WHY MY ROBOT WOULD’VE BEEN RUINED BY VAR!
I AM yet to be involved directly in a game where a video assistant referee has been used but I’m dreading the day when our turn comes. When the idea of referees getting assistance was raised, I was 100 per cent behind it. If it was going to be something as quick and simple as goalline technology, where match officials instantly feel a buzz on their watch, how could you not want it? But VAR is proving that fears around it were well placed. Players standing around not knowing what is going on, supporters in the stadium being totally in the dark, referees in an impossible position — it’s in danger of wrecking the game we know. Look at it from a striker’s point of view: scoring a goal should lead to spontaneous emotions but you have got to check now and see whether you will get the green light to celebrate. It’s a good job VAR wasn’t around in 2006 … people might never have got to see ‘The Robot’ had that been the case!
There are so many things I don’t understand about it. First, why is it only being used in certain games and certain competitions?
It feels like the FA Cup and League Cup are devalued because they have been picked for the experiment.
Then comes the speed it takes to make a decision. Unfortunately I have perhaps more knowledge than I would like of being on the bench, and I know what happens on the touchline, especially for live TV games.
If you happen to get a contentious penalty decision, the substitutes will ask whoever is Sky’s touchline reporter. They have instant access to a TV screen and, within a couple of seconds, they tell us if the decision looks to be correct.
Why can’t it be that straightforward with VAR? I am all for the game being improved but, with all these changes, I’m concerned our game will one day become unrecognisable.