PUNDITS SCOFF, BUT VAR’S BRINGING IN CONSISTENCY TO STOP INJUSTICES

EVEN if it is just a heinously unfortunate coincidence, Liverpool and Manchester United being repeatedly placed at the centre of breakaway, greed-is-good leagues is not the best look.

Not when the people of their cities are wondering how they are going to feed themselves if this crisis carries on.

But, while the timing is distasteful and the concept of a European Premier League pretty abhorrent, there is a stark truth.

The Champions League needs revamping – urgently.

Give me a nudge when the knockout starts.

The first round of group stage qualifying matches were distinctly unremarkable – with one notable exception, Shakhtar Donetsk’s 3-2 win at Real Madrid.

It would have been notable even if Shakhtar had been able to field their first team at the Alfredo di Stefano training ground, where Real are plying their home trade right now.

But, considering Covid had forced the Ukrainians to field pretty much a reserve team, it was an even more commendable victory.

However, had VAR not been in operation, it was a triumph they would have been denied.

After looking at the pitch-side monitor, referee Srjdan Jovanovic correctly decided he had erred in initially allowing Federico Valverde’s late effort to stand for Real.

It was wiped out for a blatant offside against Vinicius Junior.

And that is the beauty of VAR. It might be the difference between Shakhtar making the knockout stages or not.

It was justice with minimal fuss.

And that is what VAR is designed to be all about.

Last weekend, the irony was lost on nobody when Liverpool got the hump about a couple of decisions in the Merseyside derby.

They had a point in the case of the Jordan Pickford challenge, but goalkeepers

There are hints that players and managers are becoming more accepting of VAR have been getting away with murder for decades.

That was just a continuation of a long-running theme.

As for the late offside, Sadio Mane, according to the pictures and drawings, was offside.

And, as long as exactly the same pictures and drawings are used for every offside up and down the Premier League country, that’s fine.

It’s a level playing field.

OK, maybe the law should be tinkered with and perhaps make it that a player’s foot has to be offside, but there IS consistency in the way the rule is being administered and that is what managers and players have been wanting.

The moaning about VAR has become tiresome. Pundit after pundit have been banging on about how the game is all about goals and VAR is making it a mission to chalk them off.

It’s not doing a very good job. You can’t move for goals. We had to wait until the 47th match of the season to get a goalless draw.

And this vague argument of the joy being sucked out of the game?

Jordan Henderson (left) was ecstatic when he thought he had equalised, Everton almost as happy when it was ruled out.

Doubtless, there will be VAR ‘controversies’ this weekend.

But the best team will win the league and the worst team will finish bottom.

Liverpool were the best team last season, Norwich were the worst. Both by far.

VAR will still take getting used to, but there are hints players and managers are becoming a little more accepting of it. Or maybe just resigned to it. Either way, good. Because don’t forget, it is there to stop the injustice.

And ask the players of Shakhtar Donetsk how that feels.