Alyson Rudd of the Times assures me that VAR rightly confirmed that it wasn't a pen

[Luis Anaconda]

If I actually thought FIFA were clever enough, I'd almost suspect they've deliberately sabotaged the implementation of VAR so that it can be withdrawn and shelved in perpetuity.

Arsene has been bought in to save it. The review system will be in shortly - he's always banged on about that. Mind you imagine if we had reviewed Dean's decision on Saturday and they still didn't give us a pen

[Burney]

Arsene has been bought in to save it. The review system will be in shortly - he's always banged on about that. Mind you imagine if we had reviewed Dean's decision on Saturday and they still didn't give us a pen

The problem with football, of course, is that there is that element of discretion left to referees regarding intent and so forth, so a review system will always mean that there will be a clash between different interpretations. The question is whether on or off-field officials will have the final say.

[Luis Anaconda]

The problem with football, of course, is that there is that element of discretion left to referees regarding intent and so forth, so a review system will always mean that there will be a clash between different interpretations. The question is whether on or off-field officials will have the final say.

Yep - one of the interesting things about Sunday's decision for Liverpool's non-goal was that the ref Pawson (booooooooooo) was on VAR for the United Everton game and didn't give a foul for a similar challenge on De Gea. So his definition was consistent, yet he gets overturned in this instant. Even though I think it was a foul, it hardly makes any sense

[Burney]

Yep - one of the interesting things about Sunday's decision for Liverpool's non-goal was that the ref Pawson (booooooooooo) was on VAR for the United Everton game and didn't give a foul for a similar challenge on De Gea. So his definition was consistent, yet he gets overturned in this instant. Even though I think it was a foul, it hardly makes any sense

What would be interesting with a review system is where there has been a bad tackle and the ref has only given a yellow. Will the opposing skipper have the right to appeal in the hope of a red - basically subjecting the ref's discretion to the scrutiny of his peers?

[redgunamo]

Embarrassing, humiliating the ref is an important part of the game. And I suspect they are perfectly aware of this too; welcome it even.

What would be interesting with a review system is where there has been a bad tackle and the ref has only given a yellow. Will the opposing skipper have the right to appeal in the hope of a red - basically subjecting the ref's discretion to the scrutiny of his peers?

[Burney]

Embarrassing, humiliating the ref is an important part of the game. And I suspect they are perfectly aware of this too; welcome it even.

I think this is the important thing. These wronguns need to have their god-like and wholly-corrupting power over the game taken away. I will support any system that does that.

[redgunamo]

Yes, I suspected as much. But, as I say, we have to have somebody to blame. And masochists gon' masochist. Otherwise what are we going to do? Blame Wenger?

I will support any system that does that.

[redgunamo]

And nobody wants the officials to be correct 100% of the time, in any case. Otherwise how to explain away a 2-0 defeat at Swindon Town, or somewhere like that, without at least in part blaming the linesman or the ref. For the good of the game, these functionaries must continue to exist as sort of Aunt Sally, pantomime characters.

The problem with football, of course, is that there is that element of discretion left to referees regarding intent and so forth, so a review system will always mean that there will be a clash between different interpretations. The question is whether on or off-field officials will have the final say.

[WES]

And nobody wants the officials to be correct 100% of the time, in any case. Otherwise how to explain away a 2-0 defeat at Swindon Town, or somewhere like that, without at least in part blaming the linesman or the ref. For the good of the game, these functionaries must continue to exist as sort of Aunt Sally, pantomime characters.

Yes, that will never change.

VAR is the new referee, as such. Which sort of suggests it's pointless, really.

[Burney]

And nobody wants the officials to be correct 100% of the time, in any case. Otherwise how to explain away a 2-0 defeat at Swindon Town, or somewhere like that, without at least in part blaming the linesman or the ref. For the good of the game, these functionaries must continue to exist as sort of Aunt Sally, pantomime characters.

No, but I do think they want their decisions to be subject to scrutiny and for them to no longer be the sole arbiters in the game. That would fundamentally change on-field refereeing. For instance, there's no way Mike Reilly could have reffed our game against United the way he did if his frankly bizarre decisions could be sent upstairs.