21 May 2023 07:09:03
when VAR was brought in, it was said it will improve refereeing. it should help correct clear and obvious errors, it should give refs angles they didn't have access to, etc

but with it in place now, i have 2 thoughts:
1) with all the money spent, they still haven't improved much as there's still so much controversy around the same things and MORE
2) and the over complicated rules makes VAR meaningless

Some eg,
i) from yesterday's game, how can the offside call be ruled that way? deflection? seriously
ii) from last season, Bernando Silva's blatant handball against Everton
iii) this season, the call that some Man Utd was not inteferring with play though he was directly in the line of sight of the defender

not only has decisions not improved, it has added a lot of unnecessary pains to the game
1) loss of joy in celebrating a goal as VAR checks are underway, it has improved but there's still sense of, i could get chalked off 5mins later and with football a game about breaking through the last line of defence for most goals, this is absolutely annoying
2) the non or super delayed offside calls even when its clear. players may get hamstring injuries chasing after noticing no flags were raised, the corners that happen because an offside wasnt called and that corner leading to a goal
3) weird reasonings for offside, not only yesterday but many more

for something that costs so much but yield so little, wouldn't it be better if we just reverted to what it was before? living with human errors, tolerating tight calls knowing that some go your way and others dont?

{Ed025's Note - absolutely sg, everything you sat there is spot on for me mate..

1.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 07:41:32
Sgnwa and Ed25, you have to start from the beginning. The English refs do not want VAR from jump hence, they were forced to implement. Now since their arrogance is only is only matched by their level of incompetence, they essentially implemented it uselessly in order to screw with everyone by using it to protect their egos hence, their level of incompetence by including so many ridiculous standards like “clear and obvious” which means nothing as it is way too broad. We are now suffering the effects of their hubris, sadly.

{Ed025's Note - your probably right oli, the refs using VAR as a crutch has not helped and thats why the standard of performance of them has dropped imo mate..

2.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 07:42:27
Can't disagree with anything there sg. Game has got worse because of it. I always felt it would be v hard too make it work in football, too many moving parts and football is a game which is used to flowing, var leaves some many stoppages.
The sports it works well in tennis, cricket, rugby are all suited to stops in play as that the way the game is played.
I'd guess 80-90% of fans and the clubs themselves all wanted technology brought into game but I don't think they looked that deeply into it.
In saying that the standard of officals in England is at a all time low in my time watching it, definitely not helping things.

3.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 08:34:18
Totally disagree that football is a flowing game. Wasn’t it the Leeds game where 46% of the game was ball in play? I would say football is the most stop-start game on the planet.

4.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 08:34:22
Yesterday was a good example of inconsistency and incompetence in VAR and refereeing, Now we did not deserve to win but I think the refeering and VAR have robbed us of 2 points there.

Mings - Should have been a Red? I think we've seen players sent off for the same plenty of times. he does look to follow through

For me, there was just as much contact on Henderson for our penalty appeal as there was for their penalty.

They are saying our offside goal was because the defenders contact was accidental. His movement shows he tried to play the ball.

Even against us - Fabinho should likely have had a yellow card a lot sooner.

5.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 08:59:31
Time wasting in the modern game is massively short changing the match day going fans who spend a significant amount of money to get into that ground and making it a harder less entertaining watch for people watching on tv or streams etc.

The feigning of injuries to waste time needs to be looked at also.

If there’s any kind of head injury they go off for a HIA.

When a player goes down then they quickly get carried off the pitch and receive their treatment on the side. Would literally require a 2 person lift or assist to get someone off the pitch. Would take seconds.

If they believe the injury is too bad and a stretcher Is required then that player can't return to the pitch and is subbed off and stretchered off.

Sick and tired of watching players go down like they are seriously hurt for minutes at a time and get super secret medical spray and get up like they are brand new.

6.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 09:34:37
St etienne. Yeah what's what I mean, its got so stop start now with var and the play acting/ time wasting of teams that it is becoming a v bad watch. Football was meant to flow more as a game.
There was roughly 103mins played at anfield yesterday and I'd get guess ball wasn't in play 55mins of it.

