Sorry, but VAR is not Marvelous for fans of the beautiful game...
‘IF NAKAMBA HAD CAUGHT THE BALL, AUTOGRAPHED IT AND THEN DROP-KICKED IT OVER THE TRINITY ROAD STAND IT COULD HARDLY HAVE BEEN MORE OBVIOUS’
AS the Premier League enjoys its first ever winter break, it seems like a good time to give VAR a half term report.
It didn’t take long for us see VAR in action this season.
In the first game, Wolves took a 51st minute lead though Dendoncker. The Wolves fans went crackers, but 98 seconds later it was the home fans celebrating as the scoreboard flashed up ‘NO GOAL.’
A combination of the poor new handball law and VAR’s all-seeing eye ruled out the goal because it had brushed Boly’s arm. It was in our favour, but it didn’t feel right.
Wind forward a few months and we are all VAR veterans. Every set of fans has now been stung by it, whether it be an offside toenail, or a tackle that looks much worse in slow-motion, and I have noticed recently that there is less intensity to goal celebrations.
Instead of leaping around and hugging your mates after a goal, you are looking to see if the ref has his finger stuck in his ear.
The diminishing of goal celebrations would be a big price for the game to pay, even if VAR got everything right.
But as we have seen week in, week out, it doesn’t. It has merely added another layer of controversy.
In the space of four days, City suffered twice earlier this month. In the Carabao Cup semi-final at Aston Villa, James Maddison had a shot blocked by Marvelous Nakamba’s raised arm.
In the heat of battle, it was one a less able ref like Mike Dean could have missed, but not to worry. We have VAR these days.
Only VAR didn’t see anything wrong. There is even some doubt as to whether they viewed the correct incident.
If Nakamba had caught it, autographed it, and then drop-kicked it over the Trinity Road Stand it could hardly have been more obvious.
Last Saturday, City were pressing for a winning goal late in the game against Chelsea.
Barnes sent a dangerous cross over and as it passed behind Antonio Rüdiger, he deliberately flicked a hand out to divert the ball away.
Referee Lee Mason didn’t see it, and neither did VAR.
In a recent YouGov survey, 67 per cent of the 1,396 fans polled felt matches were now less enjoyable since the introduction of VAR.
I’m amazed it was that low. I suspect that if it had been exclusively match-going supporters polled – the ones kept in the dark during the
CONTROVERSIAL DECISION: Marvelous Nakamba appeared to block James Maddison’s shot in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Villa Park decision-making process – it would have been much higher.
We are constantly told that “VAR is here to stay” but if the disillusion at the way the game is going led to falling gates and cancelled Sky subscriptions we might quickly find a different story.
It really doesn’t do for any business to exasperate its customer base. Or have them feel like idiots after celebrating phantom goals.
If it is here to stay, it needs to get much, much better because it currently feels like a beta version of an app that is full of bugs.
Last week, there were ‘F**K VAR’ scarves on sale outside the ground. Premier League take note...