Tag: #var

Margins, magic and misery; lines, laws and lost causes; offside, out of luck and out of time? West Ham’s fight for survival and the FA Cup’s fading romance

I’ll start by looking back at the Forest game in the week. West Ham thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half when Crysencio Summerville scored, but VAR intervened and ruled the goal out for offside. The controversy centred on Taty Castellanos, who was deemed offside in the build-up. The confusion for fans and pundits was heightened because the ball reached Castellanos after a block tackle by Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic. According to current offside law, a defender’s block or tackle does not reset the offside phase unless it’s a “deliberate play” (i.e., a controlled pass or clearance). In this case, Milenkovic’s intervention was not considered deliberate, so Castellanos remained offside, and the goal was disallowed. I would disagree. I believe that the intervention was deliberate (if it wasn’t deliberate then why was he trying to win the ball?) and that the goal should have stood.

Former referees and experts have criticised this interpretation, arguing that the law is too technical and fails to reflect the spirit of the game. The exact moment the ball is played is also notoriously difficult to judge, especially with frame-by-frame video, and the difference of a split second can mean a player is onside or offside by millimetres. The interpretation of deliberate or uncontrolled intervention is also impossible to judge. Surely it is deliberate if the defender is trying to win the ball?

The offside law was originally introduced in the 19th century to prevent “goal hanging”—players loitering near the opposition’s goal waiting for a pass. Over the years, the law has been revised several times (notably in 1925 and 1990) to encourage attacking play and make the game more exciting. However, the law now hinges on technical definitions of “deliberate play” and “active involvement,” which can be difficult to interpret even with video technology. Many (including me) have argued that it should be amended even further to the attacking team’s advantage. This could easily be done by introducing the clear daylight rule in that there has to be a gap between the attacker and defender before offside decisions are given. Let’s do away with this nonsense about parts of the body that can legitimately play the ball.

Many argue that the law is out of date and does not reflect the modern game, where split-second decisions and marginal offsides are decided by technology rather than the naked eye. The spirit of the law, to prevent unfair advantage, has been lost in a sea of technicalities.

Late in the match, Nottingham Forest were awarded a penalty after Alphonse Areola caught Morgan Gibbs-White in the face while attempting to punch clear a set-piece. VAR advised the referee to review the incident, and the penalty was given. West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek labelled the decision “a joke,” arguing that such incidents happen frequently and that goalkeepers should be given more leeway when challenging for the ball. Former referee Mark Clattenburg, however, said the decision was correct because Areola failed to make contact with the ball and caught the player instead. I have always argued that penalties should only be awarded when an obvious goal scoring opportunity is denied which is not the case when so many penalties are awarded in football games.

Is VAR ruining football? VAR was introduced to eliminate clear and obvious errors, but its use has become far more pervasive. Instead of correcting blatant mistakes, VAR now scrutinises marginal offsides and subjective fouls, often leading to long delays and confusion. Fans and players complain that the flow of the game is disrupted, celebrations are muted, and the joy of football is diminished.

Should VAR only be used for clear and obvious errors? According to IFAB, the game’s law-makers, VAR should only intervene for “clear and obvious errors” or “serious missed incidents” in four match-changing situations: goals, penalties, direct red cards, and mistaken identity. However, in practice, VAR is often used for marginal decisions that require multiple replays. Many (including me) argue that if a decision needs to be viewed more than once, it cannot be “clear and obvious,” and the original on-field decision should stand. We shouldn’t have to wait so long for a decision to be made. These delays ruin the spontaneity of the game.

If the decisions had not gone against us the gap to Forest might now be just one point or perhaps four points. But our defeat to Forest leaves us seven points adrift of safety, with relegation odds now as short as 8/11 or even 1/5 with some bookmakers. The team is winless in ten matches, and the pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo is mounting. While mathematically possible, survival looks increasingly unlikely unless there is a dramatic turnaround in form, which is hard to see at the moment.

