There can be no doubt that VAR hasn’t been a very popular addition to the Premier League. I have yet to speak with any football lover who’s admitted they think it’s a good thing. That’s because the use of VAR and how it’s being implemented in the decision-making process leaves a lot to be desired. I will look at how VAR has affected my club, Leeds United, but will also discuss VAR in the Prem on a slightly wider scale. Hopefully this will help you to understand what I see as the single biggest issue as to why VAR is so bad, and what can be done to improve it, because it badly needs improving. Just looking at this season, Leeds have already suffered definite injustices at the hands of VAR. In the home game against Wolves there was the incident where the Wolves keeper, Sa, absolutely clattered Kristensen, the Leeds right back, in the Wolves box. Sa had badly misjudged a deep cross and went hurtling out of control into Kristensen who had a chance to head the ball into the unguarded goal. It wasn’t even close, a nailed-on penalty. However, to the bemusement of the Elland Road faithful and the millions watching on TV, the VAR official didn’t even deem the foul worth a second look. It was baffling. Then, away at Brentford, there were three incidents that all went against Leeds thanks to VAR’s involvement, and lack thereof. Not one, not two, but three incidents where VAR got it wrong. Let’s revisit each incident and see how VAR influenced the game. BRENTFORD PENALTY When Leeds’ Sinisterra challenged Brentford’s Toney in the Leeds box and won the ball, the referee waved play on. At first viewing it didn’t seem like a penalty, just one player being stronger than the other. There was no trip, no push or barge, just a good tackle. Then VAR felt it necessary to intervene, and instructed the ref to have a second look on the monitor. Even with the slow-motion replays, it wasn’t an obvious foul, more Toney deciding to be weak in the hope of convincing the ref that he had been fouled. This is the norm now, players going down at the slightest touch to try and win free kicks or penalties. The Prem actually said that referees were going to be stronger in this regard and allow more robust challenges to try and stop the constant falling over, because it’s nothing more than cheating. Yet VAR didn’t seem to get that memo, or not for this particular incident anyway. As a side note, watch a women’s rugby league game to better understand what it takes to knock someone over. It’s a darn sight more than the acceptable “contact” in football, that’s for sure. So, was it a clear and obvious error by the referee? Not at all, but with VAR chattering away in his ear, the ref decided to overturn his on-field decision and award the penalty. It was a game changing moment. What was so frustrating at this decision was that the VAR protocol is that it has to be a clear and obvious error by the ref, which it wasn’t. There was no brute force or a deliberate attempt to foul Toney, it was simply Sinisterra being stronger and winning the ball. VAR failed miserably at this moment, but was it incompetency? More on this later. LEEDS NO PENALTY Then, in the second half, there was another penalty incident, this time at the Brentford end. Summerville used his pace and skill to get past Jensen out on the left and cut inside dangerously. Jensen had a tug at Summerville’s shirt just outside the box, and then proceeded to put his forearm into Summerville’s neck and violently shove him over. Inexplicably, the referee waved play on. Maybe he was applying the “more robust challenges” protocol here, or maybe he simply didn’t have a clear view. Who knows anymore? The contact was so much more than the Toney incident, yet this time VAR chose not to review it. Clear and obvious error? You bet! Why did VAR not deem a clear foul in the box not worthy of closer inspection? Incompetency? Maybe. To rub salt in, seconds later Leeds were penalised for an invisible foul where there was no trip which resulted in Leeds’ manager, Jesse Marsch, being sent off and subsequently banned and fined. OFFSIDE! HE’S OFFSIDE! Now to the third incident, another baffling one. Brentford’s fourth goal came via a long ball up to Toney who glanced it into Koch, the Leeds centre back. The ball squirted infield awkwardly, catching the Leeds defence out of shape and allowing an attacker in a clear offside position a free run at goal. However, the linesman on the far side ruled it out for offside immediately. No hesitation, no hoo-hah, just a clear and confident decision. VAR obviously looked at it, as they do with all goals, and the VAR official decided that Toney had in fact not touched the ball, and therefore the linesman was wrong and the goal should stand. Clear and obvious error by the linesman? No. There was no way at all that VAR could be absolutely certain that Toney didn’t get a touch, and even with the picture paused at “point of contact” there was no gap between Toney’s head and the ball. Also think about this. Koch’s header could have been badly misdirected because the ball had been glanced by Toney, changing the angle for