7.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 09:21:41
yes, technology can always make things better if the right type of technology is implemented and used for the right purposes

1) goal line technology? good. no more 'ghost' goals or has the ball fully crossed the line debate. and given this is the most essential part of the game, how instantaneous it is, it has done well

2) VAR? awful in its current usage. how can it be meaningfully used?
i've had some thoughts but even as i type it out, i realise there's so much that needs to be considered. until we can make it clear, simple for everyone to use and understand, it will nothing but an expensive toy that adds nothing to the game.

8.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 10:23:11
Ed25, the worst thing is that since VAR was implemented to protect the blatant incompetence of the refs, nobody knows what it’s supposed to check for anymore cos it keeps changing week to week cos again, it’s not here to check for actual incidents the refs may have missed. It is there to either protect hem from their mistakes.

Just look at the disallowed goal last night as Karlos said. If it was the correct decision then why did Howard Webb and his clean up crew come not even 5 mind after the game to cover for the ref and VAR saying the goal was chalked off cos Konsa did not play the ball on purpose which is a lie?

Could it be that they did that cos they knew it was not true cos we all saw Konsa deliberately played the ball via his leg motion towards Virgil? They knew the refs had a howler and then came in on the cover. That’s the prob or one of many with VAR.

{Ed025's Note - i dont think anyone trusts it anymore oli, there have been too many incidents where they have got it wrong and its now gone past the point where these can be explained as human error, we all know how corrupt the game has become mate and this is just another example of it, now i know that sounds outrageous but thats how it makes me feel..

9.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 10:41:00
I hate VAR, I mean it's a real oxymoron isn't it? It was brought in to tackle 'the clear and obvious' and these were simply things the on field officials miss, so sounds good doesn't it?

Then we have reality.
- it takes approx 5 mins or so of looking at multiple replays etc to come to a decision - if it takes that long then it's hardly clear or obvious is it?
- it's very hit and miss what it actually looks at. This season alone we've seen VAR look at some incidents and ignore identical issues the following week or come to opposite decisions for the same incidents - why? The likes of Dermot Gallagher then explains the reason why VAR looked at it was correct, then does a 180 the next week explaining why VAR was correct not to look at the same incident
- offsides: Honestly if it takes 5 mins plus and a plethora of lines to determine if a big toe is offside, its hardly clear or obvious? Honestly, no lines, a still of it - if it's on or off it should be obvious, if not benefit goes to the attacker - takes 60 secs if that, simples eh?
- then the real annoying bit - how on earth can a VAR official look at the exact same stills as the rest of us see and still make the wrong call? I mean some of the blatantly obvious penalties, red cards etc 'missed' is wild, beaten only by the idiotic ones given, despite all evidence to the contrary

Honestly, VAR itself is a good idea, in theory. The reality though is that it's not VAR per sé that is the problem. It's the many of the people running it are incompetent. Instead of helping officials make the right calls, its being used to back up wrong calls. It needs a severe overhaul, as quite frankly, it's no longer the beautiful game anymore.

10.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 11:15:19
The problem with var it is still used and interpreted by humans so their is always going to be a difference in the outcome . Which we had without it so on that basis it’s a pretty pointless technology.

It’s just the same sub standard refs with more angles and viewing points that are still making bad decisions.
I’ve had enough me . Feel myself getting drawn to the formula 1 these days
Says it all.

11.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 11:37:27
Of course you don’t trust it, Ed25. We’re being gaslit on a weekly basis, really. They are literally telling you to ignore what your own eyes are seeing and just listen to them like essentially, “Who do you believe? Is it your lying eyes? ” as if they are the only ones who know what the refereeing rules are. The arrogance and incompetence is deafening.

That’s why when I watch LFC play or just PL games in general, I don’t care anymore cos I know what’s coming. Was I surprised that the ref and VAR had howlers yesterday? No. Why? Cos it is what it is and we are being made to suffer cos the PGMOL’s feelings got hurt due to VAR introduction and cos Klopp told the truth about their incompetence.

12.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 12:59:13
Until we hear live communication between the officials, this will always be an issue! Rugby has had it for a couple of decades now, so it's time football did, too!

13.) 21 May 2023
21 May 2023 14:44:21
At this rate football will end up being like rugby, nothing but stop start and goals having to perfect or var will rule them out. Does anyone remember the days of rugby when the ball was thrown around for minutes on end and nothing but excitement? I can’t remember the last time I jumped up to celebrate a goal, sad times.