The Poolie Bunker

I'd say the hardest job in football is refereeing but for some reason there's a reluctance to make the job easier for them. Assistant refs often do nothing other than offsides and ball out of play, they're either oblivious to any rule breaches or have been instructed to turn a blind eye. Why not make best use of them especially when they're now in constant contact with the ref via mics and earpieces?
VAR if used properly could rid the game overnight of all the wrestling matches in penalty areas at set pieces and of all the blatantly obvious cheating by wave of diving or pretending they've been hit. Instead VAR has just thrown clouds over the competence or lack of it by those operating the system.
I don't think there's so much a conspiracy to aid certain teams but I certainly think that too many times it seems that verifying the infield decision to protect the refs standing takes precedence over reaching the correct decision.
How can a push in the box be "not enough for a penalty" yet they're always enough for a free kick outside the box?

It’s the players and the referees who have gone soft, watch the games in the 70s non existent grass on the pitch just mud, tackles flew in, players just got up dusted themselves down and moved on, no one ever got seriously injured, very few bookings and sendings off, even the football world has gone woke.

I watched the Liverpool v Arsenal match as well. What went on unpunished was ridiculous. The young Liverpool midfielder, Nyomi I think his name was, committed two nasty tackles around the achilles area, with no intention of going for the ball, in the first quarter of an hour and either of them would have been red if I had hold of the whistle. A free kick was all that was given on both counts. like PTID says VAR could be used to highlight events like that and the blatant cheating that went on. As for the shirt pull on Isaak, words fail me to try and justify the decision not to give a penalty.
If VAR was used to put a stop to the shithousery, cheating and downright incompetency of the modern officials, the game would be better off, in my opinion.

I remember a few years back when they started a season with referees giving loads of penalties for wrestling in the box at set pieces and guess what, the wrestling stopped almost immediately. Then they relaxed the rule and we are where we are now when a foul in the box has to be a clear wipe out or holding and wrestling after an arbitrary length of time, so a quick tug (guffaw, guffaw) goes unpunished even though it's a foul anywhere else on the pitch.
If they're going to continue with VAR they should use it to it's maximum potential and I agree it would be for the benefit of the game.

I watched the Boreham wood extended highlights because I missed the first goal. There is no way that was a penalty . Great tactics from Wilde at half time pressing deep and clinical finishing only for us to retreat
back to defending whilst taking off the gas. Big mistake!! Easy for me to say after the event though.

Probably best to attack the full game as sitting back on a 1 goal lead just invites the Alamo.
Don't think we've been in a lead all season by 2 goals.
Give it time eh Maybe Gateshead away later this month.
UTP.

the biggest problem in the game is the laws of the game are written and managed for the top level, international and top division football. the majority of games are played on a park somewhere with one man on his own in the middle. that man id supposed to get every decision correct by the players and managers including off sides and ball in or out of play when both teams are just hoofing the ball and not always in the tight direction. further up the ladder you go the laws get more relevant but they are still not always given as fouls. then there is nothing really written in stone about the duries of assistants that vary to the whim of a ref. you can search any copy of the laws of the game but you will not find the words not enough for a penalty in it. if this is the case then just change the laws where a free kick direct or indirect is given in the box and leave the penalties for certain offences. one thing i,ll never stick up for regarding refs in fining managers for legitimate comments about there performances. most times they do have a rant its justified even if there own players have cocked things up more.