I admit I was wrong...we do need VAR

Unusual I know, but I have been proved wrong.
Referee Jon Moss.Referee Jon Moss.
Referee Jon Moss.

I am now a VAR convert. The sooner it’s introduced in all levels of English football the better.

I did think the delays to a game and the fact that the same clowns who messed up officiating on the pitch would be the ones looking at the screens would be a blight on our sport.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But, sadly, our officials are now just too awful to be trusted with making the big calls correctly. They need all the help they can get.

Moaning Mark Hughes.Moaning Mark Hughes.
Moaning Mark Hughes.

Every weekend result-affecting howlers are committed. They are becoming so frequent there is a school of thought the referees are making them on purpose just to hurry along the introduction of extra assistance.

This is not true. Well before VAR was even an idea Jonathan Moss helped Posh to promotion from League One with one of the worst decisions of all-time in a play-off semi-final at MK Dons.

Moss was naturally promoted to the Premier League at the end of that season where he remains even though his competence is regularly called into question.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Indeed he was guilty of one of the worst blunders of last weekend when awarding Manchester United a dodgy penalty against Everton at Old Trafford.

Fernandinho gets away with too much.Fernandinho gets away with too much.
Fernandinho gets away with too much.

Courses are offered to cure unconscious bias. Our referees need to be sent on them.

Look at the evidence from last weekend alone.

At that heaving hotbed of foulmouthed abuse Elland Road, a referee and his assistant missed a Leeds United player score a late equalising goal against Nottingham Forest with his arm. He essentially cheated and prospered.

Up at Sunderland a referee stood five yards from a horror tackle inside the penalty area by a home player (not Jack Baldwin surprisingly) on a visitor from Southend and waved play on.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The following day Arsenal scored a goal with the help of a handball against Crystal Palace, just hours before Manchester United’s fortunate penalty award.

All four horrible decisions went in favour of the ‘bigger’ club.

You’ll never convince me the same offences committed at the other end of the pitch would be judged in the same way by the referees.

I’ve watched too much football to ever believe that.

I’m sure our officials go into matches intending to act 100% fairly, but big crowds intimidate as do snarling managers and big-name players.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And one of football’s great lies is that bad decisions even themselves out over a season. No they don’t. From August to May Manchester City’s master of the dark arts Fernandinho will get away with far more than the cloggers of Burnley.

You never know VAR evidence will also help shut up the likes of Mark Hughes, a manager who is never shy of blaming officials in his post-match debrief after a defeat.

Posh boss Steve Evans is much fairer. He moans at officials whether Posh have won, lost or drawn.