I wanted VAR, but not this pound shop, delay-prone unreliable version. See my comments about the grab on Laporte's arm a second or so before the handball. We were screwed. To me, the question is 'Is the defender allowed to grab Laporte's arm with impunity ?' It was a sly grab, it was quick, but a grab all the same.
Spot on. If it takes almost two minutes for Graham Cross sat staring at a screen miles away, looking at the goal from every angle, to call handball, then he MUST spot the tug on Laporte s arm, however slight it was. We all saw it on replays so he must have. This was done to stop him reaching the ball and it achieved it's aim. It slowed his momentum down and altered his balance. So the goal should have stood on that basis. If asked to explain afterwards the fa could say, "Yes we saw the accidental handball but it was the var team's view that the tug on the player's arm, however slight, contributed to it happening, therefore we allowed the goal to stand." Correct decision and easily explainable.
We are not spoilt, we just want fair treatment. Many of us before the season started called that var was open to interpretation and corruption. We feared it would be used as a tool to halt our momentum and aid our rivals. Yesterday just proved that for many. That decision and the one to not award a clear penalty has cost us two points and we now play catch up already with Liverpool. Until I see it rule out vital decisions for them I will believe it is being used against us.
This ridiculous handball rule needs to be scrapped. I agree in a non penalty for a ball being blasted at a player from close range, but for a goal, unless a player deliberately uses his hand to put the ball in the net, or slides it in using his hand like Boly or Aguero last season then it's a goal.
The offside rule needs altering to rule out disallowing goals on millimetres. The impetus should go with the attacker and it has to be clear daylight between the last defender and the attacker, not a hand, toe or nose. In the stadium we need a clear voice announcement "Var review" on contentious decisions so we, the important match going fans who provide the atmosphere and sell the product worldwide know what the fuck is happening.
It should be an aid and good for the game but at the moment it is anything but.
