West Ham hit the woodwork three times and had a goal ruled out for Mavropanos’ elbow straying off side last weekend as the Hammers crashed three-nil to Brentford. Fans and players alike bemoaned the Irons’ bad luck that on another day could have returned three or four goals in the first half.
However of course, the defeat was not down to bad luck alone. Brentford hit West Ham on the break thanks to poor defending as we wrote yesterday.
The refereeing decisions, it seems, are now under the media microscope and for the second week in a row, it is clear West Ham should have had a penalty awarded at crucial stage in the game.
After Jordan Pickford’s scything into Taty Castellanos last weekend, Tomas Soucek being wrestled to the ground from a corner was a clear and obvious foul that went unpunished.
Soucek – grappled to the ground by Keane Lewis Potter
Waved away by Craig Pawson and then ignored by VAR, evidently senior former officials are of the opinion that both the on-field decision and the VAR review failed to deal with a clear foul.
Reported by footballinsider247.com:
PGMOL have been urged to review the holding offence rule after Tomas Soucek was denied a penalty in West Ham United‘s 3-0 loss at Brentford.
Former refereeing chief Keith Hackett has insisted that the Hammers should have been awarded a spot kick against the Bees after Keane Lewis-Potter’s challenge on Soucek.
PGMOL told to spend summer sorting out holding issue
PGMOL chief Howard Webb insisted last summer that Premier League referees would award more penalties for holding in the 2025-26 season, but the Hammers were denied a spot kick for what looked to be a clear offence on Saturday.
Former boss Hackett has now said that Soucek should have won a penalty, and the PGMOL must use controversies like this one to conduct a full review into holding offences in the summer so that all parties are on the same page by the time next season starts.
I can’t understand why holding in the penalty ares is being ignored by referees – and VAR. It’s actually quite simple. If referees are instructed to consistently give penalties where there’s holding, there would probably be several penalties a game for a while. But the players would gradually get the message and it would pretty much stop. Trouble is that the officials don’t have the balls to do it
I’m afraid mavropanos’ head was also in an offside position so it was correctly ruled out. Not that I agree with that rule. I still preferred the daylight between players rule. On the other hand, how the Soucek wasn’t given as a penalty is totally baffling.
On another day we batter Brentford !
Martin I didn’t see the game due to other commitments but every little story that comes out of the game makes me feel it wasn’t bad luck but we were robbed. We all know how a goal changes the game having the foul on Mav for he first goal ignored, a goal ruled out for an elbow begin in an offside position (didn’t know you can score with your elbow) and now we should have had a penalty everyone is saying except the officials on the day. That’s before we get to the bad luck of hitting the woodwork 4 times. This means it should have been 2- 2 or 2-3. The first part of he season is why we are in this situation but that result with the poor decisions could be the one that gets us relegated. Or is there are darker side to this like Villa putting out a very weaker side?
So, in my current job we do this thing where we take a look at every project we finish and look to see what lessons can be learned post completion.
What was done well, what was done poorly (but necessary to complete the project), and what had no value to the overall process (and therefore eliminated from future projects).
Surely a professional body that governs these referees can do the same post season.
Look at all the good, bad and simply wrong decisions over the season and workshop hard to eliminate them from next seasons competition.
It’s not like the top tier refs get paid a pittance anymore, so surely this must come with standards?
Stop it Neil, just stop it mate. You are making too much sense.