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Like it or not, we’re getting it, but is it really the panacea that gets everything right? Football’s not that sort of game anyway, there’s too many shades of grey.

Last night saw two Champions League games decided by the technology, Man United went through on a terrible decision, watched in slo-mo, never a handball in a million years, then Porto went through on a good decision where the defender was penalised for shirt grabbing.

The point being, humans are still bottle of shiraz it up and getting it right in equal measure, does the VAR change anything?

The human element has been part and parcel of the game for 150 years or so. I'm the first to give refs a bit of lip when they fluff things up, but end of the day it's sport, played between humans on the pitch and there are swings and roundabouts. The pitch is where everything should be left to play the game. Video and stoppages for review are for play station and consoles. Get rid of it.

I was watching the City v Leicester game earlier and the ref gave a penalty to Sterling for a non contact tackle, Sterling just ran into the defender, but VAR didn't say anything about it.

Then, later on, Ederson comes out and dives at Barnes, misses the ball by about 4 metres and clatters Barnes. Now Barnes was not going to score, the ball was long gone, but is that not a foul?

It concerns me that a foul can be for the most minimal of contact when a forward is in the box, but that twice that level of contact in the midfield is waved on, a midfielder late for a tackle that sends another player flying certainly is penalised and probably booked, yet a goalkeeper can do the same and there's nothing.

Hardly surprising that players, managers and fans are confused.

Nice One Cyril wrote:I was watching the City v Leicester game earlier and the ref gave a penalty to Sterling for a non contact tackle, Sterling just ran into the defender, but VAR didn't say anything about it.

Then, later on, Ederson comes out and dives at Barnes, misses the ball by about 4 metres and clatters Barnes. Now Barnes was not going to score, the ball was long gone, but is that not a foul?

It concerns me that a foul can be for the most minimal of contact when a forward is in the box, but that twice that level of contact in the midfield is waved on, a midfielder late for a tackle that sends another player flying certainly is penalised and probably booked, yet a goalkeeper can do the same and there's nothing.

Hardly surprising that players, managers and fans are confused.

Agreed. Do the law makers actually watch games these days? If so, the message/s aren't getting through to those officiating

Interested in the opinions on the VVD handball in the Wolves game. It was definitely handball in the build up because he played the pass, but I don't think that was the intention of the new rule and, if it was, how far back do you go? They may need to refine the rule.

The LOTG I grew up with were just fine. The more they change things the more I lose interest. Who am I kidding, I lost interest a long time ago. I can't remember the last time I watched a game. As for VAR, more hassle than it's worth by the sounds of it.

Can someone shed some light on why Son was correctly sent off for kicking out at Rudiger, yet Lacazette gets nothing for blatantly kicking out at a Leeds player last night?

Watch the Walcott penalty claim against Brighton and then tell me that isn't a foul? WTF is wrong with the refs?

VAR is ruining the game, our sport is not designed to be stop start. Decision gets made, mostly correctly but refs are human and make mistakes. As do players.

My country has gone out of world cups twice when decisions in that game would have been changed by VAR. I watched my team lose 3-0 when VAR would have ruled two of them out.

Yet, stuff VAR. Get rid of it.

God is an Englishman wrote:VAR is ruining the game, our sport is not designed to be stop start. Decision gets made, mostly correctly but refs are human and make mistakes. As do players.

My country has gone out of world cups twice when decisions in that game would have been changed by VAR. I watched my team lose 3-0 when VAR would have ruled two of them out.

Yet, stuff VAR. Get rid of it.

Have to agree, it's not working the way it's been implemented. What I cannot for the life of me understand is why the refs never use the pitchside monitor to make their own minds up. What the shiraz is it there for?

Another bottle of shiraz disaster for VAR in the Spurs v City game. Pen took more than 2 minutes to be given, then should have been retaken for Lloris being off his line and Sterling should have been booked (and sent off) for diving.

It's a disgrace how it's currently being used.

Nice One Cyril wrote:Another bottle of shiraz disaster for VAR in the Spurs v City game. Pen took more than 2 minutes to be given, then should have been retaken for Lloris being off his line and Sterling should have been booked (and sent off) for diving.

It's a disgrace how it's currently being used.

Being a Liverpool fan, you'd think I'd be elated for our season so far. I am to a degree, but deep down the VAR "let downs" across the league have left a sour taste.

If it continues in this vain, I can seriously see myself not caring about leagues that have this so-called technology.

Yet another opportunity for VAR to tie itself in knots. In the Burnley v Bournemouth game a Cherries defender handled the ball in his own box and they then went up the other end and scored. The goal was chalked off by VAR for a handball in the build up and, in this instance, correctly gave a penalty to Burnley for the handball a minute earlier. However had it been an accidental handball not worthy of a penalty, what would VAR have decided? Had Bournemouth not gone and scored, what would VAR have decided?

The rules say that any handball in the build-up to a goal must be given as a free kick, yet a free kick in the box must by definition be a penalty, even if VAR itself wouldn't have given a penalty for the original handball. It's a complete clusterfuck to have differing standards for handball depending on circumstance, same as different standards for a foul in the box or the centre circle.

