Legalised theft
I’m livid. So much so, I’m completely distracted from the fact we’ve dropped two points that were practically cradling in our bosom. Apparently it’s all to do with David Elleray and his obsessive rewrites of the letter of the law. His crowning glory? The handball debacle.
I don’t think we need to pick apart the words when the consequences are there to be suffered, week in and week out. All compounded further by the game stopping, time travelling officiating via the VAR capacitor. If this pandemic stricken football experience hasn’t been slapped around enough, we’re now having the game in play cannibalised by unnecessary complexities and nonsensical translations of the rules.
Yeah, okay, the rules are very specific and the officials on and off the pitch are bound together like a human centipede, eating their own sh*t, and abiding by the commandments. But there’s no parting of the sea here, everyone is drowning. It’s a biblical disaster and the impact is better resigned to mythology than real life.
Seething. I’m going to take a brief walk to calm down. Slice some lime, crush some ice. Pour myself a drink.
.
.
Right. A drink is now accompanying me on this journey of thought. Let’s carry...
I understand and appreciate that this is all a bit messy. We tentatively welcomed technology to make sure that defining game changing moments were not stolen from the teams and the fans. The sentiment to do the right thing has been lost in amongst the bureaucracy. There’s always been a narrative that the reason football is so special is because mistakes make it so. In the moment, reactionary decision making can make or break you and adds to the legacy of its history. On the pitch, in play and with the officials. But in times when football is a multi-billion pound brand, these mistakes can not be ignored, especially because of television coverage.
Goal line tech is one that we can all agree on (considering the times Spurs have had legitimate goals nicked from them). VAR, in theory, is a good idea. In application, it’s ‘not’. I think that’s the most polite way to make that statement; not a good idea.
For Eric Dier to be punished for handball, in the fashion he was, illustrates that the law is broken and the authorities attempt at simplifying and removing ambiguity leaves no room for common sense. The fact that they opted for this law is an admittance that they can not possibly have something in place that protects the integrity of the game because they trust nobody to be strong enough, sensible enough to do so.
Is Dier meant to jump up with hands planted to his sides, unsure or sure of where the ball is whilst trying to defend and challenge? How about him getting pushed in the back whilst he’s mid-air? Are we saying that we can not differentiate between ball to hand/accidental handball and someone that is cleverly seeking to gain an advantage with a strategic touch? Can we not decipher the evidence at hand (and arm) when a player is committing gamesmanship?
That’s one for the FA, the Prem League and all the law makers to answer.
Accidental handball via VAR should be easy to police. In real-time, we had the problem of refs and linos giving pens for accidental incidents but surely this is where we can find some synergy between the technology and a law that supports and protects the players? If sheer physicality, gravity and the motion of jumping in the air can’t be distinguished between accidental and on purpose - deliberate - then I have little hope for us to achieve equilibrium with this. The technology, the software…VAR itself are nothing more than tools. The guidelines and the laws are the glue that should bind it all together and unfortunately, the men in power have their eyes covered in the stuff, blindly leading.
With Jose Mourinho not so subtly having a dig at elite clubs getting decisions over others more consistently go their way (which is funny coming from him), the argument that corruption can occur (consciously or subconsciously) is a topic that is hard to prove without fat brown envelopes. Because we get to see the replay and the forensic millimetre graphical autopsy every time an offside or handball is investigated - over time, this can be audited by the supporters and governing bodies too. If there is evidence that certain decisions are not going to VAR, there will eventually be a complaint made and then a precedence for process. But this is tin foil stuff. For now, better left alone or any given Alex Jones of video blogging to chew over. There isn’t really a conspiracy here, just inconsistency - with all clubs benefitting and suffering from the incompetence.
The reality is, we’ve actually had VAR decisions go against us when the evidence is in our favour (Lucas at Southampton) but then again, ‘by the letter of the law’ it was the right decision.
See how maddening this is when discussed out loud?
Change the sodding law ffs, change it. Make it logical, empower officials in the right way and give us back free flowing football that isn’t butchered by disassociation of time (i.e. winning a game after the final whistle has blown is the paradox none of us asked for).
