VAR
West Ham were one of the first teams in the Premier League to experience the
unresearched, tiring, and frankly volatile nature of VAR. That was against Manchester City in
2019, a game in which we ended up losing 5-0. This is a game wherein VAR was used in
favour of the visitors, giving Sergio Aguero a second chance at a penalty after Fabianski was
caught off his line.
unresearched, tiring, and frankly volatile nature of VAR. That was against Manchester City in
2019, a game in which we ended up losing 5-0. This is a game wherein VAR was used in
favour of the visitors, giving Sergio Aguero a second chance at a penalty after Fabianski was
caught off his line.
Since then, the consensus towards VAR has been wholly negative. With contentious offside
goals being chalked off, and questionable tackles being ratified by the team in Stockley Park.
The most controversial calls lie in the toenail offsides, as they are quite commonly referred
to as.
goals being chalked off, and questionable tackles being ratified by the team in Stockley Park.
The most controversial calls lie in the toenail offsides, as they are quite commonly referred
to as.
Now, decisions of this nature have been rife throughout the Premier League the past three
years, with decisions going for and against any and every team. In a general sense, the two
main problems that people have with VAR is the time it takes during a game, and if an
incident is ‘clear and obvious’ enough to be challenged by Stockley Park.
years, with decisions going for and against any and every team. In a general sense, the two
main problems that people have with VAR is the time it takes during a game, and if an
incident is ‘clear and obvious’ enough to be challenged by Stockley Park.
The most recent VAR incidents have been in games including West Ham and Newcastle. In
the former, VAR was introduced when Maxwell Cornet equalised in the dying seconds for
West Ham after Chelsea scored two goals in quick succession. In the game at St James Park,
Newcastle was penalised after it was decided that Joe Willock fouled Vincente Guaita just
before an own goal was scored by Tyrese Mitchell.
the former, VAR was introduced when Maxwell Cornet equalised in the dying seconds for
West Ham after Chelsea scored two goals in quick succession. In the game at St James Park,
Newcastle was penalised after it was decided that Joe Willock fouled Vincente Guaita just
before an own goal was scored by Tyrese Mitchell.
It was premature pandemonium in the away end at Stamford Bridge when the ball fell to
Cornet who fired into the roof of the net – it was however shortly lived after Bowen’s
trailing foot dragged over Mendy, who, if not incapacitated, could have tried to stop Cornet.
This is what the referees at the time would say, and let’s be honest, if you have seen the
decision, you would know that the trailing foot that touched Mendy is of nowhere near
enough connection to make the impact that it seemingly had on the Chelsea goalkeeper.
It seemed as if Mendy had this whole sequence figured out: he dived towards Bowen feet
after he fumbled the ball, and, with Bowen having nowhere to go, went over Mendy who
made a slight connection with Mendy’s chest. Secondly, Mendy, after going down, sees the
ball fall to Cornet, who he knew would score, which subsequently made him scream out in
agony, almost as if he was shot. That’s no exaggeration, in the replay you can see him
scream out when Cornet gets the ball. Lastly, he then stays down after the West Ham
players run past his body in delirium.
Cornet who fired into the roof of the net – it was however shortly lived after Bowen’s
trailing foot dragged over Mendy, who, if not incapacitated, could have tried to stop Cornet.
This is what the referees at the time would say, and let’s be honest, if you have seen the
decision, you would know that the trailing foot that touched Mendy is of nowhere near
enough connection to make the impact that it seemingly had on the Chelsea goalkeeper.
It seemed as if Mendy had this whole sequence figured out: he dived towards Bowen feet
after he fumbled the ball, and, with Bowen having nowhere to go, went over Mendy who
made a slight connection with Mendy’s chest. Secondly, Mendy, after going down, sees the
ball fall to Cornet, who he knew would score, which subsequently made him scream out in
agony, almost as if he was shot. That’s no exaggeration, in the replay you can see him
scream out when Cornet gets the ball. Lastly, he then stays down after the West Ham
players run past his body in delirium.
It was decided that Bowen fouled Mendy in the build-up, and the goal meant West Ham lost
a game they deserved to at least draw.
On Tyneside, Newcastle had a goal disallowed because of a Willock foul on Guaita. In this
scenario it seemed fair enough because Willock went bumbling into the Palace goalkeeper,
but it was only in the replay that showed Mitchell, who scored the disallowed own goal,
directly pushing Willock at Guaita. Now surely the referee, or the VAR team must see
Mitchell’s interference in the play, no? Or are they just focusing on taking the goal away
from Newcastle?
Without a doubt West Ham and Newcastle are two teams that will be challenging the so-
called ‘big 6’, so the inclination that decisions would go against them isn’t as unbelievable as
some might think. If the FA are going to gain more money from the ‘bigger’ teams being
involved in the Champions League, is it really that ridiculous that Stockley Park might have
been told to give decisions against West Ham and Newcastle?
Nevertheless, VAR has been implemented wrongly in the premier league, or maybe it’s the
people that decide these ludicrous calls are the problem. Whatever or whomever it is, it’s
starting to feel like, as a fan, you can’t celebrate a goal as it hits the back of the net
anymore. You must wait until VAR checks it, which takes out the entire essence of fans at
live football.
The FA, with all their might are trying to ‘Americanise’ football in the UK by adding these
systems, making more and more people fall out of love with the game we know and love.
It’s just not how the football works and it’s certainly not how supporters of football clubs
work.
systems, making more and more people fall out of love with the game we know and love.
It’s just not how the football works and it’s certainly not how supporters of football clubs
work.
Most fans are getting to the point where they would rather have referee error than have
VAR because of the passion being taken out of the game. I’m sure some think differently,
which makes sense, but nearly all of the decisions being made by VAR aren’t being made in
sufficient time and aren’t ‘clear and obvious’ errors made on-field by referees.
Written by George Curley
Comments
Post a Comment