I've gone through all our games involving VAR. Villa - Firmino goal ruled out Utd - no foul on Origi, Mane handball Leicester - penalty Mane Chelsea - Azpili goal ruled out Linesman flagged Firmino so VAR made no difference. Ref gave no foul - VAR made no difference. Mane handball, did linesman flag? Ref already blew for penalty - VAR made no difference. No flag for offside for Azpili but they are told not to if offside unclear ??? In summary, if there was no VAR: If we say Mane's handball was called by VAR and Azpili's goal had stood, that leaves us 2 points up and 2 points down so essentially they cancel each other out and we are on the exact same points that we are actually on.
In reality it shouldn't make a lot of difference ..... if you believe that refs do a good job. If VAR was showing big differences then the take from that would be that we need it because the refs are rubbish. At this point in time it's just a self serving tool for the status quo.
Though I was being flippant, that was my point. VAR was sold to us on the basis that it would eliminate errors, but it's currently being used by the officials to show how good the officials are. Very few errors are deemed worthy of overturning, so it's making little difference of note, so what's the point? It's most obvious effects are: it slows the game down, ruins the spontaneity of goal celebrations (for me, at least), illustrates errors but fails to correct them, and proves how so many refereeing decisions are subjective and, of necessity, arbitrary.
But it is eliminating errors in most other countries it was used in CL and generally no problems In fact mistakes were rectified the main issues in the CL have been down to the rule not VAR Imho it is becoming increasingly clear that it is our refs that are not using it to its potential in the premiership as the English ref team (Oliver) used it fine midweek in fact I would say used it well it is all getting very interesting to me
I haven't watched enough foreign games to have a valid opinion, tbh. I've noticed fewer interruptions in the CL, which is good - but there don't seem to be many replays shown illustrating the decision made, so I can't say whether it seems correct or not.
Issue isn’t with technology BecAuse it works perfectly in other sports and even works well in football in other countries. the issue is and always will be the humans who run it. They are incompetent.
In a nutshell. I was irked at some of the shenanigans with VAR operatives bending over backwards to support obviously wrong, 'subjective' decisions such as pens and non-penalties, but Bobby's offside was a new low. You thought you could actually bank on offside to be right whether the decision went your way or not: now we know that motivated enough individual at the controls of VAR will simply and blatantly redraw the ****ing lines, tilt the ****ing screen and press whatever buttons they need to to cheat the bastard system. VAR has just given Atkinson some undeserved veneer of legitimacy - the **** who likes to announce 'Computer says no'.
Sorry. I didn't realise it was a rhetorical question. Out of our 11 games so far, it has got one big decision right - the Azpili offside goal and one big decision wrong - the foul on Origi. As the table shows that has made no difference at all to our points total. I guess a similar pattern going forward which as you rightly say, amounts to an expensive waste of time and money. I think I read yesterday that a meeting has been called with PGMOL and the PL managers. I could say I await the outcome with interest but I won't because it will be more of the same old flannel from them.
I wonder how, or if, the table changed after the weekend. From our game: ref had good view of first handball and didn't give it. Not sure if he saw the second one but in both cases VAR didn't affect the decision. Mo definitely onside, no flag so again VAR didn't alter the points outcome. Interesting that after the meeting, refs have told to use pitchside monitor for tight decisions. It should improve things but who knows
