VAR (PL introduction 2019)

[Gazza]

I might be wiser going to watch Macclesfield, I'll be able to cheer for a goal at the right time without fear of it being snatched away 3 minutes later after standing around not knowing what's going on.

 

[Dubai Blue]

Talksport tbf have had some decent views aired on this today. I agree with Adrian Durham VAR is killing the joy of football. VAR hasn’t improved the game and it won’t. Waiting to decide whether or not to celebrate will make atmosphere at stadia even worse than it often is. It can still be corrupted as it’s just a human decision once removed. Only tech we need is the goal line tech. The offside rule does need changing but that’s a separate issue.
Years of refereeing errors have not stopped me wanting to watch/play football. VAR has the potential to make me stop watching.

This is the crux of it for me. That Spurs game should be looked back on as one of the best football matches there's ever been, but my memory of it will always be the ridiculous overuse of VAR and how it sucked the spontaneity out of certain key moments. Felt like you were constantly looking over your shoulder every time a goal went in.

Certain posters on here will inevitably come back with "What's more important – a bit of passion/joy/spontaneity or getting the right result?" Well, for me, it's the passion/joy/spontaneity part. It's literally the reason I fell in love with the game as a kid 35 years ago and why I've been obsessed with it ever since. I grew up in the 80s and 90s FFS, so it certainly had nothing to do with the results!

The nature of football's laws/rules means there's far too much subjectivity involved, and that is fundamentally unsuited to VAR. The only chance it has of working for the better of the game is if its use is strictly limited to objective calls like offside (with daylight) and handball (with this new rule change). Beyond that, we're just swapping one man's opinion for another.

Limited, objective use of VAR plus the introduction of an additional on-field referee (one for each half) could have changed the game for the better in my opinion. But this all-encompassing version of VAR has the potential to change it for the worse. Much worse.

 

[bondsman]

There is no evidence for this - particularly based on the deployment in the World Cup that was pretty successful.

Let's take a look at some clear and obvious errors that VAR would have overturned:
- Boly's handball goal would have been chalked off, giving us 2 more points
- Tottenham get a penalty in their early season game vs. Liverpool and it likely ends in a draw
- Mane's goal against West Ham is disallowed and Liverpool prob lose
- In the 2018 CL quarter, Liverpool's first would have been disallowed and Sane's goal in the 2nd leg allowed. Then Jesus's disallowed goal at Anfield might well have been allowed (as Sane would not have been flagged). So even without over-turning other highly dubious decisions like Robertson rugby-tackling Sterling or Firmino getting away with second yellow card crop of KDB, that tie is turned on its head.

Again, I am leaving out a whole load of other dubious decisions assuming they would stand. But net result of just the above is:
- 5 pt swing to us in this year's title race => more breathing room and ability to play KDB in CL quarter 1st leg vs. Spurs
- Potentially could have won last year's CL quarter vs. Liverpool.

So at minimum, we are looking at a much more comfortable PL title this season and potentially 2 CL semis against Roma and Ajax respectively.

Not necessarily. The ref still has to make a call or the VAR guy in the box. The problem of human decision is just once removed behind a time lag. Arguably the World Cup didn’t present any tough calls like - Lorente handball or the penalty the other day in the Portugal game. Even with replays there was no clear consensus and just a huge delay. In both cases I think the decision ended up being wrong!! So VAR has the potential to erase mistakes but certainly doesn’t guarantee it. Also isn’t controversy part of sport?

 

[Sir peace frog]

we all know what a hand ball is, we all know a foul when we see one, we all knew what offside was, we don't need var, so what some calls are wrong, that's life, that penalty we got v spurs away (cl) it did hit the hand but it wasn't handball until var got involved, that spurs goal at home(cl) did hit the hand but wasn't really a handball until var got involved and didn't give it anyway , our "winner" was a winner the lino couldn't of seen it to be offside(it was offside), jobs a goodun, but var ruined that. var we just don't need it.