There have probably been games this season when controversial decisions have gone in our favour although I cannot recall any important ones. But these are not the reasons behind why we are very likely to be relegated. So often we put ourselves in situations where marginal calls become decisive, but a whole book could be written to describe why we are in the position we are where Championship football next season is probable. We’ve written about them all through this miserable season and I won’t return to them now!

West Ham host QPR in the FA Cup third round at the London Stadium on Sunday. I can remember when I was young there was magic and romance attached to the FA Cup competition right from the early rounds when local non-league clubs took part in the qualifying rounds, then when West Ham entered in Round 3 and all 32 games kicked off at 3 o’clock on an early January Saturday, and right up to Cup Final day itself in May. But has the magic and romance disappeared from the FA Cup?

The Premier League and UEFA Champions League now overshadow the FA Cup in terms of prestige, financial reward, and global attention. Top clubs often prioritise these competitions, fielding weakened teams in the FA Cup’s early rounds, which can diminish its importance and allure. The crowded football calendar means the FA Cup sometimes feels like an afterthought. Kick-off times are often dictated by TV schedules rather than tradition, making it harder for match-going fans to attend and reducing the sense of occasion.

The financial gap between Premier League and lower-league clubs has widened. The FA Cup’s prize money is modest compared to league placements or European qualification, reducing its incentive for bigger clubs. Having said that the big clubs are almost always the winners in the end.

Changes such as the abolition of replays and the moving of the final from its traditional Saturday 3pm slot have eroded some of the competition’s unique traditions, making it feel less special to some supporters.

Does the magic and romance still endure in any way? The FA Cup remains famous for “giant-killings”, when smaller clubs defeat Premier League giants, it still makes news. Recent years have still produced memorable upsets, such as Stevenage beating Aston Villa, Crawley Town thrashing Leeds, Plymouth Argyle’s shock win over Liverpool, and even yesterday when statistically we had the biggest upset of all time with sixth tier Macclesfield deservedly knocking out the holders Crystal Palace. These moments capture the essence of the competition and keep the romance alive. As West Ham fans we’ve been on the receiving end of so many of these giant killings in my lifetime!

As the world’s oldest national football competition, the FA Cup still carries a unique historical and cultural significance. For most fans and clubs, winning the FA Cup is still a dream and a source of immense pride. How we’d love to repeat 1964, 1975 and 1980!

For lower-league and non-league teams, the FA Cup offers a rare chance to play on a big stage, secure financial windfalls, and create lifelong memories for their fans. These stories, like non-league teams reaching the later rounds, are the heart of the FA Cup’s enduring appeal. The competition still inspires passion, especially in local derbies or when underdog teams are involved. For many, the “magic” is now more selective, shining brightest in these moments rather than universally.

Some fans and commentators argue that the FA Cup’s “magic” is now a cliché, used to paper over the reality that the competition has lost some of its former glory. Others point out that the romance is still there, but it’s harder to find amid the dominance of elite clubs and commercial pressures. There is nostalgia for the days when the FA Cup final was the highlight of the football calendar, but also recognition that the competition still produces drama, upsets, and moments of pure football joy.

The FA Cup may not hold the universal magic and romance it once did, especially for top clubs and younger fans raised on the Premier League and Champions League. However, for smaller clubs, traditionalists, and those who cherish football’s unpredictability, the FA Cup still provides unforgettable moments and upsets that keep its spirit alive. The “magic” hasn’t disappeared, it’s just harder to find, and perhaps more precious when it appears.

There was a time when I was young when I would have been really excited by this third round game against Queens Park Rangers and hoping that we would still be in the draw for the fourth round that I would listen to on the radio on the following Monday lunchtime, another tradition that has disappeared. But this season has been such a miserable one that my interest is much diminished. In times gone by there was always a hope that we could win a few games and reach Wembley. This time around I would love us to do this but I reckon there is less chance of us going to Wembley than escaping relegation. But it is so long since we won a game that it would be good to beat QPR (even a weakened QPR with several players out injured and chasing a play-off position in the Championship) and perhaps give some of our fringe players a run out to show what they can do (or not!). I remain hopeful!  

