It's patently obvious to all by now that Maresca simply does not know how to set up the defense - that means we will not win the title - we might win the odd cup here and there but we're never going to win the EPL.

Aside from the above, any manager who chops and changes their defense every week, fails to prepare the players for teams that use the dark arts with their corners and throw ins is going suffer.

And then there's the dithering from the back when we're playing out... it's not as bad as it was with Potter but it's close!

Parable of the man who builds his house on Sand-cho and all that... 😁

2 hours ago, Caps_Lock_King said:

So explain this Maresca

“WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT BACK A STRIKER FROM HIS LOAN DEAL ONLY TO LEAVE HIM OUT OF THE MATCHDAY SQUAD ?”

I think the SDs panicked/ reacted and brought Guiu back, Maresca may never have intended using him.

Also hearing the goal was offside ?

Maybe again we don’t believe we can win the title but feel top 4/5 is easily doable. So sacrifice a 2nd or 3rd spot for a good run at the champions league and amble to another 4th place league finish?

4 hours ago, OneTommyLangley said:

I think the SDs panicked/ reacted and brought Guiu back, Maresca may never have intended using him.

So are you saying Coco the clown thinks George is a better striker then Guiu?

4 hours ago, Jangz said:

Also hearing the goal was offside ?

It definitely was but I’m still more furious at James giving them such a cheap long throw in and the terrible defending/marking by nearly half the team from the throw in.

25 minutes ago, Caps_Lock_King said:

So are you saying Coco the clown thinks George is a better striker then Guiu?

I think he probably does, also he may not have been so keen as the SD's to sell him to Fulham. There are so many clowns about im assuming you mean Maresca?

5 hours ago, Jangz said:

Also hearing the goal was offside ?

Yes it was . Ouatarra was offside after the flick on and made an attempt to play the ball thus distracting sanchez and james. Either was we cant cry over spilt milk like Fulham

35 minutes ago, OneTommyLangley said:

I think he probably does, also he may not have been so keen as the SD's to sell him to Fulham. There are so many clowns about im assuming you mean Maresca?

Yes, hes the biggest onr

5 hours ago, Jangz said:

Also hearing the goal was offside ?

The goal was offside, the player who was offside literally swung at the ball in front of Reece James but there was no way we was getting that decision after all the media fury with the disallowed Fulham goal.

We’ve only ourselves to blame though, stupid line up from the off and with the late equaliser 4 men going for the same ball, losing out to 1 Brentford man and leaving Garnarcho own his own to deal with the back post.

Sometimes you need luck. The luck of the scousers for instance. 1-0 with a penalty in injury time. Meh. We lost this game last year and we have a pretty terrible record against the hoof football of Brentford. We have only beaten them one time in the last 8 games. Of course this Brentford without their good manager. Brentford are heading down imho and I am not going to miss them. What worries most is our manager and his inability to really take all these amazing young players to the next level.

5 hours ago, Jangz said:

Also hearing the goal was offside ?

First VAR error on an offside this season

Will we get an apology like fulham did? I highly doubt it.

6 hours ago, Jangz said:

Also hearing the goal was offside ?

It was, but you won't see the same theatrics from the media like we did in the game against Fulham.

5 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

It was, but you won't see the same theatrics from the media like we did in the game against Fulham.

We shall never speak of this again!

Over here, NBC were still banging on about the Fulham goal and how they were due vs Leeds. They must have mentioned it atleast three times in highlights

Edited September 14, 2025Sep 14 by PhilH930

55 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

It was, but you won't see the same theatrics from the media like we did in the game against Fulham.

Of course not.

This one is worse than fulham though. That call was wrong based on the VAR persons opinion of it being wrong.

Brentford goal was factual.it was offside, no ifs, no buts, no debate. The VAR ignored it, can only be because they wanted the goal to stand. They should be sacked.

The VAR for yesterday's game Was someone named James Bell.

They have since admit to Ottowara being offside but deemed the player to not be interfering enough on the play to overrule the onfield call. The the on field call was not a clear and obvious error.

