NaijaFox

This game will mark the beginning of Wolves' "sophomore jinx" season...

Players still surround the Ref... If there’s any change is a negative one with one set of players surrounding the Ref with a demand for VAR added to the usual moaning from both sides, and yet another round of moaning if/when the Ref changes the original decision on the basis of VAR.

Great prep, if everyone comes through without injury...

Italian? You mean Nigerian... Both first and surname are Ibo (Nigerian) names!

No doubt we will all eventually get used to it (not sure the reviews will get any more efficient, as it really has not in American football), but for now it is thoroughly weird seeing players and entire teams trot off to the sidelines to go grab water or apparently discuss tactics while the Ref is offreviewing the VAR monitor. Not exactly my idea of ‘excitement’.

If the Women’s World Cup was a precursor of things to come, it will not. If anything, the smaller nations screamed that it exacerbated it...

Perhaps the EPL rules and implementation will be significantly different... But it appears that you did not watch each of the World Cups this summer (the U20 male and the WWC), where several games neared double-digits in time added on just on account of VAR reviews. Some potential penalty decisions were reviewed well after play has long moved on (sometimes with the ball being at the other end of the pitch after no call was made at all when the concerned incident occurred). Some challenges were reviewed for possible red cards well after the referee's on-field decision and play has moved on, apparently because some dude in a van had the time to look at several slow-motion replays of a seemingly innocuous tackle (and apparently can read players' intent better sitted in a van) . Little doubt we will eventually learn to live with VAR, but it will be a shyte-show for a minute..

A lot is let slide by in preseason...

Meanwhile VAR allowed broadcasters to add yet another talking head to the commentary team - a referee (or ex-referee), dubbed a 'VAR specialist'. Interestingly, though, these VAR specialists made the WRONG call about half the time (sometimes even after 3-5 mins of review). Interesting times lie ahead!

VAR is one more tool in the officials' toolbox but the FINAL judgment and decision is still the Ref's, so if you have a dodgy Ref it changes substantively little or nothing. What it mostly does is slow the game down in a fit of stops-and-starts, while (IMHO) according even more benefit-of-the-doubt to the 'bigger' teams. It will definitely take some getting used to.

Having goofed much of the summer away watching bits of each of the U20 World Cup, the Women's World Cup, U21 Euros, Copa America, even the CONCACAF Gold Cup and AFCON, my verdict after much consideration is that... VAR SUCKS!

Ndidi wins MOTM vs Burundi 44 Passes 89% Pass Accuracy 4 Dribbles 100% Dribbles Completed 100% Cross Accuracy 1 Duels Won 3 Fouls Awarded 1 Clearance 100% Tackles Won Source: https://gidifeed.com/afcon-2019-wilfred-ndidi-wins-man-of-the-match-award-against-burundi/

Both are not mutually exclusive

Generational... These days it's Wakanda!

It's a distinction with a difference. Under Puel, we quite often passed the ball with no pressure at all on us. In last night's game, we almost always did it only when Man City put pressure on the ball carrier - and if it seemed that we were passing backwards a lot, it was only because Man City constantly and relentlessly put pressure on us whenever we had the ball (particularly in the second-half). Admittedly, there were a few occasions when it seemed we needlessly passed backwards when the better option would probably have been to go forwards (once poignant instance saw us passing backwards after a freekick failed to clear the Man City defence, with our big men still upfield and waiting for another chance), and hence my "almost always" qualifier. Frankly, comparing the manner we pass the ball around under each of Puel and Rodgers is akin to comparing chalk and cheese. But in fairness to Puel, Tielemans has play a crucial role in the very marked transition in our passing game, and thus it is perhaps not coincidental that we reverted to Puel-ball as Tielemans suffered through his most ineffective game for us.

Youri was hiding in plain view tonight...

I think it's likely they may have wanted him to try a 30+ yarder. I know I did...

But we are. Under Puel we did it habitually, now we almost always only do it to retain possession.

Spot on! I was thinking leave him alone it will end up in Row Z...

Dude, the stats have already been posted on the thread...

Better than to the opposition... a la Silva

Perhaps he needs a break then

He wore No. 10 for Villarreal, but Santi Carzola was playing the attacking midfield role.

Saw the game. He came on midway in the 2H (about 66th min), and frankly was his usual self - basically strolling around the pitch and making casual/neat passes. He however took out (albeit inadvertently) one of the Espanyol players, and I am not sure what the rivalries are out there but that seemed to get the crowd up. Subsequently, Villarreal scored twice in the last 5 minutes of normal time to grab a 2-2 draw after being 0-2 down. The La Liga seems a better fit to his cantering style, but frankly saw nothing to cause regret yet.