David Moyes And The Game Changing Substitution Fiasco

If Anthony Gordon falls over in the forest and VAR is not there to check it, is it still a penalty? Moyes fearful retreat at St James Park cost West Ham another valuable three points. Will he fare any better against revenge-seeking, top four hopefuls Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night?

They’ve long said he was incapable of making game-changing substitutions. But the Moyesiah proved us all wrong on Saturday when, with the wave of a hand, he transformed unassailable lead into calamitous defeat. A sublime act of tactical sorcery. What other top level coach could have achieved that?

The Hammers had responded well to conceding an early penalty. Smartly taken goals by Michail Antonio and Mohammed Kudus – ably assisted by Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen respectively – had seen them turn the game around and put them in pole position by the break. When Kudus returned the favour for Bowen to make it 3-1 early in the second half- the most clinical of breakaway goals – it should have been game over.

Newcastle heads had dropped, their defence was in disarray, and injuries woes mounted. The hosts still carried a threat going forward but their brittleness at the back meant that all West Ham needed to do was hold theri nerve. Stayed in control, keep doing what they were doing and they pick off the Geordies at will as they became more and more desperate.

Then on 68 minutes disaster struck. The substitute alarm on Moyes phone sounded – his replacements are always a function of time rather than circumstances – to indicate it was time to take off Antonio. What to do? Antonio had run the Toon defence ragged all afternoon. Causing problems and creating space that the craft of Paqueta, Kudus and Bowen was able to exploit. If Antonio needed resting, then surely it had to be a like a like for change. But the Moyesiah had other ideas – that’s just what they would be expecting us to do, he reasoned.

It would not be Ben Johnson this time, as it was against Aston Villa two weeks earlier at the same stage, but the rusty and accident-prone Kalvin Phillips. It’s hard to imagine any player experiencing a more disastrous run of games for a new club but rather than lambasting his individual contribution, let’s consider the impact that the substitution had on the complexion of the game.

No longer was there a menacing threat to stretch and occupy the defence. No more would gaps be created between defenders and midfield which has caused Newcastle problems all season. What Plan B was supposed to be once Antonio was withdrawn was never obvious. In the absence of a plan Paqueta pushed forward into a role where he doesn’t have the pace and where he was removed from the areas where he can do most damage. West Ham could no longer defend from the front or control midfield and so reverted to type; dropping deep and inviting the opposition to attack. It was a decision driven by the manager’s ingrained fear and caution. A clear indication the initiative was now in the hands of Newcastle. It is Moyes 101 and a ploy which has been repeated throughout the season. Outside the bottom three, only Brentford have a worse defensive record than West Ham. What could possibly go wrong? Following the point given away against Villa, three were now being gifted to Newcastle.

Adding to Moyes incompetence, Newcastle received two other strokes of good fortune. The first was the injury to Almiron – himself an earlier introduced substitute – to be replaced by regular West Ham nemesis, Harvey Barnes. The second was the disgraceful officiating from the combined efforts of Rob Jones (referee) and David Coote (VAR). My own view is that both penalty decisions were wrong. I don’t just mean they were harsh calls – they were a scandalous interpretation of the laws with both ‘offences’ engineered by the actions of Anthony Gordon. Both were cheating – a known characteristic of how Eddie Howe now plays the game – and way outside the spirit of the game. Even if it could be argued that there was no ‘clear and obvious’ reason to reverse the on-field decision for the first, then the same logic should have been applied to the second. There was no reason for VAR to intervene. Officialdom once again going out of its way to spoil the game and big up their part. Of course, Phillips shouldn’t have dallied with his clearance but how was that ever an obvious penalty?