I’m now not even mad about the two points dropped. That drink and me waffling on here without editing anything (sorry, deal with the grammatical mishaps) has helped once more for therapeutic post-match mental cleansing.
I’ve just finished watching Man City and Wolves getting pumped. Everyone seems to be at different levels of fitness. It’s all a bit pre-season still. I’ve also mellowed with hindsight with our own performances. I’ll get back to this momentarily. Let’s talk about the game first.
Blatant b*llocks aside, it was a very decent performance. Simply in terms of team shape and responsibilities and knowing when to hold, push and counter - not in pockets but as a side with structure. Still no identity. But, I’m confident that’s coming.
At half-time, Spurs were impressively comfortable (sure, against a pretty passive Newcastle side). No second gear but we could have scored more. Tempo, positioning in defence, attack and in transition all solid. Midfield was balanced. The words ‘team’ and ‘cohesive’ were relevant for once.
Regarding identity, if this performance had a bit more injection of urgency and bullish endeavour (sharpness too), we would have murdered them. I firmly believe the fixture congestion isn’t allowing us to flex properly. The second half wasn’t as fruitful and Son going off distorted our passages of play in the final third, what with Lucas lacking the awareness and instinctiveness to link up with Kane as easy as our South Korean does.
Not being able to flex has a lot to do with getting through these congested weeks, because it feels like an annoyance currently. An obstacle. Then there’s Bale to come into the side. Ndombele to be certifiably fit for business (with Lo Celso) out there with him - together. If we add a centreback and a striker, my daft prediction for top four won’t be laughed at.
At full time, the anger was aimed at the penalty and the free kick in the lead up to it, which arguably was not a free kick and was given by the official who had his back to it. I guess VAR checking out incidents like this would be a bridge too far, but you expect some ilk of communication again from someone, anyone wearing an earpiece.
Post-game, Son is meant to be ‘out for a while’ which is typical of our luck and a massive miss for us with the games ahead and that objective to get some momentum going. I honestly thought Mou subbed him with the Chelsea cup game in mind. It might give a life-line to the likes of Dele Alli though, but in terms of seeing that fantasy three of Kane, Son and Bale…it looks like we might have to wait.
I think with hindsight in mind, this sense that the season is in a strange state of flux, has given me anchored perspective. The congestion of fixtures and European travel. The short summer break and pre-season. The players we need to bring in to strengthen the first team and squad. The slow progress to fitness, sharpness and fundamental fluidity. Ignoring the cup games, the league games - aside from Everton - have been good. Decent. It’s super early days but there’s an opportunity here to grasp if we can get our rhythm going quickly.
The Prem is having it’s own self-contained pre-season within the season. I keep going back to this because the football I’m watching persistently screams this in my face. Perhaps I’m exaggerating the potential here, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities for this season to birth another fairy-tale of sorts. I guess if Liverpool get a few dodgy early results then the predications telling us them, City and Chelsea along with United will contest the top four at a canter will be lost in dark comedy. The type I’m happy to laugh at as long as we provide some top drawer drama and aim to stake a claim for succession.
I’m okay with the 1-1. I’ve had another drink. Jose walking down the tunnel in disgust, Santos (the goalkeeping coach) getting a red card for a moan at the ref at the final whistle. Hopefully, in the aftermath, they had a drink too.
I’m not okay, but it’s only football and me, you and everyone will survive and roll onto the next game with the bruises from the punches fading. What I wanted today, I got, in part. A team with shape and balance. Perhaps on another day, a team that could have been winning 3-0 at half time.
Lucas scored after some tidy build up play. Kane was imperious as per usual - that’s now three goals and five assists in five games. Also, worth mentioning he’s scored 17 goals and assisted 6 in 24 games under Jose ‘Kane will struggle under him’ Mourinho. Winks even managed to showcase some forward vision. And Tanguy provided some second half silk.
We had 23 shots on goal against Newcastle. Cue ‘on another day’ soundbites, but the stats here can’t be denied. The cogs are in place, more or less.
The machine needs oiling.
Long live the machine. COYS.