Reading DID talk him in to the second yellow. Ulloa was being pulled, grabbed and strangled at every 50/50 and it was never given. The lino had a shocker. The offside from the reverse pass was never offside when the ball was played and he also gave a throw the wrong way.