VAR

[The Edge]

For me this is easily the worst ‘innovation’ in the game ever.  I would maintain that it should never have been used for anything but factual goal line decisions.  Subjective is nonsense & the use of slo mo replays makes everything look worse than it was.

All it has achieved is that instead of arguing about the incompetence of one referee we now argue about incompetence of two who are in cahoots to protect each other rather than get the right decisions.

It is a hapless system until they can or will show & explain the outcomes to those in the stadium - we also need to hear the conversations betw ref & VAR because whilst they are secret you have to ask is that because they are corrupt or is it because they don’t have confidence that they would sound more stupid than they look?  There was an occurrence at the Women’s World Cup where France were struggling as tournament hosts they then get the worst penalty decision I have ever seen via VAR & no one will ever persuade me that the ref wasn’t being told what to do to ensure hosts progressed.

They’ve gone all in on this garbage system but do you ever hear of them trying to recruit younger referees who are fit and able to keep up with the game?  How many players fail to make the grade every year? making it financially an option to stay in the game & fast tracking them would mean games aren’t all refereed by 40 odd yr old fat men breathing out their arses like Moss or Friend.

Switch the crap tech off until the users are able to use it

Totally agree. I've been making the exact same points ever since i witnessed var in action. (or inaction as was the case for us at Palace)

[walsall villain]

Referees didn’t want it in the first place and I get the feeling they are conspiring to make it that hated that it gets dropped.

[Des Little]

Can VAR be dropped in this country? Or can UEFA enforce it stays?

[PaulWinch again]

It’s just being used so badly. The mandate is clear and obvious and it’s just not being used in that way at all.

[The Edge]

It’s just being used so badly. The mandate is clear and obvious and it’s just not being used in that way at all.

Which begs the question. Do the refs want a system that puts them under greater scrutiny and highlights their faults, or are they deliberately screwing it up? They were a joke on Saturday at our game. Admittedly it was difficult to confirm if Silva touched the ball or not but when the player clears up the controversy by TELLING the ref "i touched the ball" then the ref has got to rule it out as Sterling was offside. Why didn't he do that? Was it deliberate? Was it him covering for Stockley Park? Or does the ref not know the rules?

[Risso]

That Man U penalty against Norwich was utterly ridiculous.

[chrisw1]

How is the first Liverpool goal today any different to our disallowed goal against Palace?! Firmino did actually dive (Grealish didn’t) and the ball falls to Henderson to score. Not a sniff of the ref blowing for a dive and no intervention by VAR. One rule for some, and another for others. Consistent at being inconsistent.

Everyone knows the decision against us was a fuck up.  Would you rather the fucked up again for Liverpool just for consistency?

[Risso]

This weekend's VAR catastrophe reminds me of when Lambert was getting stick for shit results using crap long ball football, so he went on a training course/jolly to Germany, and came back and got shit results playing a crap version of tiki-taka.  The VAR team have obviously being getting pelters for not overturning penalty appeals, so now they've gone the other way and are giving penalties out for next to nothing.  It is without any shadow of a doubt, an absolute omnishambles.

[LeeB]

I was convinced it would be a crock of shit before it was introduced at the World Cup, and it has proven to be exactly that (although it was less ridiculous then).

I maintain, if it can't be replicated at the lowest level of the game, it shouldn't be in at the top. I'd be happy to chuck the goaline tech out as well as a point of principle, although I'd concede it works. But it was the thin end of the wedge.

A marked out pitch, a goal at either end, a referee and two linesmaen, 22 players and a ball. That's all it needs, and why it became the sport it is. Everything else can fuck off.

[Luke8]

I maintain, if it can't be replicated at the lowest level of the game, it shouldn't be in at the top. I'd be happy to chuck the goaline tech out as well as a point of principle, although I'd concede it works. But it was the thin end of the wedge.

I would more or less agree with that - although would understand it only applying at a professional level.

With goal line technology at least the answers is definitive. I could maybe get on board with offside calls being reviewed if the technology with better (quicker) and they cleared the rules up to that end.
But some many of the other calls are far too subjective - Hourihanes goal against Brighton being a prime example wouldn’t be overruled every time I don’t believe. And the inconsistency with when/where it can be used - what happens if City scores for the free kick for Jacks foul on Sterling for example?

Also the lack of thought give to the impact on match going fans in particular is a disgrace. The minimal/non existent communication, emotional reaction to goals etc is one of the strongest reason against it for me. I am sure that it sadly not the game with the decision makers sadly.

[Clampy]

It worked OK in the world Cup as the ref normally tended to get the final say. He wondered over to this little screen, had a look and said yay or nay. He was still in control of the game.

The Man Utd game, the ref didn't give a pen because it wasn't one, he was overruled by some chap sitting miles away so he then gave a pen and booked a player for a foul he did not even see. VAR needs putting back in its box and returning to where it came from, or to put it more bluntly, fuck it off.

[Sexual Ealing]

I was convinced it would be a crock of shit before it was introduced at the World Cup, and it has proven to be exactly that (although it was less ridiculous then).

I maintain, if it can't be replicated at the lowest level of the game, it shouldn't be in at the top. I'd be happy to chuck the goaline tech out as well as a point of principle, although I'd concede it works. But it was the thin end of the wedge.

A marked out pitch, a goal at either end, a referee and two linesmaen, 22 players and a ball. That's all it needs, and why it became the sport it is. Everything else can fuck off.

I agree with all of this.

[baddowvillans]

Maybe wrongly but I still believe it should be possible to get VAR to work but for me the only person concluding a "clear and obvious" error has been made should be the person who made that decision.  They are the best people to look at the scenario which they made a decision on and decide do they see something they could see before to make them change their mind.  Letting someone else do it who has very little feel for the pace and mood of the game makes it completely subjective.

[Des Little]

For fucks sake, just look t how it work sin rugby and follow that.  Anyone would think football is corrupt...

[chrisw1]

For fucks sake, just look t how it work sin rugby and follow that.  Anyone would think football is corrupt...

I know the games are different, but why the hell can't the ref have a sensible conversation with the VAR official is just beyond me (with the assistance of a video screen in each corner of the ground).  On Saturday it would have been "he's told me he touched the ball, so on the basis we think he's touched it, what is your decision re offside?"

It's so fucking simple yet they refuse to do it, probably as they don't want to be open for critisism when their deliberations are public and possibly because of all the scaremogering about slowing the game down.  Anybody would think morons are in charge.