“The media, particularly SKY, love all this technology, not because it helps the game but because it keeps TV audiences amused. Their money and the demands that go with it have gone a long way towards changing if not ruining the game as we all knew it.
Why not have a fifth or even a sixth official in case the fourth and fifth officials miss something? They could even do a TV vote between them on controversial decisions.
Why not have sensors on every player to register whether an opponent made contact or not?
Why not have cameras on players' boots?
Why not use satellite imagery?
Why bother with referees at all if they can't wait until someone has a leg broken before they deem a tackle dangerous enough for a red card?

IT'S A GAME FOR GOD'S SAKE! Let the players play and the refs referee and Managers have a disciplinary code governing their players. But that doesn't make for good television.”

“Come on lets face it. The biggest sport in the world, billions spent on players and game broadcast rights and it doesnt have any kind of video replay to help the ref. Idiotic people saying "it will change the game" " it will slow the game down" "It just wouldnt work in football".
All BS of course. The game needs to change, it wont slow it down and it definitely would work in football. The clown Blatter is talking about goal line technology. fine, but that is the last type of technology needed. The FA doesnt have video replay to give a decision as it happens so it wont ruin a game like something as huge as England v Germanmy in the world cup or something as minor as the Huth tackle on Saturday. No, they play the archaic, simple minded, well we will use the video after the game to punish the. all when its just too late ! The referees need serious, serious help, i mean the bloody linesman can only run down 1 half of the pitch, why ??? It takes upwards of 5 minutes to get a free kick taken that is in a strategic place in front of goal .
It really is easy to rectify, easy !!!
Each team, in every game is given 2 appeals. When something happens that is deemed a problem by the manager he tells the 4th official who tells the ref to stop the game. With instant and I do mean instant video replay the 4th official looks at a screen on the sideline or where ever out of the way and he has 30 seconds only to review the play from every conceivable angle thanks to all the TV cameras present. If he thinks the ref was wrong he says so, if he agrees with the ref, the call stands ! Also, certain calls should be immediately reviewed by officials upstairs regardless of what the fans or managers say. That being a penalty or a red card ! Those 2 situations are simply too important to the outcome of a game for them to be handled by a ref who may or may not have seen the infraction !Once again, 30 seconds to review !
Im tired of the refs screwing up, tired of hearing they are only human, tired of the consequences of the outcome of bad decisions that seem to come more and more prevalent in the game !
Come on FIFA, join the 21st century and just about every other major sport in the world with video replay assistance and get with it !”

“just looking at it from the other side for a moment, we agree it wasnt a sending off but what about the way the sunderland lad fell, couldnt that have been nasty, at least enough to have hurt the lad, so why does pulis no think about that before saying he feined injury, he didnt half come down with a clatter”

“An excellent suggestion Pensioner46.”

“I saw that Real madrid v Barca game as well...or rather I saw the first 70 mins until I turned it off in disgust because of the diving, whingeing and play-acting by the Barca players, Fabregas, Alves, Puylol etc. But they are the darlings of the British media and no-one is gong to go against the grain. I fear we are in for this sort of thing when Valencia come to the Brit, and it will be ten times worse at their place.
Interesting that Graham Poll in yesterday's Mail said the Huth sending off was wrong, but he felt sorry for Atkinson because of the way the Sunderland players reacted.
The only way it will stop is when managers discipline their own players for cheating. But do we think mancini will drop Johnson for his dive at the weekend, or SAF drop Welbeck for his? Or will Redknapp fine Bale for his cheating at Anfield last night ( for those who didn't see it he dived without being touched and got booked for simulation). Alternatively the FA should have the right to name and shame after each match for obvious cheating, in the way that they can instigate red cards for ncidents not seen by the ref.
Personally it embarrasses me when one of our team feigns injury ( I reckon there are a couple of our squad who are prone to this) and I would not mind if TP took disciplinary action against them.”

“@bernwa

Ha, if Lou had any influence in the game he hardly be writing ****** articles in the sentinel for beer money.”

“I agree with Bernwa BUT I would also ask that at the end of a match where a controversial decision has been made that the referee's are asked in public to give their reason for making such a decision. Fans of any club pay an awful lot of money to support their club and while to accept losing is hard, to feel that you have been cheated by a bad decision is a very bitter pill to swallow. At the end of matches on MATCH OF THE DAY the managers are always put on the spot for there opinions on the game that has been played so why not ask the referee while you have him in the same area for his point of view and his reasoning”

“Come on, Lou, you say you would have changed your mind seeing the replay? but you don't actually say bring in technology (TV) to sort out the problem.
It's about time that people like yourself, who have influence in the game, started to pressurise the F.A. and F.I.F.A. to bring the game up to date instead of sitting on the fence!”