Because it was overshadowed by the penalty calls, there was minimal post-match analysis about an earlier incident where Dan Burn bundled into the back of Kudus. Had Burn not been the last defender I’m certain a foul would have been given – it was never shoulder to shoulder – but Jones took the easy way out to avoid making a red card call.

On Tuesday, West Ham welcome top four chasing Tottenham to the London Stadium for an extravagantly timed 8:15 pm kick-off. With Edson Alvarez still suspended and Phillips shot to pieces, the task of protecting the West Ham rearguard will again fall to the flimsy partnership of Tomas Soucek and James Ward-Prowse. You have to fear the worst against what will be sustained visitor attacks. We are certainly capable of scoring against them but not outscoring them – unless an exceptional local derby spirit is unexpectedly discovered.

The Achilles heal for West Ham is the absence of depth in the squad. There are so few options to choose from that competition for places doesn’t really exist. If the West Ham starting XI is top 7 or 8 quality, the squad depth is the lower end of mid-table. A clear case of mismanagement from the manager and board.

Still, let’s cross our fingers and hope for a miracle anyway. COYI!

Robbed by the officials at Sheffield United, can West Ham push on in the league when Bournemouth visit on Thursday evening?

The Post Office Horizon scandal is one of the worst miscarriages of justice I can recall. It involved faulty accounting software creating false shortfalls in the accounts of many sub postmasters leading to over 900 convictions of theft, fraud and false accounting, and at the same time destroying thousands of lives. It took a TV series (Mr Burns versus the Post Office) to speed up the system of getting justice to all those who had been wronged.

Whilst not wishing to classify football in the same way, the officiating of our game at Sheffield United, particularly in the latter stages of the match, was in my opinion a scandal in footballing terms, and was one of the worst examples of poor refereeing and lack of use of VAR I’ve seen. Unfortunately, there are far too many recent examples of ineptitude in this respect. How can officials and VAR get so much wrong? It defies belief.

I’ll start by saying that based on our performance in the game I don’t believe we deserved to get more than a point. The lack of depth in the squad when we have injuries and lack of availability of first choice players was highlighted clearly in our failure to dominate against a team at the foot of the table and staring relegation in the face. I’ll also add that I am a fan of VAR too. But I’m not a fan of the clowns who operate the system. However we would have had three points from the game if the officials and VAR had done their job.

I’ll start with the penalty awarded to us about ten minutes before the end of the ninety. This was a straightforward decision for a referee who gave it when Ings (who had a surprisingly good game based on what we’ve seen from him so far in a West Ham shirt) was clearly caught. VAR seemed to take quite a time to ratify that the decision was correct. Why?

As we entered time added on, Brewster launched himself at Emerson, off the floor, out of control at speed, the clearest of sending off tackles you’ll ever see. Incredibly the referee (Salisbury) only showed him a yellow card. At least on this occasion VAR sent him to the monitor and he upgraded the card. We had the correct decision eventually, but how he didn’t give it in the first place was amazing.

We now had a 2-1 lead and 11 v 10. Surely the three points were safe? Coufal continued with his angry mood of recent games and once again seemed to enjoy fouling opponents and looking innocent when penalised. Reacting angrily to the shocking tackle earned him a yellow card and then he unprofessionally stamped on McAtee’s foot and we were 10v10.

The game was well into overtime when a ball was launched into the West Ham area, and as Areola went to punch it clear he had an arm into his face from substitute McBurnie and was left with a bloody lip and had to be treated and leave the field. For me it was a clear free kick to us and yet somehow the referee saw it another way and awarded a penalty. Never mind I thought to myself, thank heavens we’ve got VAR to rectify this nonsensical decision. They keep banging on with the phrase ‘clear and obvious error’ and this was as clear and obvious as it gets. I looked back on the timing afterwards. From the point that the penalty was awarded it was a further 4 minutes and 28 seconds before the kick was taken. How frustrating is it that in all that time that VAR had to look at the incident with all the camera angles and the evidence clearly showing on Areola’s mouth, they stood by the original decision, and didn’t even suggest that the referee had a look on the monitor.

