Wrong to point finger at technology when simple human error is to blame

VAR is only as good as the humans operating the system.

And we have to face up to the fact that refereeing standards in the English game have never been so poor.

Michael Oliver is generally excellent, as is Martin Atkinson, and a few others besides. But, overall, the level has dropped.

Even Oliver had a bad day at the office at Goodison Park – and that must raise serious question marks over how the Video Assistant Referee technology is being used.

It is a nonsensical argument to suggest we scrap VAR. We would miss it far more than we would gain from putting it in the bin.

We didn’t have VAR in the recent internationals and I, for one, missed the definitive decisions. We have to move with the times – but just improve it.

One very obvious way is building up teams, as has been the way with referees and linesmen.

The best refs operate e with regular partners and that at should be the case moving forward with refs and VARS. That way, you build up an understanding and a relationship.

It’s only natural that

David Coote, the VAR for the Merseyside derby, might feel a bit intimidated by Oliver (with

Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, below) and does not want to tell him he might have got it wrong. Bizarr Bizarrely, Coote is the ref and Oliver the VAR for to tonight’s game between Leeds and Wolves. Why not use former refs as VARS?

Neil Swarbrick qu quickly built up a good repu reputation when he did VAR and was put in charge of it. Well, that’s an example of using people to their strengths. The fact is, the Premier League lost Howard Webb, Mark Halsey and Mark Clattenburg in a short space of time. And their quality, experience and character have never been replaced.

Mike Riley is the head of PGMOL and, for many current refs, is not seen as supportive enough or strong enough. That needs looking at.

VAR is here to stay – but it has to improve. But let’s stop blaming the technology and look at the human reasons behind it.