VAR gives us more hope.

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?


I'm not looking forward to goals being disallowed. Just how annoying is that going to be. Another thing is players hounding the referee to play it back.
 
Last time we were up in the Premier League we were screwed by referees on a number of occasions.

We can be just a touch more hopeful next season.

I’ve been saying this for a while.
People say the big clubs tend to get the big decisions from the ref but that’s because the big clubs attack more with the ball being in the opposition penalty area more, hence more penalties.

In the past refs have tended to apply a natural justice, these are some of the unwritten rules that will now change next season.
1: Previously if a team is massively dominant, then the ref is more likely to give that team favourable decisions (this will help us, imagine if we’re receiving a pasting at Anfield but our defence has somehow managed to keep it down to 0-0 with VAR disallowing 2 goals for Liverpool, then we have a rare attack with Sharp going down in the 90th minute at the Kop end penalty area. In the past the ref wouldn’t have the bottle to give it as it would be daylight robbery and unfair, but now we would win a penalty at these grounds where daylight robbery is now allowed.).
2: Penalties and red cards are less likely to be given in the first few minutes, refs give warnings and want to game to settle down.
3: Once a team is given a penalty they are much less likely to be given one immediately after scoring one.
4: Very few teams are ever given multiple penalties in the same match, it’s as though the ref shy away from the controversy.
5: If a team is winning by a big scoreline then that teams is less likely to be given favourable decisions. Maybe some refs feels sorry for the team receiving a hiding.

I think VAR next season will change the game. There will be situations where some teams receive 4 penalties in the same match, in fact players playing for penalties could become an art. Also there will be situations where a Man Utd player might be sent off in the first few minutes at Old Trafford. Still think they’ll be massive controversy because VAR focusses on the black and white, but doesn’t interpret context.
 
Last edited:
Still think they’ll be massive controversy because VAR focusses on the black and white, but doesn’t interpret context.

No, no, no, no!

VAR is another ref or group of refs interpreting what they see. How many controversial VAR decisions have been made already that were disagreed with? Goal line technology is "black and white" it crossed the line or didn't, there is no opinion or interpretation, and it is an instant decision.

VAR exists because TV technology can microscopically examine any incident in a game. It isn't borne out of the opinions of those watching at the game. You see it, form an opinion and agree or disagree with the decision of the ref., game goes on.

VAR is another way of taking the game away from true supporters towards the plastics in the armchair.
 
It is what it is. People don’t like change.

I’d rather be being “VAR’d” next season because it means we’re amongst the elite.
 
VAR is another ref or group of refs interpreting what they see. How many controversial VAR decisions have been made already that were disagreed with? Goal line technology is "black and white" it crossed the line or didn't, there is no opinion or interpretation, and it is an instant decision.

This for me is the problem. I was fully on board with VAR when it was being pitched as “only being used in clear instances when a mistake has been made”. Yet the implementation of it, particularly in the CL with the handball penalty decisions, is drastically different. It was designed to ensure just decisions, and it will do that for much of what it does. Sadly it’ll also create other injustices if deployed as it has been so far. I’d probably prefer occasional crap decisions while able to enjoy the game rather than occasionally incomprehensible decisions while less able to enjoy the game.
 
Nope.

Disastrous development. Already shown to just offer yet another level of opinion. VAR will shaft us at some point next season.

Demanded by TV, made by TV, for TV.

^^This

Its written in the stars we'll have the first major controversial VAR decision go against us.

I think its rubbish, in the world cup I thought the majority of VAR decisions were wrong in the end anyway just slowed everything down.

Also, add these stoppages to Norwichs games and their games will go on for 130 mins
 
Having watched a lot of football in Spain this year, I can say that VAR generally makes football fairer.

Offsides always get called correctly now which should suit us as we're not reliant on through balls to a nippy striker.

But there's still a lot of interpretation - our blocking on corners being a good example. In these cases, the big teams still get favoured, nothing new. Saying that though I've seen quite a few penalties given to smaller teams that never would have been given before - this is a good sign for united.

Also, people making the VAR gesture gets fucking annoying. Everything gets checked, they're always watching- telling the ref to check VAR is a nonsense. I don't know why people don't understand this.

The feeling of not being able to really celebrate until you see the other team kick off is a bit shit but as VAR will help us, I'm happy we're having it next year.
 