We were now more than 12 minutes overtime when the penalty went in and we thought it was all over. But there was still time for us to kick off and in no time at all yet another astonishing refereeing decision which even capped the one a little earlier was to happen. In an attempt to get to Ben Johnson’s cross Bowen was wrestled to the ground by Ahmedhodzic who wasn’t even looking at the ball coming over. The referee awarded a free kick to Sheffield United. If a referee can honestly believe that McBurnie was fouled and yet the rugby tackle on Bowen wasn’t a foul then something is clearly wrong with the standard of officials and VAR.

Perhaps a TV series, Mr Burns versus referees and VAR would highlight to the nation that something needs to be done? Had the penalty that we should have been awarded been converted, and I’ve no doubt that JWP would have been successful then we would now be sitting on 37 points in sixth place, five clear of seventh place Brighton. In form terms relating to the last five league matches we would have had 13 points, a total that no team in the Premier League can better. The ineptitude of officials and VAR leaves us on 11, still the third best in the league.

Looking at our form I’ve gone back to Wednesday 1st November to see the results of our games in the three months prior to our meeting with Bournemouth coming up on 1st February. It has been a busy three months in which we’ve played 18 games. We’ve won 10 of them, drawn 4 and lost 4.

In the Premier League we have played 11, won 6, drawn 3 and lost 2. In the process we have defeated Burnley, Forest, Tottenham, Wolves, Manchester United and Arsenal. The two defeats were disappointing affairs losing 3-2 at Brentford after leading 2-1 and getting thrashed 5-0 at Fulham.

In the Europa League we won all our three games with 4 goals scored and none conceded to progress to the last 16.

The domestic cups have been disappointing. After a convincing win over Arsenal we surrendered at Liverpool in the EFL Cup, and then failed to beat Bristol City in two attempts in the FA Cup.

With 17 league games to go, the addition of an experienced England international to the squad (Phillips), and players returning from AFCON and injury, then surely we can push on to qualify for Europe once again? We will if we can retain our current league position of course. But can we?

As I write this on Tuesday evening prior to the five games being played tonight we have the usual West Ham situation as the transfer window closure approaches; we are no nearer to knowing if we will add any more new players to the squad. Jota and Osman in, Benrahma and Fornals out are the main rumours but who knows? There are always complications of one sort or another where West Ham are concerned.

This is one of those games that it is important to win if we are to maintain our challenge towards the top of the table. I’m on a roll as I predicted a 2-2 draw at Sheffield United (my first correct West Ham result forecast this season). I’ll go for a 3-1 win. What are the chances?

West Ham at Southampton, the Anderlecht game, and thoughts on VAR, offside and handball.

Did you read Geoff’s excellent article in Under The Hammers on Thursday prior to the European game against Anderlecht? In it he described how it never ceases to amaze him how much of a pigs-ear officials have made of implementing VAR, and how the beauty of football is it’s simplicity. He went on to discuss the meal that the VAR review system made of last Sunday’s game against Fulham. For once all three West Ham goals stood following review, but they took an absolute age, didn’t they, taking the spontaneity out of celebrating a goal scored?

I’ll put my cards on the table here and say that I am a fan of the concept of VAR. But, and this is a massive but, only if it is used as it was surely intended, to highlight to the referee that he has blundered by not seeing something that has resulted in a clear and obvious error.

Goals are checked for offside, but it seems to take an age to draw the lines, and in the end it often comes down to a toe being in an offside position or not. I’d personally like to see a change to the offside law. It was originally introduced to prevent goal-hanging more than 100 years ago and this made sense at the time, and not to decide whether a player had a toe (or any other part of the body that can touch the ball legally) in an offside position anywhere in the opponent’s half. Surely it would be simple enough to change the law such that if any part of the attacker’s body is in line with any part of the defender’s body then the attacker is onside? It would take literally seconds to confirm this.

