Let’s take the premise that “it’s the people, not the system”. VAR just means you need to use MORE people. Every game now needs a ref, two assistants, a fourth official, a VAR and an assistant VAR. And yet decisions are still routinely wrong.Yep. Countless wrong decisions. Awarding us a corner when we clearly had the last touch. Missing a Dahoud hand ball. No bias there, just utter, utter uselessness.
But it was the VAR officials that missed the elbow in the face.
Why bother watching football when the officials don't do their job properly? When it comes to deliberate injuries, there are safeguarding issues. VAR has a responsibility to get it right. The non-use of VAR is the biggest problem for me at the moment.
Perhaps those who keep squealing for it to be binned should shut the f*** up, and instead get behind making the VAR rubric better. If there is still an undercurrent groundswell to bin VAR it will never improve.
This reminds me of our role in the EU. Can't be arsed to engage with Europe? Surprised when we don't get it all our way? I know, let's flounce out of the EU! That will work! And we only went and did it. FFS.
Noi indeed. I hope I didn't give the impression that's what I meant. Better referees. Also get rid of this culture that the referee is intrinsically correct. That's one of the reason VAR is so feeble. Plus it's the same gang running the VAR. As has been said repeatedly, VAR officials should be a separate pool. Different skill sets, etc.Let’s take the premise that “it’s the people, not the system”. VAR just means you need to use MORE people. Every game now needs a ref, two assistants, a fourth official, a VAR and an assistant VAR. And yet decisions are still routinely wrong.
There has to be a case for at least the suspension of the system and splitting this diluted pool of “talent”. Highest marked refs get to stay reffing PL games, lowest ranks back in Championship/ League One until they’ve improved. Only once the refereeing of these games becomes better do we even consider reinstating VAR and then it’s instant demotion of ref again if PGMOL have to issue an apology.
Salisbury should be the first in the bin until the useless prick can tell the difference between a challenge and a deliberate elbow and what constitutes handball.
Tl:dr? The answer to better refereeing isn’t a system that needs more referees.
No you didn’t- it’s just that VAR in its current form does need more referees and therefore, some of them are either inexperienced or past their prime.Noi indeed. I hope I didn't give the impression that's what I meant. Better referees. Also get rid of this culture that the referee is intrinsically correct. That's one of the reason VAR is so feeble. Plus it's the same gang running the VAR. As has been said repeatedly, VAR officials should be a separate pool. Different skill sets, etc.
But sadly nothing will change. Doing things badly and not making the obvious changes is the new English disease.
Sadly, completely true.We don't make enough fuss. If the players surrounded and berated the ref, with de zerbi harassing the 4th official, everyone going nuts about it THEN VAR would have properly looked properly. They didn't bother because there was no fuss they didn't feel like this would be examined, discussed, featured.
That is exactly what Fulham would have (of) done. It's what the likes of Liverpool benefit from. Decisions are very rarely overlooked for them.
I thought that any potential head injury required the game to be stopped and the player assessed? If so and the ref and assistants missed it, then VAR should intervene on that alone for the safety of the player.I thought it strange at the time that Pascal took so long to get up - he doesn’t usually stay down for long after a challenge unless needing treatment. Maybe the club should complain to PGMOL that the ref did not take due care of our player by not stopping play to allow assessment after such a robust challenge. He seemed to give due care to the Fulham players every time they went down!
Unfortunately this is true. It’s exactly what Man City did today and they got a penalty that would not get given more often than not.We don't make enough fuss. If the players surrounded and berated the ref, with de zerbi harassing the 4th official, everyone going nuts about it THEN VAR would have properly looked properly. They didn't bother because there was no fuss they didn't feel like this would be examined, discussed, featured.
That is exactly what Fulham would have (of) done. It's what the likes of Liverpool benefit from. Decisions are very rarely overlooked for them.
The thing is - we don't know what the conversations were (if any) - unless they are released.I don't tend to get irked by VAR issues, but this one has pissed me off as I've now actually seen a replay of the incident. Fulham should have been down to ten men.
Was this actually reviewed by VAR? If so how is jumping into an opponent leading with your elbow into their face not even deemed a foul? Why was the game not even stopped for a head injury?
It only makes sense if VAR didn't look at it.
Let's all be honest. Most refs have never played football to any level. They probably never played it at school even.No you didn’t- it’s just that VAR in its current form does need more referees and therefore, some of them are either inexperienced or past their prime.
BETTER referees is what we’re all after. But, if they’re better, why break play up with endless replays and spoil goal celebrations? The better refs should be trusted to get it right on the pitch, no?
Since when was a deliberate elbow to the face borderline?The thing is - we don't know what the conversations were (if any) - unless they are released.
If the ref missed it altogether - then VAR cannot tell the ref to give a free-kick, or a yellow card.
If the ref saw it and thought it was okay - VAR can only intervene if they think it was a 'clear and obvious error'.
If VAR thought - 'borderline, and ref says he saw it', then nothing would happen. Which I suspect is what happened.
VAR probably had a very, very cursory look and then saidSince when was a deliberate elbow to the face borderline?
Not in my view, it's not. Just chatting about how VAR works!Since when was a deliberate elbow to the face borderline?
So what do we do?Let's all be honest. Most refs have never played football to any level. They probably never played it at school even.
They have got to where they have by being a type of person who enjoys wielding power in a shirt without having an iota of skill or competence, other than to convince other incompetent fools that they have. They're cretins - the sort of person who everyone disliked at school and unfortunately they've been allowed to rise to the top of a rotten to the core, morally bankrupt job (it's in no way a profession) which encourages morons to pretend they can do something.
(btw - I exclude Collina from this group.)
Wait patiently to watch it on Ref Watch then accept we were wronged again.So what do we do?
Blood on the face must have been an elbow?Their manager (BBC interview): hasn't seen it yet, he's not that type of player, it was raining a lot, and he saw blood on the face of his player in the second half which must have been an elbow but no-one is talking about that..