I posted this on another thread but the Premier League are doing VAR differently from the rest of the world. Everywhere else has a little TV screen next to the pitch. The video ref will alert the on pitch official if he feels that he has made a compelling mistake and the referee will then go pitchside and review the incident before making a final decision (except for offside calls where the Video ref will inform the on pitch officials if a goal should stand or not).

In the Premier League, there will be no pitchside TV. The Premier League are promoting 6 current championship referees to be video officials. They will watch the action and if the referee has made a mistake they will tell him. The referee will then make the decision whether to overturn or not based on what he is told by the video ref. No review pitchside.
 
there will be lots of penalties for handball next season due to var, what with the edict from uefa...you'll see balls being blasted at hands form 2 yards and penalties given..
 
^^This

Its written in the stars we'll have the first major controversial VAR decision go against us.

I think its rubbish, in the world cup I thought the majority of VAR decisions were wrong in the end anyway just slowed everything down.

Also, add these stoppages to Norwichs games and their games will go on for 130 mins

TV needs VAR, football does not need it.

At all levels below the elite leagues football will continue and be watched and enjoyed by millions. Decisions will be made by referees not TV, some right some wrong, but the enjoyment of those spectators will not be diminished by the absence of VAR. I'll wager it will be more enjoyable because they will live in the moment of joy or despair rather than pause and stare at a screen waiting for TV to decide if they can celebrate or not.
 
Having watched a lot of football in Spain this year, I can say that VAR generally makes football fairer.

Offsides always get called correctly now which should suit us as we're not reliant on through balls to a nippy striker.

But there's still a lot of interpretation - our blocking on corners being a good example. In these cases, the big teams still get favoured, nothing new. Saying that though I've seen quite a few penalties given to smaller teams that never would have been given before - this is a good sign for united.

Also, people making the VAR gesture gets fucking annoying. Everything gets checked, they're always watching- telling the ref to check VAR is a nonsense. I don't know why people don't understand this.

The feeling of not being able to really celebrate until you see the other team kick off is a bit shit but as VAR will help us, I'm happy we're having it next year.
I agree - the Real Madrid game last weekend being a case in point. The referee did not give a blatant penalty to Real Vallecano (bottom of league and going down). Play went up the other end and Bale nearly (should have actually) scored. The referee was informed by VR to check the original penalty which he did and then awarded it and it was scored. Vallecano won 1-0. Been really interesting if Bale had actually scored like he should have done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dkc
No, no, no, no!

VAR is another ref or group of refs interpreting what they see. How many controversial VAR decisions have been made already that were disagreed with? Goal line technology is "black and white" it crossed the line or didn't, there is no opinion or interpretation, and it is an instant decision.

VAR exists because TV technology can microscopically examine any incident in a game. It isn't borne out of the opinions of those watching at the game. You see it, form an opinion and agree or disagree with the decision of the ref., game goes on.

VAR is another way of taking the game away from true supporters towards the plastics in the armchair.

This. ^^^^

It’s such a joyless development.
 
Simple question, does it make the game fairer? If the answer to that is yes then I'm for it. I've been following the Blades far too long to believe any of that " It all evens itself out in the end " nonsense.

On the way back from the semi with Arsenal at Old Trafford they were talking to Graham Taylor on the radio while he waited to comment on the second semi..His co commentator said to him " Bit of controversy in the game at Old Trafford, still those things happen in football don't they Graham? "

To which Taylor replied " They do indeed, and it's surprising how often they turn out in favour of the Big Club. "

VAR probably wouldn't have stopped that incident but the more of a level playing field we can produce the better.
 
I agree - the Real Madrid game last weekend being a case in point. The referee did not give a blatant penalty to Real Vallecano (bottom of league and going down). Play went up the other end and Bale nearly (should have actually) scored. The referee was informed by VR to check the original penalty which he did and then awarded it and it was scored. Vallecano won 1-0. Been really interesting if Bale had actually scored like he should have done.

Exactly, I was there and there was nothing joyless about it. First time beating Madrid in nearly 20 years and VAR played a big part. When we get a penalty against Liverpool or Man U that no ref would have had the balls to give before, noone will be complaining about VAR
 
Demanded by TV, made by TV, for TV.

VAR exists because TV technology can microscopically examine any incident in a game. It isn't borne out of the opinions of those watching at the game. You see it, form an opinion and agree or disagree with the decision of the ref., game goes on.