Perhaps even more controversially, how ridiculous that you can be offside anywhere in the opponent’s half? Why not extend the line of the penalty area and only give offside decisions in the final 18 yards of the pitch? This would mean that the game would be stretched over a greater area. You can’t be goal-hanging 50 yards from the goal! Perhaps this idea of mine is a step too far, but at least I understand that technology is advancing to an extent that cameras will soon be able to identify offside automatically without the need for linesmen, or assistant referees as they are now called. Perhaps that will enable them to concentrate on assisting the referee more? Is that something we would want them to do?

But even more contentious than offside in the modern game is the concept of handball. I was interested to read an article by Mike Dean in his column in the Daily Mail this week where he talks about handballs being the hardest part of being an official. “Give me a tackle, a trip, a push, some grappling in the box or an offside any day of the week” he says.

But going back to Geoff’s point about football being a simple game, why can’t we make the handball law much more straightforward? Dean goes on to discuss what the officials have to consider when assessing handball. “Did the ball strike the player on the red zone (below the shirt sleeve) or the green zone” which I assume to be above the shirt sleeve? I wonder how they assess this if players are wearing long sleeves? “What was the proximity of the player to where the ball was struck from? Did they have time to react? Was it deliberate? Was their arm in an unnatural position or was it naturally a consequence of his body shape an movement? How can you be sure what position is natural for the arm from one individual to another? Was there a clear movement of the arm to make the body bigger?”

He goes on to say that “handballs have always been a talking point and they remain so to this day regardless of the introduction of VAR.”

Dean’s comments lifted from his article are in bold italics in the paragraphs above. No wonder it takes so long to come to a conclusion! Once again I have what I think is a simple solution. Just leave it to the referee to decide if a player deliberately uses his hand / arm to gain an advantage. If so, then penalise him. So many handball decisions seem to be given where there is no intent. Of course the decision of the referee will be a subjective one – these are often not clear-cut, but even after looking at a multitude of camera angles, it seems to me that it is impossible to decide whether all of the points that Dean raises for handball decisions lead to a clear conclusion. Pundits analysing the decisions on TV have varying opinions. Yes, VAR can intervene if the referee has made a clear and obvious error, but let’s keep it simple. Only intervene if the referee has missed something clear and obvious. Just have one criteria. Was it deliberate or not? And that’s the end of it.

The result of the Anderlecht game was not really a reflection of the 90 minutes. At 2-0 the team concentrated on possession rather than adding to the lead, then towards the end Ben Johnson made a clumsy challenge in the penalty area which led to an unnecessary few uncomfortable minutes to see the victory out. Once again a good performance from a number of players that haven’t been in the starting eleven in league games. Once again, Flynn Downes demonstrated his midfield potential and must surely get more minutes in the near future.

Southampton are the opponents this weekend. In my start of season predictions I forecast them to be one of the three clubs to be relegated this season, and nothing I’ve seen so far has made me change my mind on this. Three Midlands clubs (Leicester, Forest and Wolves) currently occupy the relegation places with Southampton immediately above them.

Their seven points all came in the opening month of the season, drawing at home to Leeds, winning at Leicester, and at home to Chelsea. In September they lost at Wolves and Villa, and in October so far they were soundly beaten (as so many are) by Manchester City and then last weekend lost at home to Everton.

We have yet to reach the heights of the last two campaigns this season, but our form contrasts with our south coast opponents. Where their game appears to be deteriorating with four consecutive league defeats, our form has slowly improved after not such a good start with six wins in our last seven games, two in the league and four in Europe. The European campaign has been promising without being outstanding, and we have (almost) already won the group with two games to spare.

I’d like to think that we’ll beat Southampton easily, but you never can be sure of how it will go on a Sunday following a Thursday game. 2-0 perhaps? What are the chances?