Handball should be handball regardless.

More confusion at Old Trafford, Fred drives into the box, falls over and Mike Dean books him for diving.

VAR looks at it and backs up the referee, yet when they show the replay on the TV, there is clearly contact between the defender and Fred's leg (whether enough to fell him is debatable) and it has to be a clear and obvious error by Dean, it should have been a penalty.

Nice One Cyril wrote:More confusion at Old Trafford, Fred drives into the box, falls over and Mike Dean books him for diving.

VAR looks at it and backs up the referee, yet when they show the replay on the TV, there is clearly contact between the defender and Fred's leg (whether enough to fell him is debatable) and it has to be a clear and obvious error by Dean, it should have been a penalty.

If It's not enough to fell him, then to me it's not a clear and obvious error.

God is an Englishman wrote:VAR is ruining the game, our sport is not designed to be stop start. Decision gets made, mostly correctly but refs are human and make mistakes. As do players.

My country has gone out of world cups twice when decisions in that game would have been changed by VAR. I watched my team lose 3-0 when VAR would have ruled two of them out.

Yet, stuff VAR. Get rid of it.

GIAE. I agree with you on this one 110%. leave the refs to do their job. the games been stuffed up enough.

Shows that some refs are poor decision makers when, even with the benefit of video replays, they still make mistakes.

Still some incredibly dumb decisions being made, especially handballs, but good to see Paul Tierney actually going and checking the monitor and then correctly dismissing Christensen. It gives me hope that the system will be better this season. Not holding my breath though.

And so the saga continues.........

Sadly I doubt those running the game will ever admit that VAR hasn't quite ironed out the intentions it was set up for and it will be here to stay.

Bomber wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:00 am And so the saga continues.........

Sadly I doubt those running the game will ever admit that VAR hasn't quite ironed out the intentions it was set up for and it will be here to stay.

It's not the technology of VAR though, it seems to have scrambled the refs' brains and they can no longer make a decision.

Nice One Cyril wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 3:33 pm

Bomber wrote: ↑Mon Oct 19, 2020 11:00 am And so the saga continues.........

Sadly I doubt those running the game will ever admit that VAR hasn't quite ironed out the intentions it was set up for and it will be here to stay.

It's not the technology of VAR though, it seems to have scrambled the refs' brains and they can no longer make a decision.

It's the mere reliance of it even in the most miniscule of instances that is the issue. Football used to be a game where is was by and large, played on equal footing regarding in field laws around the globe, rich or poor. Now the "elite" get the use of the technology, whereas lesser leagues can't use it due to costs. That in itself distances what once was a game for "the people".

Some crackers this week, the refs are getting worse.

Ludicrous penalty against Gomez, ludicrous offside against Bamford, the list just goes on and on.

Nice One Cyril wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 8:10 am Some crackers this week, the refs are getting worse.

Ludicrous penalty against Gomez, ludicrous offside against Bamford, the list just goes on and on.

Its almost as though the refs have "lowered" their standards/efforts thinking that VAR will come to their rescue. Its shambolic and it simply needs to be ditched, thrown into the deep seas and never to be recovered!

I support neither team, but I had to laugh at Chris Foy (the ex ref) trying to justify the Ollie Watkins decision this morning. VAR fucks it up yet again and the old boys network just enables them. If that's not a foul when the ball is fully 25 yards away, then we might as well all give up and play egg ball, where incidentally a free kick would have been given all day long. Ogbonna was the archetypal cheap suit.

Nice One Cyril wrote: ↑Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:01 am I support neither team, but I had to laugh at Chris Foy (the ex ref) trying to justify the Ollie Watkins decision this morning. VAR fucks it up yet again and the old boys network just enables them. If that's not a foul when the ball is fully 25 yards away, then we might as well all give up and play egg ball, where incidentally a free kick would have been given all day long. Ogbonna was the archetypal cheap suit.

I have stopped watching EPL, and only watch highlights here and there now. Even still, the highlights usually include farcical VAR decisions. Prefer "non VAR" games/leagues.

I watched a J-League game today. They don't use VAR.

How about the Liverpool game at Craven Cottage? Fulham are denied a penalty that everyone thinks should be, despite the ref going and checking the monitor. I think he got it wrong, but at least he goes and checks his own decision, just that he's a crap ref, so no real complaints there. Then Liverpool get awarded one, IMO incorrectly because the arm it hit wasn't raised above the shoulder, but that one only the VAR reviews. I'm assuming they don't reverse it because it's not a clear and obvious error since it did hit an arm, but why doesn't Marriner go and have a look at that one on the monitor? Surely if he did, he'd see that it hit the arm in front of the body, we could all see it.

Football is flucked.

yes....the silence from Liverpool supporters is deafening....

MegaBonus wrote: ↑Mon Dec 14, 2020 9:13 am yes....the silence from Liverpool supporters is deafening....

Don't watch EPL any more. Seems VAR is still shit