(19-03-2022, 05:13 PM)briefcase_wanchor Wrote: Seeing Walker chosen ahead of Obrien was enough for me.  No game midweek to worry about saving energy for.  This should have been a full on assault with nothing being left in the tank.  Too slow in the build-up on the flanks yet again.  We allow the oppo to reorganise too often.  And I've not seen a more blatant red card against us for a while.  Another ref out of his depth.  Where do they get them from?

(20-03-2022, 10:11 AM)blueandwight Wrote:

(19-03-2022, 04:59 PM)blueinbrum3 Wrote: Total waste of a Saturday afternoon. Nothing positive to take out of the game apart from another defeat preventing performance by Bazunu.

Surprised nobody has raised this before but as anyone though exactly where we'd be in this league without Buzunu?

(20-03-2022, 10:44 AM)blueandwight Wrote: I think that the type of criticism of Cowley on social media is a little harsh.
Sure he's made mistakes and continues to make mistakes from a tactical perspective but at the start of the season he had to watch as several of our better players, including he best central defender in the league, walk out the door for nothing at all...something that he had no influence over whatsoever.
Then he had to build a virtually new squad in a matter of weeks without being able to spend virtuallyany kind of fee, at that time an anathema to the Eisners, and paying low wages that meant we struggled to compete even with little clubs in the league that survive on gates of less than ten thousand.
We were then were forced belatedly to spend money on the likes of Morrell and complicated expensive loan deals such as Hirst.
Finally he was told in January that there was no money unless he managed to unload the under acheiving high earners at the club. Incredibly this was done and then he was let down again in terms of the quality/number of new players he was allowed to bring in.
Of course, we continually have to listen to the argument of what might have happened during the Covid period if the Eisners hadn't allegedly put thousnds into the club to keep us afloat. We must be eternally grateful otherwise we could have gone bust like numerous clubs in the EFL...I can't remember how many was that? Oh yeah, precisely none!

(20-03-2022, 11:57 AM)Northstander Wrote:

(19-03-2022, 05:13 PM)briefcase_wanchor Wrote: Seeing Walker chosen ahead of Obrien was enough for me.  No game midweek to worry about saving energy for.  This should have been a full on assault with nothing being left in the tank.  Too slow in the build-up on the flanks yet again.  We allow the oppo to reorganise too often.  And I've not seen a more blatant red card against us for a while.  Another ref out of his depth.  Where do they get them from?

A few thoughts. I totally agree re Walker. He is an expensive waste of space.  Wycombe's 94th minute winner against Fleetwood Tuesday shouldn't have stood and then they get away with that yesterday.  They've had a lucky week for me although Baz thankfully kept them out. As for Refs these guys we get have come through the lower leagues culminating in what I always call the Conference. They get promoted to the Efl if they are deemed good enough but get returned if they aren't.  The Ref yesterday is in his 2nd season on the Efl just doing Div 1 and 2 games. He had officiated Pompey once away last season (Shrewsbury) and the Fleetwood win on the opening day of this season. I wasnt there but I can't remember too many complaints unlike yesterday. From where I sit for me he got the 2 free kicks right that we conceded just outside our box and we thought the Lino on the North stand side got the Hurst offside right in the 2nd half.  (Shame the one we had against Charlton here wasn't as observant). Sadly for Pompey the Ref got the biggest call of the game wrong which ironically led to both Cowleys getting yellow cards. For me Refereeing Standards in both the PL and Efl have never been lower. I'm not bothered about the PL and Var (they have had a shocking season though) but the Efl is concerning. The Efl won't admit that there is a problem and I doubt they will do much to improve it.

(21-03-2022, 01:56 PM)Wightblue Wrote: How much does a League 1 referee get paid per match ?

Plenty of info about Premiership Referees remuneration but little on lower leagues, the only number I have found, in an admittedly quick search, was £80 plus expenses (which are supposed to be shared with the assistants).

Also seems they have to be at the ground  a minimum of 2 hours before kick off.

Heard a piece on 5Live about the crisis in referee recruitment, way short of the numbers required and getting worse season on season apparently, this does not auger well for the future.

If there is an ongoing crisis in recruitment, it suggests that standards may fall further as the selection pool get smaller.
I think there are a couple of posters on here who have been referees and are therefore able to access the referee blogs and perhaps give me a better understanding of referee rewards and whether the problem of recruitment is as bad as was suggested on 5Live.

(21-03-2022, 01:06 PM)Northstander Wrote: The PL launched an initiative last month to improve all standards it has been pointed out to me.  God knows how long they have in mind for it to take. I totally agree re stoppages, the Wycombe keeper being one on Saturday, that was well stage managed at a time we were getting a modicum of tempo. If Wycombe had scored Saturday it would have been a different game, resorting to "Dark Arts" the use of which the Cowleys aren't innocent. As an example by the middle of Feb in 14 of their 24 Premier League games so far this season, a Scummer player had needed treatment from a physio between the 60th and 70th minute after going down with an injury. However to be fair to Refs if a player goes down with a head injury then he or she has no option but to stop the game. Clubs know that of course and do so as they seem fit.

(21-03-2022, 04:37 PM)Deebo Wrote: Forget the money. Go and watch any local league game like the one between my local side and a bunch of arses from Brum last Saturday and you’ll see why they’re struggling with recruitment.

(21-03-2022, 05:25 PM)exterminator Wrote: The Moneyfields team gave the referee stick for every decision against them - two of their players were sin-binned for dissent. No wonder the leagues are struggling with referee recruitment, no young nipper would want that kind of stick just for trying to do a job.

(22-03-2022, 03:38 PM)Pompeyg100 Wrote: we used to play in blizzards with only a bit of deep heat slapped on.

(22-03-2022, 03:38 PM)Pompeyg100 Wrote: Half the bloody kids wear gloves and leggings, we used to play in blizzards with only a bit of deep heat slapped on.