bobbybingo

Sorry, I didn't mean your opinion was ridiculous, it was regarding the rewriting the laws of physics comment. You're right, how could anyone going into a tackle like that not follow through? But that's the point - they don't want players making those challenges anymore, so they'll punish them as harshly as they can in the hope players will eventually catch on. Like the tackle from the back, which is given as a foul 99% of the time now, whether the ball's won or not - and a red card if there's any force involved. Fans might not like it, but since when has that stopped them? The interpretation of excessive force? Yeah, the referee's (who are instructed how to interpret these incidents), not yours or mine.

I suppose it keeps the walloper from nicking wreaths out folk's gardens.

"Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play." There's every chance another referee would've given a yellow, but one thing's for sure - any appeal would fail based on the laws of the game and what happened. Touching the ball first isn't a factor anymore, no matter how ridiculous you might find that.

Don't lose and we're 12 ahead with 21 to play for, but it's a must win if we're gonnae make the top 6.

Why?

The Dunne red card is a case in point. Earlier in the game, he forearm smashed a Livi player - a clear sending off and Collum missed it. Somebody obviously has a word in his ear and he just waited for the next chance to get Dunne. He was so keen, he made an arse of that anaw. Nobody really believed Macey would walk for elbowing Lamie, but you know exactly what would've happened if the roles had been reversed. And with Roberts, even Collum must've thought twice about dismissing two players from the same team in the first 6 minutes. VAR will sort out offsides, cos they just draw their lines and that's that, but for red cards, penalties, hand balls etc, it'll still come down to a human making a decision. How many ludicrous rulings have we seen in the English Premiership?

There's no doubt about that. We just didn't get away with it today.

Touching the ball before following through on your opponent is not a valid excuse anymore - the fact Doig actually played it forward proves Mugabi didn't win the ball anyway. It was clearly a lunge towards Doig, not a crunching 50/50 where one guy just happened to come off worse. Intent doesn't matter either. Take a look at Mugabi's reaction - he hangs his head and walks, no outrage or shock, he knew what he'd done. The look on the other Motherwell players faces tells you plenty too. The fact everyone and their dug knows Collum is the one ref who won't hesitate to flash a red in the first minute just compounds the stupidity of that challenge.

Ok. Those are the laws of the game, so if you were appealing Mugabi's red, what argument would you use?

"A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play." Given he put Doig out the game, how could we argue it wasn't a red card?

Doig went off injured minutes later, so it's pretty clear Mugabi caught him on the follow through. Making contact with the ball is a side issue now. VAR doesn't give a toss what minute of the game it is and would've replayed it till they found an angle that justified a red. Roberts would probably have gone too.

People can decide on the wisdom of his changes, I'm simply pointing out most of them are not due to injury or illness.

In the last 4 games the only players unavailable for the team or subs bench were Van Veen (missed the Rangers game), McGinley (missed the first 3 games) and O'Hara (missing today). There were 2 changes for Ross County, 4 for Dundee and 4 today. Changing the team/squad is clearly Alexander's choice, it's certainly not being forced on him.

Imagining we are going to make the top 6, that would be optimism.

Is McGinley a fuckin ghost?

We'll see how it goes, but you know fine well people aren't reacting because of one team selection.

This is a head on the block team selection. Hope to god it works, but if it doesn't, you'd have a hard job defending Alexander.

If the Russians launch a nuclear strike, only Liam Donnelly would survive.

Isn't somebody getting paid to do that?

Keep morale high? That's working a treat.

So Alexander's changed his mind about the Ross County performance? I suppose viewing that 90 minutes again was too much, even for him. Also telling that he constantly talks about both boxes, both ends of the pitch, but never seems to delve into our midfield issues. If he's no keen on these games being scrappy affairs, he could always ditch the hoofball and employ some tactics instead. If.

We already know what Burrows thinks.

I'd be interested to hear how long you'll be willing to watch this style of football, given the manager clearly doesn't have an issue with it.

I think it's only fair we let the man speak first....

I think the players have realised he hasn't a scooby.