Koch. You know, thinking through a footballing moment with a bit of football experience. For VAR to rule Toney hadn’t had a touch was pure guesswork. I can only think that they went with “he probably didn’t get a touch” rather than “I can’t be certain so it has to stay with the linesman’s call”. VAR isn’t there to make crucial decisions based on balance of probability, it’s supposed to fix clear and obvious errors. This subjective, opinion-based application of the rules is just wrong. It failed miserably to do so on three occasions in this game. It was enlightening to hear Liam Cooper, the Leeds captain, actually speak about this incident on a recent podcast. Cooper is known for being a gentleman and a leader, and it isn’t like him to speak out about officials or VAR, but he felt he needed to make his point. Cooper said he was on the side-line with a good view, and according to him, he clearly saw the ball deflect off Toney. His immediate instinct was “That’s offside.” For him there was no question the goal would be ruled out, yet VAR, after looking at all the angles and having no clear indication that Toney didn’t touch the ball, decided to let the goal stand. It was a shocker. NOT JUST LEEDS On the same day there were two ludicrous decisions at Chelsea and Toon where VAR made a complete mess of two of the easiest calls you could make. The decision at Chelsea went against West Ham and cost them the game, and Newcastle suffered the same fate. Why? Incompetency? Well, let’s look at the why, because here is where VAR is seemingly badly flawed. I’m going to come straight out and say what I perceive to be the real problem with VAR. Bias. Yes, it’s perceived as bias, because it really can’t be anything else. Leeds fans will tell you that forever they have felt there’s an institutional bias against their club, and if you look back at decisions that have gone against Leeds, you can understand why there’s this perception. But I don’t think the perceived bias is just against Leeds, I think it’s more than that. Now, I’m not for one minute suggesting that VAR officials are cheating, but rather there’s a subconscious bias being applied, particularly on 50/50 calls. How can I put this better? TROUBLING CALL AT TOON Let’s look at the first potential cause for these awful decisions being made, incompetence. That decision against Newcastle was ludicrous. It was clear that the Toon striker had been shoved in the back, causing him to clatter into the Palace ‘keeper. It wasn’t a foul by the striker, and if VAR felt the accidental coming together had impeded the ‘keeper, then the next decision should have been a penalty to the Toon. Instead, VAR seemed determined to rule against Toon and gave a foul in favour of Palace. Oh dear. As far as levels of incompetency go, this call was right at the very top of the incompetent list. Surely the FA should demand that when an official is as incompetent as this they are removed from officiating, because they simply can’t be trusted to do the job properly. But no, of course this doesn’t happen, and so the horror show is allowed to go on. SHAM CALL AT CHELSEA The call that went against West Ham at Chelsea was also a shambles, a brutally incompetent call that again influenced the outcome of the game. After the public outcry and attention in the media, the higher ups decided to put out a statement that they agreed the calls in the Toon and West Ham games were clearly incorrect, and they would work harder to improve VAR. No mention of the horror-show in the Leeds game though, which meant they felt all three decisions against Leeds were correct. And there you have an example as to why there is a perception that there’s an institutional bias against Leeds. So if it’s not incompetency, and the FA and Prem clearly don’t feel it is, because the officials making these awful calls are being allowed to carry on, what is the cause of VAR being so bad? Bias, surely it can’t be anything else. When Toon had a perfectly good goal ruled out, and a clear penalty in the play leading up to the goal being denied them as well, the only reason I could think of was that the official was being subconsciously biased against Toon. Again, I’m not saying he blatantly tried to cheat Toon, but it may have been a subconscious decision influenced by something in his mind. Could his decision have been influenced by the fact that Toon are being bankrolled by the Saudis? It most certainly could be, we’re only human after all. The thing is, only the VAR official will be able to enlighten us on this, but nobody’s asking him. The West Ham call, if not a case of clear incompetence, could then also only be put down to perceived bias. In this case I would have to think that the perceived bias was in favour of one of the Elite Six clubs. You know, those arrogant clubs who tried to force a breakaway European league at the expense of the game in England, and Europe. There is a perception among football fans that officials favour the Elite Six because the Prem is afraid of upsetting them. It’s just one of those things, and it’s a difficult thing to accept or change. Big club bias