VAR is another way of taking the game away from true supporters towards the plastics in the armchair.

Couldn’t agree more. VAR is entirely a function of (i.e., it is prompted by, promoted by, made seemingly ‘necessary’ or desirable by) developments in media/technology and their disproportionate influence over how ‘we’ now think about the game. It is emphatically not a function of football. To me, this is where the principal debate should be.

The debate about fairness, and getting things right, is a valid one. But it is a secondary debate.

... the enjoyment of those spectators will not be diminished by the absence of VAR. I'll wager it will be more enjoyable because they will live in the moment of joy or despair rather than pause and stare at a screen waiting for TV to decide if they can celebrate or not.

And no one understands this more than cricket lovers, as per SouthEssexBlade , who’ve had to live with the impact of the decision review system on the game. The great surge and release of adrenaline/celebration that used to accompany an appeal for a wicket and the raising of an umpire’s finger, in a packed ground at a crucial moment during a key phase of play, has now become “Blimey, that’s interesting, I wonder if the guy in the truck with the TV will give it”, often followed by several minutes of sitting around peering at a screen while all that energy and joy is sucked into a big black hole the size of Hillsborough.
 
It's just going to add more fun and games. Players have a massive part to play and I hope they book anyone doing the 'TV screen' thing with their fingers as they do with waving an imaginary card and it will also help reduce the acting. I'd like to think it will improve things if only to iron out any injustices but it opens up as many issues as it solves and at the end of the day, it's still one extra person's opinion, albeit with replays.

I do agree though that, as happened with Citeh last week, it's going to be hell for fans in certain situations, best hope they have plenty of medics on hand !
 
All of Knill’s set-piece routine goals disallowed for blocking. Can’t wait.

Indeed - McG first goal v Hull and JOC's goal v Ipswich to name two recently. Billy's bum was the assist for the 2nd v Ipswich - very clever and if you check the refs view, he wouldn't have seen a thing. Watch the replay from the camera at the back of the kop.

UTB
 
RIP

He deserved better than being spat at, by one of our wanker fans.

I didn't know that and it's disgusting, goes to show that we all have scum among our ' fans '.

Always thought that Graham Taylor was a decent man who didn't deserve the abuse he got from the media and random know nowts who seem to love to hate.
 
This for me is the problem. I was fully on board with VAR when it was being pitched as “only being used in clear instances when a mistake has been made”. Yet the implementation of it, particularly in the CL with the handball penalty decisions, is drastically different. It was designed to ensure just decisions, and it will do that for much of what it does. Sadly it’ll also create other injustices if deployed as it has been so far. I’d probably prefer occasional crap decisions while able to enjoy the game rather than occasionally incomprehensible decisions while less able to enjoy the game.

This. There's an inherent problem, however you phrase it, with the idea that it'll only be used for "clear and obvious errors" because what constitutes a "clear and obvious error" will always come down to a subjective opinion. If it were truly a clear error then you would reverse the decision immediately, couldn't you?

Example: Player goes down under a sliding challenge in the box, ref blows for a penalty. If it's a clear and obvious error, then that means it's not a penalty. But that's not what VAR does. VAR says "that might be an error, let's review it". The incident is then looked at a few times and a decision is made.

There's a second problem, and that's that the refs, the pundits, the fans, can look at a decision twenty times and still not be sure about some of them. A free kick will be awarded if a player "handles the ball deliberately (except for the goalkeeper within their penalty area)". Well, since we don't yet have access to the inside of a player's mind, deliberate is always a best guess on subjective interpretation. This has led to VAR decisions that after that game are still thoroughly disputed. VAR might give us better decisions overall but a lot of decisions that a referred to it are still going to be unclear afterwards.

I can think of a few ways we could improve the game and the standard of refereeing without killing the pace of football and without creating an extra layer of controversy. Instead we've got this ridiculous situation where we've introduced technology that still gets things wrong but football won't punish a player for stamping on another player's face in spite of him having previous record of that type of behaviour. We worry about the really difficult decisions that happen relatively infrequently instead of the thirty incidents a game of timewasting, feigning injury, and dissent.
 

More clubs to adopt the zonal marking rather than man to man marking when defending corners? I have never liked the man to man marking system as it often involves grabbing, blocking etc
 

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom