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Dale Johnson

20 Apr, 9 tweets, 3 min read

So the Premier League 14 meet today to discuss the Six Saboteurs and the European #SuperLeague.

What happens is going to be really important.

The Premier League needs the Six Saboteurs.
The Six Saboteurs need the Premier League.
The ESL would break the Premier League. 1/9

It's reported that as part of the JP Morgan financing package, clubs must continue playing domestic football.

So the Six Saboteurs will fight tooth and nail through all avenues to make sure they are not banned. 2/9

Gianni Infantino at the UEFA Congress on the ESL clubs:

"If some elect to go their own way then they must live with the consequences of their choice, they are responsible for their choice - concretely this means, either you are in, or you are out." 3/9

Why is it so bad for the Premier League? It becomes glorified reserve league for the Six Saboteurs.

For any of the Six Saboteurs not involved a PL title race (so most) it becomes a secondary competition.

Take Leeds vs. Liverpool last night. Next season a meaningless game. 4/9

Removing the dreams of fans of Leicester and West Ham, or anyone, to challenge for the Champions League would render the season dead.

Bar the odd relegation battle, the last few months would be going through the motions while the Six Saboteurs line their pockets. 5/9

So even if the Six Saboteurs stay, the closed European #SuperLeague would damage the Premier League forever.

The product would be diluted, which would undoubtedly lead to reduced broadcasting deals.

And that in turns affects the solidarity payments for all football. 6/9

Of course, it would undoubtedly be worse if the Six Saboteurs were thrown out of the Premier League, as they are obviously the glue that holds the whole thing together.

But whether they stay or go, the European #SuperLeague would ruin the Premier League's competitive edge. 7/9

So when the 14 meet today they know they can't afford to lose the Six Saboteurs. But they also cannot allow them to stay and play in a closed European #SuperLeague.

If they get away with this, football will take years to recover in this country at every level. 8/9

And let's end with the words of the lord and saviour, Florentino Perez:

"It's not a league for the rich. It's a league to save football. [Owners] will explain the truth of what the objective is of this competition including showing solidarity and saving the modest clubs." 9/9

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More from @DaleJohnsonESPN

Dale Johnson

@DaleJohnsonESPN

19 Apr

The more you think about the European Super League format, the more ridiculous it is.

#SuperLeague offers 5 qualifying places (let's be honest, they're guest slots).

The 5 teams will be part of UEFA. The 5 would have to reject the UCL to take part for 1 season. Laughable.

Not forgetting, of course, they only have 12 teams and failed to get Bayern, Dortmund and PSG on board.

They couldn't get to 15 they need to start this!

Is anyone going to join them after the reaction?

Who are they going to fill it with? Shakhtar? Zenit? BATE Borisov?

It makes sense that the big 6 in England, and 3 in Spain and Italy, all signed up. Clearly for some the FOMO on the financials to domestic rivals is very difficult to reject.

But it's against the ethos of Bayern and Dortmund, and PSG were the only French club invited. (cont)

Read 4 tweets

Dale Johnson

@DaleJohnsonESPN

15 Apr

After the Emre Can handball penalty, I thought I'd run through why there's disagreement among referees about whether it's a penalty.

I'll also explain how handball ended up here, with quotes from Pierluigi Collina and David Elleray.

How we're in this mess is still unclear.

Unfortunately no rights vid to embed, so to explain what happened:

Emre Can went to head clear, but the ball glanced off his head and deflected onto his outstretched arm.

Referee Carlos del Cerro Grande gave the pen. Spanish refs MUCH stricter on handball (stats to follow).

The referee judged that Emre Can touches the ball with his hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger.

But what about the clauses for the ball deflecting off the body or when the player is deliberately playing the ball?

First off, the deliberate play (No. 2 here).

Read 20 tweets

Dale Johnson

@DaleJohnsonESPN

14 Apr

LATEST VAR STATS THREAD

Overturns: 105
Rejected: 5
Goals: 28
Disallowed: 34
Pens: 23 (5 missed)
-handball: 11
-overturned: 20
-retakes: 3
Offside goals: 26
Allowed after offside: 7
Disallowed handball: 4
Allowed after handball: 0
Reds: 15
-overturned: 2
espn.co.uk/football/engli…

VAR STATS (cont)

Most for: Brighton 9
Fewest for: Arsenal 2
Most against: Liverpool 12
Fewest against: Burnley 0
Most net for: Burnley 5
Most net against: Liverpool, WBA 6
Most involvement: Liverpool 18

VAR STATS (cont)

Most goals awarded: Leicester 4
Most goals disallowed: Liverpool 7
Best net goal score: Sheffield United +3
Worst net goal score: Liverpool -8

Read 11 tweets

Dale Johnson

@DaleJohnsonESPN

12 Apr

There was no angle for the VAR to make a decision with the tech there. Mbaye Diagne's shoulder blocked on two angles, and the defender's boot on the other. Impossible for the VAR to over-rule, would be a guess. #WBASOU

So no doubt we are going to have another massive controversy here.

How can the VAR make a decision here when you cannot see the player who scored the goal? It would be a guess.

This is the correct decision. VAR cannot over-rule the linesman when he cannot see the two player.

It is completely impossible to make a VAR decision off this.

You cannot see where Mbaye Diagne's upper body is.

For that reason, the ONLY decision is to stay with the field decision.

Read 4 tweets

Dale Johnson

@DaleJohnsonESPN

12 Apr

Here it is, your Monday VAR thread. Looking at:

- Spurs v Man United
- Burnley v Newcastle
- Why we're in this situation
- Comparison to Bundesliga / other leagues
- Brief offside (it's nothing new)

There's many moving parts to this. Strap in!

Let's start with the big decisions.

Firstly, the Scott McTominay foul on Son Heung-Min.

This is very much along the same lines as the penalty Danny Welbeck was awarded against Liverpool. If the ref gives the foul, fine. But it's not for VAR in the PL.

In both, the decisions don't happen if the VAR doesn't get involved. If the VAR does, and based upon the replays, the ref is left with little option at the monitor.

The surprise is the VAR was Craig Pawson, who hasn't advised a goal be disallowed all season - even for offside.

Read 27 tweets

Dale Johnson

@DaleJohnsonESPN

9 Apr

This looks to be the tightest VAR offside yet.

It HAS to change next season.

Leagues MUST be allowed to follow the UCL method and only give offside when technology graphically provides a clear decision.

Pierluigi Collina wants it this way. It has to happen. #FULWOL

One subjective aspect people don't appreciate is one VAR can look this and decide the tech isn't needed and give the goal.

But tonight (like with Bamford vs. Palace) the VAR decided to get the tech out. Once he does that, it opens it up to these pathetic millimetre decisions.

Decisions such as these are NOT about the offside law. People get wrapped up in that.

It's not the problem. It's not about feet. It's not about daylight.

The issue is how offside is handled in VAR. How the major leagues have been told to use the tech to the absolute letter.

Read 4 tweets

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