I’ve been watching the six nations over the weekend and wanted to post this then, but of course Tim Sherwood’s appointment and the Leicester game were far more important, hence it’s had to go on the back burner.
I’ll hold my hands up and say that I’m not a Rugby fan at all and don’t really watch it.
It just doesn’t grab me in the same way as football does, but the missus loves it, especially the England games, hence we have it on the telly and you can’t help having a glance when the crowd starts winding up and something’s happening.
But there are things that I think Rugby does way better than Football.
First off, is being able to hear the referee. This for me, is brilliant, as you get an explanation of what he’s thinking. Whether you agree with the explanation is another thing, but at least you get one.
That’d put a stop to any not understanding why a decision was made.
There’s also the plus point where you can hear how the players speak to the ref in response.
Perhaps we’ve got to the stage where footy players give refs total abuse and it’s accepted, hence putting a mike on is not a good idea?
I’m not sure, but whatever, it strikes me football referees don’t have the same authority as it seems Rugby referees do, where the decision is final and just not up for debate.
Any slight sign of dissent is met with a reprimand and then a sending off.
I’d love this in football.
Second is where the clock gets stopped when there’s an injury or whatever.
Why this doesn’t happen in Football, is just beyond me.
It cuts out time-wasting at a stroke, something I’m sure we’d all like to see.
Or is that just part of the drama, that is all part of the Premier league/Champions league design, that is there purely to help wind us up?
Finally, there’s the video replays.
I know the criticism here. It stops the flow of the game.
My response to that is “so what?”
The referee gets a second opinion, where things are viewed from multiple angles.
Surely this can only be good, as we get more accurate decisions?
Even with slow motion shots, thing can still be debatable in my opinion, so it’s not like we’d be sanitizing the game entirely.
I know we have goal line technology, but how often has it been used?
Not much, I’d suggest.
No, I think we have to accept that Football is way behind the times in these areas.
Thoughts?
I agree when play stops so does the clock better still show a big clock so fans can actually get a true time remaining fuck this third official bollox I’m lost where they find multiple minutes from.rugby matches you can get pissed watching in the stands you can’t beat that.I do like my rugby & have watched Worcester play more times than the VILLA in the past 2yrs hopefully now that scotch wanker has fucked off things may change.
I forgot about the fact that you can drink alcohol at rugby games.
(the missus, the rugger fan, reminded me of that one, go figure).
You can drink in the stands during the football in Australia. English fans can’t be trusted.
Would Rooney have got that Pen, the other night? , is a classic example, imo.
Microphones already tried… With Tony Adams calling the ref a fucking cheat ( if I remember correct) that was the end of that.
Referees stop time when the balls out of play and injuries, sub’s etc etc. Just because sky don’t stop the clock on screen don’t mean its not happening.
I can’t see them stopping clock off the screen Helenius as that means added time should be 2 mins 21 secs for example. Though Iv always thought that it should be done you look at teams like Utd and chelsea etc if they are a goal down or struggling there seems to be 5 mins of added time we all know how that happens. The rugby is the fairest way there is no reason not to do it imo
Of course they stop the clock off screen, refs have 2 watches on, one for time played which never stops, the other to start / stop for stoppages.
The fact these teams seem to get “5 mins of added time” is because the teams against them are continuously time wasting. Delayiny restarts (both players & away ball boys), very late subs….the list goes on.
I watch rugby and am a qualified ref, albeit not very often these days. I go to Worcester as well Giddy. What rugby has is respect. If you swear at a ref its a red card and players do not gang up round the ref. Football has the respect campaign my arse.
Most footballers are as thick as pigshit where rugby players are educated and didn’t cease their education at age 12. The respect issue is a class thing unfortunately. Even mild mannered fans turn into idiots at times over footy. Plus face it, rugby is bloody boring…stop…start…stop…start…zzzzzzzzzzz…
Remember a few years ago when we had a good try disallowed v SA. There was no whinging and the interviewer after the game tried to get eng player to use as excuse but he wouldn’t he just said it made no difference to outcome and we move on. Imagine that whinging twat Mourunho saying that
One thing rugby does at the elite level games is that they all get reviewed, and regardless of what the refs decisions are a player can still get cited and get a ban, and if you fain injury it is classified as bring the game into disrepute straight 3 game ban that would be good stop the cheating
The positives have been listed by other bloggers. They sum up to respect for the ref. This is something football referees have lost for themselves, in collusion with the top leagues.
Imagine if in a PL game there is a bad tackle and before the ref can reach for his cards he is surrounded by one sides’ players asking for a Red card and the other sides’ players pointing out he let off an opponent completely for a similar offence. You have seen this every weekend. Instead of yellow carding just the offender the ref also yellow cards all the players who rushed up to him, resulting in two of them going off for a second yellow.
As at today you would get both the managers saying the ref ruined the game and calling for his head. But if the refs’ association backed the ref, the FA backed him and the two managers were fined for their comments – how long would it take for the on field abuse of refs to end? Half a season at most. That is really where we are in the difference between the two codes.
The timekeeping is best left as it is. An independent timekeeper cannot allow for deliberate time wasting, he certainly cannot allow double the time wasted, to be added as I have seen done in soccer by a ref.
Unfortunately, Rugby has gone too far. I think now that you can ask the ref before the game who will win, because it seems to me he often decides it. Last weekend a case in point when Scotland really pissed off the ref who then seemed to run the game to ensure Wales won.
Sounds like boxing…
OLL – very much agree – and your point about independent time keepers has actually persuaded me that perhaps that’s not quite the good idea I’d always believed!
