Var debate 2019/20

[creditunionhero]

Is this "copper" that has posted recently, actually employed by merkyside police, if so, how is the investigation going? Oh yes all that video evidence and still no arrests.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

Has anybody ever seen the film "The Hard Word"? Aussie film with Guy Pearce in it. There's a song sung in it that describes our newest (at time of writing) scouse member to a tee ;)

 

[Whymewhynot]

I don’t really pay too much attention to the media, so I can’t really comment on that, but what I can say is that your theory that Liverpool and City are treated differently by the referees/VAR is completely incorrect. I have already listed a vast number of decisions that didn’t go our way, but as usual, they’ve been swept under the carpet because they don’t fit the narrative.

It goes hand in hand though. The media is a massive influence. I have never known var to reach decisions as fast as it does when it involves Liverpool. The first two goals against us should have been scrutinised to the finest detail, like it does every other team. For some reason it doesn’t for you guys. Getting a winning penalty in a game like Leicester with the slightest bit of contact (contact doesn’t mean foul) yet when Mane two hand shoves Sterling in the exact same area of the pitch it’s not looked at/given? I’ve said it to your many other Norwegian friends that join, it’s a combination of things why city struggle to accept your success. Var/luck/the denial and delusion from your fans and a touch of just being bitter that you’ve been better. Also the fact you come on our forum in your numbers when no fucker was in sight before then.

 

[55yr old teenager]

I don’t really pay too much attention to the media, so I can’t really comment on that, but what I can say is that your theory that Liverpool and City are treated differently by the referees/VAR is completely incorrect. I have already listed a vast number of decisions that didn’t go our way, but as usual, they’ve been swept under the carpet because they don’t fit the narrative.

You need to take your rose tinted glasses off mate and wake and smell the coffee

 

[BlueHammer85]

For me I think that the way that VAR has been set up in this country rewards cheating, if you want to get a decision now from the referee or VAR a player has to throw themselves over and roll around a bit. VAR isn't used to see if an incident is a foul or not they just seem to look to see if there was 'contact' or not and go off that. Unfortunately for the rest of the league no team over the last 6 or 7 years has cheated as consistently and successfully as Liverpool. If it's not Salah, Mane, Firmino, Henderson, Milner, etc diving for pens and freekicks it's Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, etc with their pulling, holding, sly kicks and racking their studs down the back of players ankles on an incredibly regular basis, your team cheats like no other before them in the history of the English game. I think this tendency to cheat is perfect for the way that VAR is set up and has won your team more points than you have deserved this year.

It's not just because of the marginal decisions that go your way on a much more regular basis than they do anyone else in the league it's also the fact that you don't have to worry about your players getting cards and they therefore don't serve any suspensions. If you can explain why Robertson hasn't already served at least one ban simply for accumulating yellows I'd love to hear it. The man is an utter coward and a disgrace to the game, his favourite pastime of pushing opposition players into advertising hoardings is just plain despicable. How many of your other players have been or are close to suspension from getting five yellows? I've no idea but I do know that if they played for 18 of the other teams in the league most of them would be, particularly Van Dyke, Alexander-Arnold and Henderson. In our games against Utd I would have been utterly mortified if our players had behaved the way yours did in your game against Everton, that overtook the infamous Arsenal v Utd game as the most bent game I'd ever seen in this country and how none of your players got away without a ban absolutely baffles me.

The advantage you have that most other teams dont is that the press is full of your ex players and supporters who either explain away your team's transgressions or make a big deal of any marginal decision that goes against you. This then makes the cowards that referee the game too scared to give a decision against you and generally give any marginal decision your way in games as they don't want to be attacked by your cheerleaders in the press. These poor decisions are then 'explained' to be correct by idiots who's job it is to make it look like VAR is great and working perfectly. We're talking about two teams that were separated by a point the season before and so marginal decisions going one way the majority of the time can and will make a big difference to not only points gained but to the form and morale of the players in each team. This is especially true when the people in charge of the laws of the game explain away wrong decisions against one team as being definitively correct, for example when Rodri was hauled to the ground by his neck or when a ball is blatantly handled by an opposition defender in their own box. This can be a little dispiriting for not only the players but the fans too, especially when their main opponents that season are given points from blatant dives and are seemingly allowed to handle the ball, pull opposition players and just generally get away with being snidey thugs with a large measure of impunity.