will always be perceived to be there, but does it have to be? REFS CLUB? If there is perceived bias, as I’ve hopefully shown could very possibly be the case, why is it happening? It’s potentially happening because there is no accountability for officials. And even worse, they then get backed up on Sky on a Monday morning where some retired referee tries to justify the bad calls by trying to confuse us with rubbish. NEUTRALITY When we saw VAR in action at the last Euros people commented as to how good it was, and how quickly decisions were made. Same with the Champions League. Why does VAR work so much better in those competitions? Neutral officials, that’s why. The officials are neutral because the competition organisers want to ensure there is no bias. Yes, FIFA and UEFA removed the chance of bias influencing decisions that change games. IMPROVING VAR If the Prem officials can’t be neutral, then change the way VAR is being used. If you look at rugby union as a fine example, they use their version of VAR very well, and accurately. The key difference is that the officials are wired for sound, so the audience can hear them talk through their decision-making processes. Everything is clear and concise, no grey areas. The world is listening. This means that the TV official has to be absolutely clear as to why he recommends overturning an on-field decision, or why he agrees with the referee’s call. It allows him no wiggle room, no “in my opinion” nonsense, because the crowd will be listening in, so he has to be clear with his decision. Remember this as well, the rugby TV official is in a booth in the stadium, so he can feel the atmosphere and have a good sense as to the flow of the game. VAR in the Prem is currently allowed to practice what is perceived as cowardice, allowing officials to hide away in a shed far away from the ground. Yes, people think it's cowardly for VAR officials to be able to make decisions without us knowing how these decisions were reached. Also, the officials aren’t wired for sound, so we have no idea what instruction the VAR official is giving to the referee. Everyone is left to guess as to how a decision was reached, and that’s why there’s so much frustration and anger at VAR. Rightly so. The Prem can fix this with immediate effect. No trials, no waiting another season, just fix it now. Start by moving the VAR officials into the grounds so that they are in touch with the game. It makes such a difference. There is no substitute for having a feel for the flow of a game being played in front of you. Secondly, and this is critical, wire the officials for sound. When there’s a VAR referral, let’s hear the officials talking through their decision-making process. This will help us to understand how a decision was reached, and more importantly it will also help to educate supporters and players even more. It’s a fantastic tool for the Prem to use, and it will be a game changer in helping to get VAR accepted within the game. Implement these two simple changes and you will see how quickly VAR improves. Then the perception of bias cannot be thrown at officials anymore, because everyone will understand why certain decisions were reached, even if they don’t like them. Right now, in its current form, VAR is not fit for purpose. There is too much leeway for subjective decisions to be made, and this allows perceived bias to creep in. You may think I’m being a bit dramatic, but it’s human nature to allow bias to influence subjectivity. You yourself do it when an opponent is denied a blatant penalty against your team by trying to convince yourself it wasn’t a pen. In fact, if you ask Palace fans, they will try and defend that Toon VAR blunder that went in their favour. That’s how easy it is for subconscious bias to affect decisions when there’s no explanation required from officials, or accountability. RESPECT THE AUDIENCE This perceived private referees’ club has to stop, because they have too much influence over games, which in turn affects the livelihoods of people and the survival of clubs. There’s too much at stake for VAR to be allowed to carry on in the dark. It needs to be brought out into the open, as they do with rugby union, to make it more acceptable and to improve its accuracy. Implement these two simple changes, engage with the supporters, players and managers better by helping them to understand the decision-making process, and see how much VAR improves in a short space of time. I don’t believe there is cheating by officials in the English game, I never have, but I do feel there is subconscious bias happening. This is exactly why Champions League games and international tournaments have neutral referees, because these games are deemed to be of the highest importance. Well, Prem games are of the highest importance in England, and it’s time to show these games the respect they deserve by lifting the veil on VAR and enlightening the audience on how decisions are made. Stop protecting the referees, make them more accountable. It’s the right thing to do for the game. Please do it now, before more games are ruined by anonymous decisions.