Now if that exact terminology was not used by Howard Webb about the fulham disallowed goal.

Is what I said it was, a deliberate choice to allow a clear offside goal to stick one on us.

4 hours ago, axman2526 said:

The VAR for yesterday's game Was someone named James Bell.

They have since admit to Ottowara being offside but deemed the player to not be interfering enough on the play to overrule the onfield call. The the on field call was not a clear and obvious error.

Now if that exact terminology was not used by Howard Webb about the fulham disallowed goal.

Is what I said it was, a deliberate choice to allow a clear offside goal to stick one on us.

Well they're talking sh*te, because when it comes to offsides, there is no subjectivity involved. It either is or isn't. If the player in an offside position makes an action to play the ball, and it impacts an opponent (James in this example) then it's offside.

The refs in this country are just sh*t. They make it up as they go along, and when they're not doing that, they are influenced by the media. Nothings going to change, because the PGMOL are untouchable.

1 hour ago, Scott Harris said:

Well they're talking sh*te, because when it comes to offsides, there is no subjectivity involved. It either is or isn't. If the player in an offside position makes an action to play the ball, and it impacts an opponent (James in this example) then it's offside.

The refs in this country are just sh*t. They make it up as they go along, and when they're not doing that, they are influenced by the media. Nothings going to change, because the PGMOL are untouchable.

it’s very hard to win a league when one team get stripped 2 points on a decision and the team you’re competing with get gifted 2 that’s a 4 point swing right there, now count that up over a season

12 hours ago, axman2526 said:

Of course not.

This one is worse than fulham though. That call was wrong based on the VAR persons opinion of it being wrong.

Brentford goal was factual.it was offside, no ifs, no buts, no debate. The VAR ignored it, can only be because they wanted the goal to stand. They should be sacked.

In a nutshell.

Terrible decisions by VAR. There were also (IMO) clear obstruction fouls by Brentford players on Tosin and Cucurella, which allowed the ball to carry on uncontested to Carvalho. Ouatarra was clearly offside. Much like Eze's goal, yes it was a decision based on a minor technicality, but it is black-and-white all the same.

...but

We should not be relying on technicalities to win at Brentford. Our focus needs to be on the disaster that was the first goal, almost a carbon-copy of the disallowed goal vs Fulham, and reminiscent of so many goals last season (eg Mitoma), and the complete lack of chance creation for 65-odd minutes. Two speculative but clinical finishes won us the points against a team we should have created much more.

Winning at Brentford is what separates title challengers and form teams from the dross.

My opinion has completely changed. I now agree with @evissy and @Clown Lake . Maresca is a football managerial genius and is doing a fantastic job.

It was also a foul throw!

How can a player, who causes 2 opposition players to alter their approach, not be deemed to be interfering.

Don’t get me wrong Brentford deserved something out the game but it just seems once again a result had come about by VAR being blatantly wrong.

REF WATCH THIS MORNING

Should Brentford's equaliser have stood?

INCIDENT: Brentford snatched a late draw at home to Chelsea. But should the equaliser have stood? There was a shout of offside, cleared by the VAR, on Dango Ouattara.

Does Outarra have an impact on Reece James' ability to clear the ball?  

DERMOT SAYS: "I think it's a good goal. Being in an offside position isn't an offence in itself.

"Has he touched the ball? No. Has he interfered with an opponent? I think not.

"We've seen this happen before in the Premier League, where the VAR has to decide to send him or not and, at this point, he decides not to send him because he feels Ouattara hasn't impacted on the defender."

JAY BOTHROYD: "I disagree with that one. I think Ouattara has definitely interfered there.

"He's actually reached for the ball, the ball has bounced in between him, the other attacking player and Reece James and then gone all the way through. He reaches for the ball, which impacts James.

"You can't see any real touch from him but, ultimately, the fact he's gone for it means he's affected the play.

"If the flick-on initially went to the goalscorer there, he wouldn't interfere in play, but the fact it has dropped right in between the players is interference. That would bother me as a player."

I'm not arsed we didn't do enough regardless.

Maresca can't get away with bad management every game.