Video Assistant Referee, (VAR) as it is called by those in the know, has been a relative success in this World Cup. It has made incorrect decisions almost a thing of the past and that is the whole point.
“Incorrect decisions” suggests that a clear and obvious error has been made and VAR is there to right these wrongs.
In the final of the World Cup there were two opportunities to use VAR, or there were none, depending upon your point of view.
Firstly, a wrongly awarded free-kick resulted in the first goal for France when Mario Mandžukić headed the ball into his own net.
Secondly, a wrongly awarded penalty then gave France the lead before half-time.
In both instances it could be argued that the referee made what he thought was the right decision.
With the penalty, however, he originally didn’t give it then used VAR to check whether or not he had made the right choice. It then took him three or four minutes and a return for another look at the TV before he came to the conclusion that a penalty should be awarded.
Sky’s resident referee, Dermot Gallagher, said that it was “100% NOT a penalty”. How is that clear and obvious when just two people can’t agree?
Dermot Gallagher, who never made a wrong decision in all his years as a referee, now makes a living judging that profession
This, clearly and obviously, was not clear and obvious and so, on that basis, VAR should not have been used.
The free-kick was never questioned, yet had the referee exercised the same diligence as he had with the penalty then he would have looked at VAR and discovered that the free-kick also shouldn’t have been given in the first place.
This again wasn’t clear and obvious but neither was the penalty so, as we said earlier, VAR should either have been used in both instances or in none at all.
Such are the differing opinions over the system that VAR is used in a World Cup but it won’t be used in the Premier League next season, nor will it be used in the Champion’s League.
At the end of the day the World Cup has proven that there is a place for such a system in the game. When everything is analysed by the people who have nothing better to do, then it will be found that VAR was around 95% successful.
The other 5% is still present because the system doesn’t yet ban opinions or totally prevent the need for them. If there is a clear and obvious error then point the referee in the right direction. If there isn’t then stay out of it!
And finally, in the transfer market…..
Nothing much is happening which is bad news for David De Gea. The Manchester United goalkeeper faces the prospect of having to be the player of the season again if he wants to see his side challenge for the title.
He can’t be filled with optimism at the thought of having to rely on Chris Smalling and Phil Jones preventing him having to make a plethora of saves in every game.
And with Statler and Waldorf playing at full-back the only surprise is that the Spaniard can actually sleep at night.
Young and Valencia – Two of the main reasons why David De Gea is forced to be the best goalkeeper in the world every season they play
United’s midfield and attack looks pretty decent though so maybe Mourinho is going down the old Brazilian route of having his team scoring more goals than they concede. That would be very un-Mourinho like.
Manchester City are still looking for a replacement for a player they never actually signed. Jorginho, who was blackmailed into signing for Chelsea, is obviously no longer an option so City may turn to Mateo Kovačić of Real Madrid. They will not, however, pay the reported £80 million Madrid are asking.
Chelsea, as a potential comeuppance for their behaviour when signing Jorginho, face the prospect of losing both Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois. All we can say is GOOD, we hope they both go to Spain on the last day of the transfer window.
Unai Emery won’t be making any more signings unless “someone special” becomes available. When that does happen the fee is usually too expensive for Arsenal who haven’t really signed anybody special, ever.
Liverpool haven’t yet signed a goalkeeper but they have signed a Munchkin to try and keep the ball away from their penalty area. Jürgen Klopp seems determined to allow Loris Karius every opportunity to prove that he is useless and now lets him drop clangers in pre-season friendlies as well as Champion’s League finals
Dastardly Dan hasn’t allowed Mauricio Pochettino to open his moneybox yet. It is still locked in the Tottenham Hotspur safe.
PS If West Ham United continue to buy good players and Everton continue winning games 22-0 we will be including them on our pages in the very near future!
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 
Arsène was very good signing unknown players and making them special. Viera, Henry, Van Persie, to name a few. That let him down in the last years he was at Arsenal . I suppose the only time he broke the bank was for Mezut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
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