I tend not to criticize the officials too much, the game is fast, as you say another player was blocking his view... so why on earth would you not give them some help ? when we have the tools to do so.
You're letting officials off the hook by claiming he would have kept his flag down anyway, I don't think so - pre VAR these type of clear but obstructed offsides were given as goals all the time,
Occasionally perhaps, not "all the time". As usual, you're exaggerating what it was like pre-VAR to attempt to justify VAR's necessity. And to be clear, given the state of football today, given where we are with VAR, I am trying to be as constructive as I can as far as how VAR could potentially be improved. And I would challenge you, as much as you like VAR, to apply scrutiny to VAR and acknowledge the problems of the system in its current form.
Now we both agree that, on its own at least, having quick automatic VAR checks when a corner or a goal kick is given could be beneficial and on its own shouldn't be much of a disruption relative to the other ways that VAR already disrupts a match. And again, corner kick / goal kick decisions are entirely factual. So the chances of them getting a wrong decision following a review would be very low compared to the chances of them getting a more subjective pen / no pen decision wrong or even some offsides.
I have no doubt that the lino yesterday just didn't see the offside - I dont blame him, its a tough job - but on review it was well clear. Liverpool pre VAR would have had a offside goal count yesterday - that simply is not right.
same for Man Utd being awarded a corner when the ball never went out.
without VAR there is constant injustices, far more that outweigh the odd cock up with VAR.
when teams are getting screwed over - they demand VAR.
Manchester Uniteds Casemiro headed in opener at City Ground after corner awarded despite ball appearing to stay in play; Nottingham Forest conceded from corner which should have been a goal-kick at Bournemouth last week; Sean Dyche has called for VAR to intervene in such situations
www.skysports.com
I can pretty much prove that isn't the case by citing a separate example from the Forest United match.
In the early 43rd minute, Forest chipped it into the box to a player clearly offside. The referee, as is often the case in these kinds of situations since VAR has been introduced, kept his flag down and allowed the shot to take place. The ball was saved then kicked out of danger and about to be cleared out fully when the flag finally came up, way late and well after the infraction.
Now ask yourself this. Had a goal been scored there, would the Lino have put his flag up? Think about this, he wouldn't have had to if a goal was scored, because it would be automatically reviewed at that point. And with a goal being scored there or with it being saved and kicked out as it was, if he didn't put the flag up, then there presumably would be a VAR review anyway. The point is, under VAR, when to put the flag up is all based on what ends up happening, often separate to the actual incident.
This is where the fallacy of VAR being needed to correct mistakes is so glaring. Had that goal been scored, following the clear offside player in which play was allowed to continue, either the ref puts the flag up after the goal is scored as he did following the save, or he doesn't. i.e. If a goal is scored, it wouldn't matter, it would be going to review regardless. If a goal isn't scored, then the flag goes up, late after the save, or he keeps the flag down and there's a VAR review for the offsides infraction to correct a flag not going up when it should have.
But in pre-VAR days, chances are the shot never gets taken because the lino puts the flag up immediately because he has to then and there. But with VAR, you can keep the flag down for a variety of reasons, all to do with VAR, and then you come along and say "see, the ref made a mistake, he is blind, we need VAR" when in reality that's not why he kept the flag down, as evidenced by the incident in the early 43rd minute.
As far as teams getting screwed over and endlessly are demanding VAR or more VAR, this is a byproduct of the effect that VAR has had on the sport and on our consciousness as fans. This seems to be an endless vicious cycle of complaining every time VAR is used, or isn't. And this sort of thing didn't exist before VAR was introduced.
