VAR

[Salvatore Matrecano]

I will take the wrong decisions because they even out over the season.

VAR was introduced mainly because of moaning managers who found it easy to blame the referee rather than their teams inadequate performance. Now they have simply shifted that blame to VAR itself. Alter the way it’s implemented and they will find something else they don’t like about it, anything to deflect blame from themselves.

I maintain football is unique as a spectator event and is nothing like rugby tennis or cricket which all have more frequent point scoring and natural breaks in play. When you destroy goal celebrations you destroy the game.

Ignoring how terribly it has been run by PGMOL, the original debate still stands, would you prefer matches, cup games, titles etc decided based on shocking decisions, eg Maradona handball, Lampard goal, Henry handball etc. I remember for me the one that pushed me into wanting VAR was that handball goal Leeds got against us years ago, if you can remember that.

So it's really do you prefer the risk of that or being able to celebrate safely, without a surprise or random intervention. I go back and forth, I was definitely pro VAR before, obviously less keen now. I watched that Newcastle v Villa FA Cup tie where they had no VAR and there were two dreadful decisions (luckily Newcastle won anyway). That was a hard watch though. Tough call.

Seem to remember the overall consensus of the 3rd and 4th of the FA cup with no VAR was that it was a vast improvement and everyone enjoyed it. The Newcastle Villa game was the exception which people cling to but the way VAR operates its likely they would have spent 10 minutes debating and still got it wrong.

Mistakes average out and the feeling of injustice is part of the game. A badly awarded sending off or penalty often galvanises the crowd, it all adds to the atmosphere. Your examples above the Lampard goal was goal line technology and that stays no argument. Things like the Henri handball are tough but the way the handball rules are interpreted now are ludicrous.