Will VAR Change Football for the Better?

[Randy Winkman]

stevensdrs said:

The trouble with VAR is the referee is then pressed to make a decision by looking at what can be confusing video in slow motion. Looking at the disallowed England goal today, it is far from clear whether the ball actually touched the player or just took a trajectory close to the arm. There was reasonable doubt that it did not touch the player and the referee should have allowed the goal to stand but mostly likely felt pressured to disallow it. I don't think VAR brings anything to the game and I would like to see it scrapped.

I certainly agree that it detracts from the game in situations like the one today. And that's nothing to do with the result as I'm just as much Swedish as English when it comes to sport.

In response to Mojooo I certainly see the attraction in trying to get decisions "right"; but the decision today was simply one that could have gone either way so I don't think there was a right or wrong. All that happened was that the game was held up and a goal that had been celebrated by players and fans was then disallowed when without VAR it would have almost certainly stood.

[wazztie16]

Not really looked into this thread much, but have had a massive opinion on VAR from before it was introduced.

It shouldn't be there, takes away the talking points in games, to a degree.

Bring back the old football.

And the sooner, the better.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

It's been about 18 months since I posted this on this thread. Worth reading again, especially the last bit, in light of the fiasco of the women's WC.

https://talksport.com/football/344076/why-should-f...

[Black can man]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

It's been about 18 months since I posted this on this thread. Worth reading again, especially the last bit, in light of the fiasco of the women's WC.

https://talksport.com/football/344076/why-should-f...

It's going to be a fking disaster that's for sure

[monty999]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

It's been about 18 months since I posted this on this thread. Worth reading again, especially the last bit, in light of the fiasco of the women's WC.

https://talksport.com/football/344076/why-should-f...

Absolutely bang on. Only goal-line tech works for me as it is instant, no grey area and not subjective. The rest is just pants in a pursuit of a perfectly sterile game which can never happen. Pretty soon the only thing we're going to be left with to moan about is VAR.

[Mojooo]

I think Chelsea would have loved to have had VAR on that night against Barcelona though. I am not sure I agree with his sentiments on essentially blagging a win over a competitor either.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Mojooo said:

I think Chelsea would have loved to have had VAR on that night against Barcelona though. I am not sure I agree with his sentiments on essentially blagging a win over a competitor either.

Really?? Some of my fondest football memories have been away from home, when a terrible decision goes your way. It's just brilliant.

The point he is making about the VAR, is yes, on the night we would have wanted it, but in hindsight, no. The injustice of 2009 stayed with him, until the semi of 2012, when they dominated both legs, but still lost.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

[Mojooo]

Whether he would have the same view if Chelsea had now won the CL - who knows...

I agree with his view though that clearly VAR does take some of the excitement out of the game.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

So, one of the arguments for VAR was that it would stop the big teams getting all the decisions go their way, and would level up this huge injustice.

2 games in, Liverpool have thrashed Norwich and Man City have spanked West Ham.

2 big calls in the West ham game, one went their way, one went City's way. Without VAR, the game would have ended 0-5! City would have got the offside goal but not the retaken pen.

So what's the fking point?

[272BHP]

I have had enough of it.

As a fan, ecstatic celebrations are the best part of the game and this has now gone forever, replaced by muted celebration and nailbiting 'wait and see'

[LotusOmega375D]

Some of the imagery in those VAR decisions was farcical. Thick line for one team, fine line for the other. Of course it made no difference to the where the points went on this occasion, but imagine the impact on a close match. Didn’t the PL say they wouldn’t be pedantic about the goalie’s foot on line issue, when taking penalties? Well that policy lasted all of one penalty. I think we’ll all end up hating VAR within a few weeks. It’s all we’ll be talking about and this thread will become the most updated on this forum!

[ColdoRS]

Absolute nonsense in the city game.

Even with VAR the first offside was questionable - big thick lines and a less than perfect angle.

Slowed the game down, muted celebrations, fans didn’t know whether to celebrate or not - sapping the emotion and passion out of it.

[RichB]

LotusOmega375D said:

Some of the imagery in those VAR decisions was farcical. Thick line for one team, fine line for the other. Of course it made no difference to the where the points went on this occasion, but imagine the impact on a close match. Didn’t the PL say they wouldn’t be pedantic about the goalie’s foot on line issue, when taking penalties? Well that policy lasted all of one penalty. I think we’ll all end up hating VAR within a few weeks. It’s all we’ll be talking about and this thread will become the most updated on this forum!

JUst to clarify one thing, the penalty was ordered to be retaken because Rice encroached into the penalty area.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

RichB said:

LotusOmega375D said:

Some of the imagery in those VAR decisions was farcical. Thick line for one team, fine line for the other. Of course it made no difference to the where the points went on this occasion, but imagine the impact on a close match. Didn’t the PL say they wouldn’t be pedantic about the goalie’s foot on line issue, when taking penalties? Well that policy lasted all of one penalty. I think we’ll all end up hating VAR within a few weeks. It’s all we’ll be talking about and this thread will become the most updated on this forum!

JUst to clarify one thing, the penalty was ordered to be retaken because Rice encroached into the penalty area.

Yes...he encroached on the second one too so if that had been missed, I guess there would have been a third.

[jcremonini]

So far I think it’s been done pretty well by the Premier League. The City game was all the better for it.

I’m loving it but I’m not an old fart who doesn’t like change, unlike most of the moaning Minnies on this thread

[jcremonini]

No, it IS football. Football post 2018/2019 and it’s here to stay. Moaning continually about it is not going to change that fact. It has been used for one day in the EPL and In the months and years to come it’ll get better and fans and players will grow to get used to it.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

jcremonini said:

The City game was all the better for it.

Only if you don't like football. Citeh fans celebrating a goal, then it's ruled out 2 mins after the event. West Ham fans celebrating a pen save, only for it to be retaken, 2 mins after the event.

It's fking garbage.

[Driver101]

Watching now. The highlights don't show the time taken.

How on earth could that angle see his fingers were offside?

[Allyc85]

[redacted]

[Driver101]

Watford players chasing the ref to go to VAR.

That's a no go for me. They were also wrong.