25 Oct 2020 10:55:10
Unpopular Opinion - VAR is totally fine.

In other countries. I watch a lot of football from around Europe and VAR largely works fine literally EVERYWHERE else.

The issue isn't the tech, the issue is how it's being used. Why is there two more officials in stockley park? Get rid of that and just give the referee on pitch the ability to review decisions using the camera tech at hand.

VAR has led to positive changes in some leagues, Italy for example saw a decrease in the amount of challenges and incidents which would be awarded a red card because players became aware that these would b caught by VAR. In its first season of use referees were told specifically to review off the ball incidents using var in order to decrease the amount of incidents there were - and it worked.

The main difference between everywhere else and here is we are very reluctant to ask refs to use monitors with the fear being they will use them too much - which is true as every country did have this problem. at first. But over time the referees became more accustomed as to what required var and what didn't and the process takes between 45 and 70 seconds now for most calls.

Personally, I don't think we should be adding more officials to the game whether on pitch or in a facility miles away from the action. The people in stockley park should just be notifying the ref that an incident possibly needs reviewing and to then send him the data needed to make the call. They shouldn't have any refereeing authority whatsoever.

But that's just my opinion. VAR isn't bad, it's our implementation of it.

{Ed025's Note - good post that nevada mate..


1.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 11:18:52
Bang on Nevada.


2.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 11:26:42
NEVADA, I have been saying this since last season. I watch leagues all over Europe and VAR works as it is supposed to as in, as a tool to help the ref's make better decisions. It is NOT used to actually officiate a game. There is the MAIN flaw of its implementation in England. Even worse in England, it is used to cover for the on pitch refs' at times, rank incompetence and when that clearly does not work, the PGMOL is there to play Mr. Clean and it is so useless, it is not anywhere near being able to do that cos the incompetence up and down the system, is deafening.

Look at El Clasico last night, the pen. for RM was indeed a penalty on Ramos BUT the VAR alerted the ref of what we al saw in the replay and he proposed that the ref go see the footage and we knew that if the ref ever went to to the monitor, it would be a pen and justice was done. That is what VAR should be used for, just like goal lint tec. It is there to help the officiating crew determine if there is a goal or not and it works perfectly. This is not hard stuff BUT as someone said, "Artificial Intelligence cannot cover for human incompetence".


3.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 11:32:37
Great post Nevada. Very well said.

Everton game was just out of this world for me how bad the calls were.
Chelsea had to be given a penalty yesterday. Unbelievably blatent.


The Liverpool game yesterday was a lot of marginal calls for me that I'm not so fussed about. Those are the ones that go for and against you sometimes and I'm honestly not saying that just because we won.


4.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 11:40:45
I agree with that except that the people in Stockley Park would still need to add consistency to which incidences they decide to advise the ref to gave a look. While the ref absolutely should make any final decision Stockley Park would still have the power to decide what to refer.


5.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 11:48:04
If you look at how it is implemented in Rugby Union, that is the way it should work. The TMO alerts the referee that he should review something or the referee requests a review with the TMO.

The TMO then puts multiple angle replays up on the the pitch side screens and the referee makes his decision. The TMO is there for back up, its the referee on the pitch who makes the calls.

In the Everton game, in the Man U/ Chelsea game last night, in the Spurs / Newcastle game, if the ref had just gone to the pitch side screens I'm positive he would have made the correct decision. Final decisions on match decisions should be made by the match official.


6.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 12:21:46
Great post Nevada👌🏻
The other thing I find baffling is there are complaints made in the past about ref not using the monitors and so the ref are told to use them. That then lasts one weekend where we see numerous ref visiting the monitors and the right decisions seem to be made then it’s forgotten about the following weekend . Same with hand balls one weeks different to the next. We seem to be over complicating it because it really doesn’t need to be complicated at all. It’s quite simply really.


7.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 12:24:52
Only if somebody came up with a small electronic device with a colour screen and a wireless data connection which the ref could wear on their forearm rather than running to a 20th century monitor screen on the sidelines.

{Ed025's Note - i would prefer a 240 volt connection to the referee hanif, and if he got the decision wrong...fry him.. :)


8.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 12:27:40
I don’t watch a lot of football outside of the English leagues but what I have seen from foreign leagues is a considerably slower game by comparison?
Which could make it a whole lot easier to officiate on?


9.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 12:50:20
Juicer, I disagree. La Liga is not that pacey cos it is more technical in nature. I watch the Bundesliga and they use VAR properly. Nothing slow about that league cos it is high tempo with goals galore mainly cos defences are crap. That last part has nothing to do with VAR.


10.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 15:59:09
I think that's an English bias poking its head there juicer.

No league is slower than another. You telling me yesterday's Chelsea united game was pedal to the metal fury?

Some games are quick. Some aren't. Its the same everywhere else.

I also agree with what one poster said about a mobile electronic device. If the ref doesn't have to job to picthside the decisions are even quicker, I'd vote for that change.


11.) 25 Oct 2020
25 Oct 2020 16:28:09
Yeah that’s true Nevada.
I watched the first half of the United game and had to switch off at half time.
Fair enough,