Out of interest Windy why were you for it before it came along? I was against it having watched it in use at the World Cup in Russia where the amount of soft penalties given using VAR was insane (and conveniently helped Russia progress through the tournament)
It's necessary and isn't going away, but it needs to be more limited in its use.
I just thought that a quick replay would be more reliable than a ref watching an incident at full speed, in real time, possibly from a disadvantageous angle given all the angles available in PL football. I was wrong, however. I can't believe how long it takes to make a decision, how inconsistently the laws are applied and how subjective the decision making still is. So now you get the worst of all worlds, a disjointed game, not knowing whether you can celebrate a goal and still loads of errors and mistakes. It's been a dog's dinner and is just another reason to fall out of love with elite football. My youngest has nothing to do with top flight footy but enjoys coming with me to the non-league stuff and I can't blame him (saves me a few quid, too!).
It's not necessary but, you're right, it's not going away.
Certainly not unless fans "go away" beforehand.
Well said Windy. I think VAR is even worse than just how long it takes and how it still get things wrong as it can and has been used to manipulate results for purposes that add 'drama' to the product (I'll always remember that handball by Jesus on the last game of the season not being overturned even though he volleyballed it away from Tarkowski because they wanted to keep the 'drama' of the last date title battle going for as long as possible
I can't understand how anyone can support VAR, if refs don't penalise blatant handballs that they have seen. As you say its just been brought in for drama, nothing else.
It's for the international TV audience. Let's be frank, those audiences don't really care who wins or loses so confected drama is just another layer of tension for the TV companies and the subject of talking points for the endless punditry and social media clips. Local fans, and match going fans in particular, are the lowest priority in that regard. It's ironic really, as the atmospheres and unpredictability of the PL was what drew those fans and TV companies in the first place and yet they will ultimately ruin both of those things in the name of "entertainment".
A manager should get one challenge per match. If they win the challenge, they should get a 2nd. That's it, max 4 per match.
That might be an idea what you suggest.
Just get rid of it. It works fine in sports like cricket because it's stop start anyway and they actually have decent officials. In my opinion, it's been a failed experiment, but as you say it's not going anywhere. International TV audiences like it, and it gives the illusion of modernity to the sport generally, so that's that. It's a shame.
He has form. He should be fired.
For me, there is nothing wrong with VAR as a technology, but it is proof positive that there are so many vested interests in football. Look at rugby for example. I know absolutely nothing about rugby, could not tell you much about it. However, when I watch a game with someone who is interested, and a decision goes to the VAR, even I, as someone who doesn't really understand the game, am able to determine with 100% accuracy whether or not a decision will stand. The replay is there for all to see, and I can sit there and say to myself "Ah, his foot is out of play there, this try won't stand", I am always right, and the ref overturns the try 100% of the time. VAR in football is a device used to determine, as much as they can, their preferred outcome of football matches. It is corruption in plain sight, and with silly justifications.
