Fans will miss it, but we’re right to press pause on VAR

THERE will be a time, probably in the first game of the Premier League season, when fans will be waiting for VAR to correct a perceived injustice. They’ll be making the TV signal in the stands and on the sofa at home!

Except, VAR isn’t there. I’ve been asked if the Premier League have missed a trick by not implementing video technology, especially as it was so well received at the World Cup. But they are right to wait another 12 months.

A good referee does not make a good VAR referee, and the Premier League need to find both and give them more experience.

One of the big concerns from last season was the time it took to review decisions. The Premier League did not want to spoil the flow of the game, because this league is the fastest in the world. I get that, but if you look at the World Cup, it did not feel as if the reviews impacted on the game.

There was a time towards the end of the group stage when VAR was coming in for a bit of criticism. But after the reversal of an offside decision to award South Korea a goal in their 2-0 win over Germany, attitudes changed, with the pundits in the TV studios and at home. It added to the drama of that game, and it was the correct call.

I want to see the system become more transparent though. The decision should be shown on a big screen in the stadium and I want to hear what the referees are saying to each other.

By the time VAR comes into use in the Premier League, I hope the transparency is there. For now, we have to wait — it will definitely be worth it.

WHERE do you start with shirt pulling in the penalty area? Well, you start by referees stamping it out without the need for VAR.

The best referees will have studied the players they are refereeing and should be aware of tactics such as shirt-pulling and blocking from set-pieces. Give a warning before the corner or free-kick has been taken and then no player can complain if you award a foul.

VAR was a deterrent at the World Cup, leading to more space and more goals from set-pieces. Good referees should do the same by making players aware they are on to them.

In the early weeks we will see referees being extra vigilant. But let’s not go from one extreme to the other. Remember, a lot of the time the attacker is holding the defender just as much as the reverse.

I want to see referees being brave enough and clever enough to make the obvious calls, because that will lead to more goals and more entertainment — and that’s what we all want to see.