I have long felt that the FA are largely to blame for the awful behaviour of football players vis-vis referees. If the FA had the balls to punish players/managers/teams for intimidating referees with points deductions/forefieited games/etc., the problem would be removed – and we would have perhaps seen the likes of Arsenal and ManUre [under old Red-Face] win fewer titles in the last 20 years!
Certainly I still want to football refs to be miked-up and clearlyhave to explain their decisions as they do in Rugby games – and if players swear at them in response, a straight red card should follow.
As far as Rugby games are concerned, my only real problem with them isn’t that games are pre-decided by the ref, it’s more that when I listen to the ref’s comments even during internationals, they seem to be coaching both teams; it’s a bit like being back at school, and seems very ‘odd’ that referees seem to have to tell 30 international pro’s how to play the game!
Morning chaps in football we have so called ‘ injury time ‘ LOL,how many fans have witnessed a match where there are no injuries in a half yet there’s 4 mins added on at the end of that half?I can understand when you get a player time wasting but can the officials actually justify some outrageous additional minutes or shall I call it fergy time.
Fergie?? time
As I understand the rules Giddy, the ref has to add so much time for each substitution as well as other stoppages such as injuries. By and large since the introduction of the third official they get the extra time about right IMHO. Football does also use the board to show the stoppage time now which has helped with Fergie time!
This arguing with refs is relatively new and, in part, is increased by the move to football becoming a non contact sport and the diving and over reacting which we imported with the increase in overseas players. I was recently re-watching a Villa Euorpean Cup game and Morley was kicked up in the air. I leapt up shouting ‘red card’. No foul even given and Morley jumped up and got on with the game – how times have changed!
Change of topic but I hear Kozak has just started training with the U21s. Will be ready to go in two weeks, or so they say. Could be good timing in our relegation fight and another decent striker to possibly give us the depth for the FA cup clash
Kevin McDonald brought back and appointed assistant manager.
MacDonald*
Kevin MacDonald confirmed as Sherwood’s assistant manager.
i liked him did well i thought and was wrongly dismissed last time. i cant find a link will you post one please
Yea, he oversaw a 6-0 defeat to Newcastle!!!
Look on the official site.
my phone is fooked i will wait till ltrs
yeah it loaded when you change managers as late as we have, you can’t complain about missing the boat. i think he will be a good appointment.can’t hold a acting manager game against him.we av been shit for half a decade or longer
Didn’t we lose 6.0 to Newcastle under him Ffs. Mcditherer is crap imo as for youth setup name me one decent player he’s bought through. Another desperate appointment thankfully he is only assistant
I wonder if they ever check a ref’s pedigree, you could have a ref that supported the team he’s refereeing, its always been in my mind with international games or even cup matches, I’ve said a cup game that’s a Wembley, should have a foreign ref just in case. And international games a none national ref, may sound daft but you never know.
Not a bad shout that, I thought he had ideas but blocked by his inability to manage at senior level, this could be his way of getting there.
How’s this come about? Does Sherwood know him well or have they worked together before?can’t see the connection there.
Its been like a breath of fresh air since Sherwood was appointed – so refreshing to hear a manager being positive.
However, I can’t deny that I am dissappointed with this MacDonald appointment.
I agree Giddy, I can’t quite work out the connection between him and Sherwood. They are as different as chalk and cheese, one upbeat and the other comes across as being very dour.
When he was in caretaker charge it was hardly inspiring, 6-0 defeat to Newcastle and an early exit in the qualifying rounds for the Europa Leage.
But its Sherwood who has appointed him so lets get back behind the team and hope for 3 points on Saturday.
Pkayers had a lot of respect for him didn’t they. He was a good assistant, not so good in the driving seat. Maybe he’s good at drilling and not tactics or motivation??
We got hammered at Newcastle because he played a team with no strength in midfield, and put all the attacking players in from the start (That’s how I remember it). Also, think Carew missed a penalty at 0-0 so maybe it would have been a different story.
I think we beat West Ham or someone 3-0 in his first game. The kids/reserves were good under him so maybe that’s the thinking. Sherwood seems to be a believer in youth. Maybe we will start to get a better return on investment in the academy.
Perhaps he is just one of those good at being a No 2 but not a No 1.
Oh and think Clark was up against Andy Carroll which was a helluva mismatch!
Must admit this could be a good move. Sherwood now has someone who knows Villa well.
Notice that Lawro’s tipped us to win 2-0, just hope he’s right for once.
Must admit that I’m quite nervous about tomorrow’s match but in a good way, cos we might actually win!
No shawcross(Ooha will be disappointed lol) possibly no Walters a good time to play them I expect Sherwood will play 4-4-2 thank FUCK about time.goals galore now I’m getting carried away UTV
Can’t see anything but a decent win tomorrow. New managers first game team will be up. I think 3.0 to us with Benteke getting 2
Positivity for once are you pissed?
Must be
Bringing back kev mac is more evidence that we will be using the youth system a lot more I think, as I’m pretty sure it was him who brought on the likes of weimann, Clark, baker,gabby and cahill granted none are world class but most of their problems have been with a disjointed and badly coached 1st team! Good appointment, now let’s win tomorrow and get the lads confidence flying! UTV
It’d be comical to hear the on pitch rants. Video breaks would be shit, and timewasting is added onto the end more than ever nowadays…
MacDonald was caretaker manager and won his first game in charge 3-0 against West Spam; no complaints. He admitted niaivity in the 6-0 defeat and said he wasn’t ready for management; fair enough in my book. I think this shows real common sense by Sherwood who’s got someone in that knows Villa well and also knows the academy / U21’s intimately and was very succesful with the U21’s so fits with Sherwood’s philosophy of bringing through younger players. Good move for me.