The Soccer Whiz: VARCICAL VAR

By Zak Hawa | Aug. 20, 2023

IT honestly bugs me that when we should be focussing on the game, excitedly and eagerly chatting about the wonderful opening season spectacle that we have witnessed, when we should be romanticizing the new dawn and season that is upon us; instead all our discussions and talking points from last weekend’s EPL action are about the failure of VAR to provide the correct decisions.

The current conversation centrepiece is inevitably the match at Old Trafford where the entire world witnessed the most abject performance undertaken by the referee and the VAR officials.

Here Wolves were denied what even the naked eye of this old geezer could see, was a stonewall penalty after Manchester United’s newly arrived goalkeeper Andre Onana barged recklessly into the Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic.

That referee Simon Hooper made an absolute howler by not awarding the penalty in the first place is bad enough but for the video assistant referee (VAR) Michael Salisbury and his assistant VAR Richard West, to not intervene and correct him is an aberration of the highest order.

The VAR team comprising experienced and qualified referees and armed with the technology at their disposal should immediately have recognised the referee’s mistake, and ordered him to reconsider his decision by viewing the monitor.

They do also have the benefit of a neutral remote location in Stockley Park ,which means that they are far from the maddening intimidating crowd and should not therefore be unfairly influenced.

However yet again and for the umpteenth time, they failed to act correctly and decisively by failing to advise referee Simon Hooper to reconsider his decision.

VAR had once again proven that despite the immense benefits in the adoption of the most up to date technology, VAR continues to be its own worse enemy through its varcically poor implementation and the big question is why?!

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Right now, as it stands, you can almost guarantee a crucial VAR disaster will occur during every round of matches.

The whole idea behind VAR was to reduce controversy based on a rationale of minimum interference and maximum benefit.

Unfortunately from my vantage point, it’s failing. As long as the VAR team are let off the hook and able to consistently get away with blatant errors and without proper accountability, it means that matches (wait for it,) can still be swung unfairly in favour of certain clubs.

In other words, as long as there is no compulsory directive for the VAR team to insist on the referee consulting the monitor whenever there is even the slightest doubt, or when the referee has clearly made a mistake or when it’s apparent that the video footage available would probably get the referee to change his mind; as long as this is not actioned, expect further clangers!

If the VAR status quo remains, the clichéd hometown decision will remain in place and big teams will continue to get the rub of the green.

Further I would argue that the VAR team should, with the aid of the technology at their disposal, be able to overrule an onfield referee’s decision when the referee consults the monitor but after doing so still makes the wrong call.

It surely must be possible to improve things.

After all, I don’t recollect too many VAR debacles at the World Cup or in the Champions League.

I have also witnessed over the years, the tremendous benefit of the use of technology in both rugby and cricket.

Both these sports are somehow spared the constant VAR related controversies that the EPL provides in mega doses.

It’s high time that the FA and the EPL get tough and demand that the PGMOL(a body that falls under and is owned by the FA, the EPL and the EFL, but run independently by referees and responsible for refereeing games in English professional football,)oversee a VAR system running more efficiently.

Dare I say it but perhaps the very independence of the PGMOL is the problem!

Anyway I’m not foolish enough to suggest that a better run system will be able to fully prevent contentious or borderline decisions.

That’s impossible as in the nature of the game, there will always be debatable decisions and divided opinion.

However, I can assure you that a more purposefully operated VAR will prevent the abomination we witnessed at Old Trafford where the home team were gifted all three valuable points.

Indeed the Christmas gifts came early for Manchester United as they secured victory in a match they ought to have resoundingly lost.

Aside from the referee controversially failing to award Wolves a penalty, United with a non-existent midfield were regularly prized open and cut apart with ease by a Wolves side who were guilty of squandering a number of gilt edged chances that came their way.

From this showing, Manchester United have a huge mount to climb and need serious rapid arrival reinforcements.

Their rivals Liverpool and Chelsea meanwhile looked really good in patches in their blockbuster drawn opener.

There is clearly no love lost between these footballing giants but it was also a match that laid bare the naked truth of both side’s strengths and weaknesses.

They equally showed tremendous zeal and invention in going forward(although Chelsea after close to a billion spent, once more proved how desperate they are for a striker,) while both sides illustrated how critical it is for them to add a top quality defensive midfielder to their ranks.

It was fitting therefore that the match pitted two sides whose bigger battle at the weekend was not on the playing field but rather in the office suites where they were scrambling to get the signatures of Moises Caceido and Romeo Lavia.

Sadly for Liverpool the draw on the field mattered little as both their targets were drawn and attracted to Chelsea!

First of all, Moises dumped Liverpool preferring the blue of Chelsea to the red sea of Anfield while Liverpool were later ditched at the alter by Lavia as they discovered that Romeo’s true love was also Chelsea.

At least Liverpool have not allowed the double transfer tragedy to totally jeopardise their plans and at the time of writing it appears that they have managed to replace Hendo with Endo(Waturu,) the Stuttgart as well as Japanese national team captain.

Liverpool have bought a model professional in Endo who is tireless, not short on skill and a notable leader.

His modest purchase price while a long way short of the record £115 million fee paid by Chelsea for Caicedo should not be seen as a lack of ambition by the club but rather confirmation that there is a mission in progress.

It should also ensure that Liverpool’s stock continues to rise in the land of the rising sun.

Historically Liverpool have a stellar reputation and name in Japan going back to their early domination of the European Cup in the late 70’s and 80’s when as European Champions they would meet the South American Champions in the annual Intercontinental Cup showdown in the traditional host country Japan.

Chelsea meanwhile discovered that they are not everyone’s cup of tea when they were brushed off by Crystal Palace super kid Michael Olise who resisted the mega money on offer by deciding to stay at the Palace.

If ever there was a sensible kid surrounded by the right people, then Olise is surely the one.

Here is a kid who recognises that his playing time will be limited at Chelsea while moreover appreciating the fact that at Crystal Palace he is appreciated and loved and will be given ample game time to demonstrate his already proven talents.

Till the next time folks: is Pep’s current striped black and white beard a telling sign of the emergence of the next great Newcastle side who incidentally make a trip to the Etihad this weekend?

I’m writing this before the match is played but I have a hunch that the Toon’s new hero Tonali may just spring an Italian Job on the Citizens.

If this indeed happens, will be the first Newcastle away victory against Manchester City since 2000 when Erling Haaland’s dad Alfie Haaland was himself a City player!

Now wouldn’t that be something for the Magpies to sing about!