I see 'surrounding the referee' is suddenly back on the agenda

[PSRB]

Where headmasters, coppers, and prison officers just did it on the weekend for a few extra bob and to get away from the wife?

I think they have to take var away from the refs. Have specialist var officials that are trained differently and report to somebody else.

More than anything else, we have seen in the last year or two that it isn't var that is the problem. It's the people operating it.

Indeed, bizarre that VAR works fine across the rest of Europe

[Peter]

Indeed, bizarre that VAR works fine across the rest of Europe

No idea who that ref in the Champions League was. Had no idea what he was like. Literally didn't notice him. Controlled the game, checked decisions, focused on his job.

When I was young we were told our refs were the best in the world and when you watched World Cups it seemed true. Now it is precisely the opposite. Jumped up little tossers with no natural authority, no idea how to talk to people or control situations, and seemingly no notion of self awareness or reflection.

European refs just seem to get on with it. Can we not have that?

They talk about how complicated the laws, guidance and instructions are and how nobody else can understand them. Have you read them? A ****ing child could understand them, and probably implement them better.

And just one more part of a rant, and then I will stop. I had to sit through Carragher, Neville, Redknapp et al labelling anyone who talks of conspiracy or corruption, or even bias, as the tin foil hat brigade. Sorry, but wouldn't they have said that about the international game 15 years ago before all the stuff about FIFA and UEFA came out?

We know football is corrupt beyond belief. It is remarkably arrogant to think that our league, the richest in the world and awash with international money, is immune to this, and that the very idea of it is crazy.