Cod Almighty | Diary
You wouldn't change a thing. You'd change most things
17 January 2019
Irregular Diary writes: Good afternoon, all. It's been a while since I last wrote a diary but in that time the bar has been raised somewhat. I will apologise now for that bar dropping a notch or two today.
I'll start with the Lincoln game on Saturday and reconfirm that I just don't have the buzz that a local derby should have. I just don't have that feeling with them. Nevertheless, I shall be there on Saturday along with 1,500 Mariners as our allocation has been reduced again. How other forces cope is maybe something both Lincolnshire and Humberside Police should look into before our allocation is cut even further and kick-off time moves to 4am.
Mike Dean is the ref for Saturday, with a collective groan from Town fans as the news was announced. I don't know and I can't say I'm particularly interested in whether Lincoln still boom the ball forward and fall over in the box for penalties – but based on the performance of Martin Atkinson against Crystal Palace, it has to be a concern. I couldn't be doing with a free kick for nothing every 90 seconds. The worry, when they drop refs from the Premier League into games like this, is that they become the focus. And that shouldn't happen.
So, do Michael Jolley and his staff make any sort of reference or tweak based on this, or do we do what we've always done and not get involved in the amateur dramatics often seen on the touchline? I don't have the answer – but I do hope that as I walk out of Sincil Bank Mr Dean isn't the hot topic for all the wrong reasons.
The club and trust have been proactive in trying to give a chance to watch the game to those who missed out on tickets. It's a situation where they are damned if they did or they didn't – iFollow wasn't an option, so they've sorted a beam-back costing around £1,200. Ten quid to sit in a bar seems a lot, but it's a risk they've taken and will likely take a hit on. You can't please all – but at least there are small shoots of trying to please some.
Match-going fans are fed up and frustrated over VAR, which was never really asked for by supporters and only 'enhances' the game for those sat watching at home
While I mention shoots I'm going to dart over to last night's Southampton v Derby FA Cup replay, which sucked away my soul with its boringness before a hugely frustrating VAR incident following a Derby goal. Social media is awash with views on the rules over the use of video. My understanding is that it was for a clear and obvious error, but a goal was ruled offside because of an arm, which can't be used to play the ball.
Football isn't like cricket or tennis. I certainly don't want to look back on games for 100 per cent accuracy. But VAR has been used numerous times and the game ends up 15 minutes longer. What is clear is that match-going fans are fed up and frustrated over something that was never really asked for by supporters and only 'enhances' the game for those sat watching at home. If you're in the ground you'll often not have a clue what's going on. If that is the future of top-flight football then I wouldn't be spending millions to try and be part of it.
I'll end on something that felt a little familiar to those that watched the ill-fated fans forum either in person or on YouTube on the fateful night that Russell Slade bored us all with his PowerPoint presentation on tactics. Who knew that a year or so later Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa would do the same in front of numerous reporters to show that, while he had staff watching training sessions, it didn't give him any more information than he'd already collated and was in fact pointless?
The whole thing is intriguing and something that in all honesty I don't have a massive opinion on – is it similar to going down in the box under 'expected contact'? Not necessarily illegal within the rules of the game, but against its spirit and moral code? If we're talking about morals, they went out the window for a few million years ago – but that shouldn't mean clubs can do as they please chasing even more millions.
That said, I don't believe a points deduction is necessary and bless the EFL for investigating. If only they were so swift in looking into and taking action on club owners who are part of their competition and are quite clearly running clubs into the ground with scant regard for regulation or the fans.
Bielsa wasn't daft enough to let the world know how he instructs his players to deal with the information he has. So I'm sure it'll not end up in a painfully loooonnnngg losing streak that'll ultimately cost him his job… eventually.
Football – it's all good fun really eh?
UTM!