How about using match day officials (inc VAR) from other countries on a rota basis to remove any historical or allegiance bias ? I'm thinking officials from; France Germany Spain Italy Portugal UK
Sinisterra took the man first and i thought no penalty at first. Then i saw the tackle again on match of the day and it was man first.
Yeah I actually thought it was a penalty at the time as well but there are plenty of others who thought it wasn’t - just differing opinions. Which is why VAR shouldn’t get involved in these types of decisions - it’s just VAR’s opinion against that of the ref. VAR shouldn’t be used when it comes down to a matter of opinion.
Looking at the slow motion replay I thought it was a penalty as well and exactly the same for ours for the foul on Summerville. Both should have been given by VAR or both ignored, but to give one and not the other was what was scandalous. The Newcastle one was the one that really beggars belief though. If VAR deemed that the Newcastle player fouled the goalkeeper (as it did) then it was a clear penalty for the push on the Newcastle player...absolutely disgraceful decision making as there was no grey area whatsoever and the push was clear and obvious. Even if VAR didn't advise the on field referee to give a penalty he still saw the push with his own eyes (on the monitor) and yet still failed to make the correct decision...so 2 idiots instead of one.
But the ref gave it after going to the screen. I said no penalty but after watching again much later not in game mode could see the contact clearly. Which of course proves the posters point about bias by teams own fans.
It's always best to see the positive aspect of things though Wakey. I'm just grateful that Sinisterra didn't get a red card (for denying a goalscoring opportunity) and that Summerville didn't receive a yellow for diving.
EXACTLY--- just what i came on to say, the only thing i would keep technology wise is Hawkeye or whatever they use for goal line disputes,. Let's get back to good old fashioned refereeing, who also rely on their linesman, at least then mistakes (which will happen) would just be down to human error, which we would all moan about but would be soon forgotten. Unlike VAR who we expect, and should get everything right, when called upon to analyse clear and obvious mistakes only. Good morning all I sure am missing proper footy, damn long Waite till October 2nd
VAR was a good idea but became flawed by employing the same useless refs who were supposed to be experts. It's a jobs for the boys situation which is not working so sack them. Next train up independant people to check VAR on a matchday. Teach them the rules and have them state which rule they are checking. Show it on the big screen like in rugby league. It's the blind ex refs who are failing the system. How do we know if they watch every single minute and miss nothing because they clearly did v. Brentford.
The thing about VAR was that it was brought in to help stop human error, so whats the point in asking the ref to watch the screen and still make a human error, especially if it's close. I mean if VAR can't solve it, how the **** can a ref decide.
Good post Billy the key phrase is clear and obvious error. Sinisterra incident wasnt a penalty or a clear and obvious error because it took 7 minutes with countless camera angles and slow mo and super slow motion to pick up that it could be a penalty. Thats the problem, a jobs-worth remote official decided to stop the game and find something wrong
VAR has made match officials lazy IMO. They have VAR to fall back on to help them. Originally VAR was meant to be used as goal line technology, but now it's morphed into being used for everything and it still can't get it right. VAR IMO has stopped a lot of my enjoyment of the beautiful game and it's certainly ****ed up the betting side of things. Even when a goal is flashed up you still are thinking that VAR will over rule it. Personally it's the difference of winning or losing a bet.
Exactly Shaks just happened to me in the India Bangalore Super Division match between FC Deccan and ASC when I needed the home team to score - and they did, only for it to be chalked off Luckily they did score later but these days you can’t celebrate straight away cos you don’t know what VAR will do Takes that instant emotion out of it. Get rid.
Good opinion i like to hear different views on here. Me being a gobshyte does not affect my ability to listen.
Completely agree with Shaks. Get rid, it is taking the sheer joy and excitement out of the game. Every time a goal is scored you have three VAR officials looking for any reason to disallow it. VAR could end up being the thing that killed the golden goose for the premier league. People don’t pay to go to games or watch on tv refs become centre stage taking five minutes to decide on a goal. We’re in to see goals like at Brighton (disallowed because a nasal hair was offside, you can’t tell me that interferes with the goal, keeper was never getting there). Other sports use it as a gimmick and include the crowd, think rugby and tennis, football doesn’t need that. The prem became the biggest seller around the world because of the speed of play and how exciting that is. Think they need to remember that.