I don't particularly think there's a big conspiracy to win the league for you (although I'm sure it will help the Premier Leagues strategic plan of getting a new name on the trophy every few years and will certainly help with 'growing the brand' in Ireland, Scandinavia and the Far East). I just think it's a combination of a new system that rewards cheating, a very good team who happened to have mastered the art of cheating, a compliant press corps and a body of referees who are either unwilling or unable to govern your games in a fair and even handed way (the only Premier League game of yours I've seen where you were playing to the same rules as your opposition was against Utd, I'm not saying it was a good refereeing performance but he at least made both teams play to the same laws) that makes it look like a conspiracy.

Far easier for corruption to exist without VAR - the ref can just point to the spot whenever he wants, the lino can flag whenever he wants - no need for an explanation, no reviews for anyone - officials decision and that’s it. That simply is the easiest way for corruption to exist - I’m sure I’ll be called a troll though for pointing this simple fact out.

 

[Ric]

Far easier for corruption to exits without VAR - the ref can just point to the spot whenever he wants, the lino can flag whenever he wants - no need for an explanation, no reviews for anyone - officials decision and that’s it. That simply is the easiest way for corruption to exist - I’m sure I’ll be called a troll though for pointing this simple fact out.

I was originally an advocate of VAR, as I felt that it would reduce the extent to which officials could influence a game as their decisions would face greater scrutiny. Sadly, it seems to have had the opposite effect so far.

 

[the-ecstacy-of-eight]

Far easier for corruption to exist without VAR - the ref can just point to the spot whenever he wants, the lino can flag whenever he wants - no need for an explanation, no reviews for anyone - officials decision and that’s it. That simply is the easiest way for corruption to exist - I’m sure I’ll be called a troll though for pointing this simple fact out.

Far better for effective corruption to exist WITH VAR - the ref can just put a finger to his ear, wait a few seconds and say VAR has checked it and the decision is whatever we want it to be (after the incident many media figures and ex-refs. will agree that VAR got it correct despite what the video evidence shows and their words will be echoed by the spoon-fed masses). Equally the ref. can also point to the spot (or equally not point to the spot) whenever he wants and as long as there is some sort of contact the VAR team and the media will agree that the ref got the call correct (or equally argue that VAR has decided that there wasn't enough contact and the ref. called it correctly again, which will again be clarified by the "respected voices of the media"). Instead of the linos flagging whenever they want, VAR can now be pulled back/pushed forward a few frames (I mean, why not, the point at which the pass is made is an estimation as are the drawn lines, but the end result is then calculated to the mm) and again the video evidence fits the desired decision - no need for an explanation - VAR has decided and what's more, there are pictures to "prove" it, so and that’s it.

That simply is the most effective way for corruption to exist; a combination of the tried and tested "bent officials trick" (which doesn't really allow for the fact that the other team might just be too good), with the added tool of VAR to aid and abet where necessary. I’m sure I’ll be called a deranged conspiracy theorist for pointing this simple fact out.

 

[Bluearmy]

If there was no var then Raheem goal would have stood so we probably would have

linesman gave it offside originally.

 

[alexmcity]

I have already listed a vast number of decisions that didn’t go our way, but as usual, they’ve been swept under the carpet because they don’t fit the narrative.

Can you list any favourable calls for City which influenced the final result? There's the crucial difference between both teams: Liverpool have had plenty of favourable decisions whereas City have had such decisions recently after the point difference has already become huge.

Without VAR the difference would have been 7 pts and that's not insurmountable for a team like City at all, given you are coming to the Etihad. Referees have had big influence on this season.

 

[wattle]

linesman gave it offside originally.

I’m 99.9% sure he didn’t otherwise we wouldn’t have been going mental for 3 minutes