 

[BlueHammer85]

It’s going to be a comedy show. VAR is the goal celebration stopper.
Attackers will now just get into the box and flick the ball at the defenders arm.
Free penalty, no arguing. It needs common sense to prevail. VAR is only as good as the clowns that are interpreting it.
As for the ‘technical fault’ claims, that is inexcusable in today’s game where that can cost literally MILLIONS of £££s

Not the comedy show now ?
A player can get in to the box and do a ridiculous dive and get the decision.
Free penalty, no arguing.
A player can score when he’s totally offside as the ref and lino wasn’t sure. Goal. No arguing.
The pro’s of VAR far outweigh what we’ve put up with.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Not the comedy show now ?
A player can get in to the box and do a ridiculous dive and get the decision.
Free penalty, no arguing.
A player can score when he’s totally offside as the ref and lino wasn’t sure. Goal. No arguing.
The pro’s of VAR far outweigh what we’ve put up with.

Agree to an extent for clear and obvious but if its not clear and obvious FFS. I keep harping back but City probably would have scooped every trophy this season if it wasn't for VAR.

How it will be implemented in reality is the real concern

 

[BlueHammer85]

Agree to an extent for clear and obvious but if its not clear and obvious FFS. I keep harping back but City probably would have scooped every trophy this season if it wasn't for VAR.

How it will be implemented in reality is the real concern

So for the not clear and obvious you would rather a ref who isn't sure to make a total guess ?

Because that’s what it is , whilst being pressurised by fans and cheating players to make a decision

 

[lasereyes]

Not necessarily. The ref still has to make a call or the VAR guy in the box. The problem of human decision is just once removed behind a time lag. Arguably the World Cup didn’t present any tough calls like - Lorente handball or the penalty the other day in the Portugal game. Even with replays there was no clear consensus and just a huge delay. In both cases I think the decision ended up being wrong!! So VAR has the potential to erase mistakes but certainly doesn’t guarantee it. Also isn’t controversy part of sport?

Agree that decisions like Llorente will continue to be controversial (like the infamous Umpire's Call). But are you saying that any VAR system would not have overturned Boly's handball, Milner's offside, Salah's offside or upheld Sane's goal?

 

[lasereyes]

Agree to an extent for clear and obvious but if its not clear and obvious FFS. I keep harping back but City probably would have scooped every trophy this season if it wasn't for VAR.

How it will be implemented in reality is the real concern

Firstly it's a very small sample set since VAR was used in a handful of our games this season. Secondly, your assertion glosses over some realities. We made several fuck ups in the Spurs ties that had nothing to do with VAR (including btw missing a penalty that we wouldn't have got but for VAR). Even if we'd gone through, there is no guarantee we would have won it - we may well have got exposed by Ajax or beaten by the Scousers. And having to play those two semi legs, we would have been much less sharp in the 2H of the Burnley or Leicester games - and those could have ended in draws.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Firstly it's a very small sample set since VAR was used in a handful of our games this season. Secondly, your assertion glosses over some realities. We made several fuck ups in the Spurs ties that had nothing to do with VAR (including btw missing a penalty that we wouldn't have got but for VAR). Even if we'd gone through, there is no guarantee we would have won it - we may well have got exposed by Ajax or beaten by the Scousers. And having to play those two semi legs, we would have been much less sharp in the 2H of the Burnley or Leicester games - and those could have ended in draws.

We shouldn't have had the pen in the first game but we never scored it anyway. Your right we may not have won it but I think we would have had a great chance. I'm still pissed at that moment to be fair, more for seeing how upset kids/ fans were after celebrating and then utter disappointment. It's not right to play with people's emotions like that, if the linesman had flagged (even directly after we scored, though that was the rules) then it wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad

I think that's half the problem, nobody seems to know the VAR rules and it feels like they are making them up as they go along!