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The VAR Thread

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
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The refs could cost players and managers their jobs. They can be the difference between staying up/getting promoted/being relegating which this year more than any could be the difference maker in the future survival of the club. These refs can do all these things yet nobody can say anything negative about them and they face no punishment for excessively wrong decision making. The lack of accountability is ridiculous.
 

SUIYHA

Well-Known Member
Jan 15, 2017
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It is absolutely 100% correct to have a VAR system in play at top level sport. There is too much at stake to be ruined by cheating or things that referees can't see in real time. The problem is the people using it are either absolute morons that should be fired immediately, or blatantly corrupt and should be jailed.

For years the excuse for bad refereeing decisions was always "well they don't have the benefit of slowing things down and seeing it at a load of different angles, they only get one look at speed and they have to take a quick decision under pressure". Now they do have that luxury. It is quite literally the easiest job in the world and they are still getting it wrong. The principle behind the system is fine, but the people running it clearly are not.

Two really simple ways to fix it, both coming from other sports. 1. The manager (or captain) gets two or three attempts to use VAR to overturn a decision per game, they keep their attempt if the ref was wrong and the decision is overturned. That would stop it being used for trivial things and only when something serious has happened. 2. If called, the "third umpire" should talk through what is happening and what they are seeing into a microphone for all in the stadium and all watching on broadcast to see - like they do in cricket. Let's make sure they are accountable.
 

mr ashley

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
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Having unbiased and competent people manning the VAR would also help.
By broadcasting the conversation between officials you would eliminate the bias /incompetence by making it blindingly obvious that the review was flawed.
Jon Moss would be exposed for what he is! Honestly that man was pointing to the spot before both Pogba and Fernandes hit the floor in the game against us
 

DJS

A hoonter must hoont
Dec 9, 2006
31,261
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VAR is absolutely needed but looking at Ward-Prowse (I think?) absolutely blatant dive and getting the penalty and Kane not getting his for one of the most blatant pushes on the box does make you wonder if there’s corruption...

Putting on my tin foil hat now and my ‘they’re all against us’ t-shirt! ???
 

Syn_13

Fly On, Little Wing
Jul 17, 2008
14,851
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By broadcasting the conversation between officials you would eliminate the bias /incompetence by making it blindingly obvious that the review was flawed.
Jon Moss would be exposed for what he is! Honestly that man was pointing to the spot before both Pogba and Fernandes hit the floor in the game against us

I've been saying this for a very long time. The refs and linesmen should be mic'd up just like in Rugby. The VAR officials should also be heard as well. There was a trial of it in a 2nd division Australian league from what I remember, and it looked great. It really needs to be done to show transparency. I think people would have a lot more respect if you can hear their thought process and what they're saying. It would hold them accountable as well. Plus, it'd have the added bonus of allowing the ref have a little more command over the players because of the microphone picking up what they say if nearby. Always baffled me how Rugby players respected the refs far more than footballers do. Shouldn't be that way.
 

mr ashley

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Jan 27, 2011
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I've been saying this for a very long time. The refs and linesmen should be mic'd up just like in Rugby. The VAR officials should also be heard as well. There was a trial of it in a 2nd division Australian league from what I remember, and it looked great. It really needs to be done to show transparency. I think people would have a lot more respect if you can hear their thought process and what they're saying. It would hold them accountable as well. Plus, it'd have the added bonus of allowing the ref have a little more command over the players because of the microphone picking up what they say if nearby. Always baffled me how Rugby players respected the refs far more than footballers do. Shouldn't be that way.
I think the reason why it was decided they shouldn’t mike up refs was based on the flimsy argument that the players swearing would be heard, potentially pre-watershed.
Such a cheap argument. As soon as players started receiving a backlash in the media, they’d stop.
And, as a starting point, you could mute the mike until there was a VAR review.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
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I think the reason why it was decided they shouldn’t mike up refs was based on the flimsy argument that the players swearing would be heard, potentially pre-watershed.
Such a cheap argument. As soon as players started receiving a backlash in the media, they’d stop.
And, as a starting point, you could mute the mike until there was a VAR review.

I'm not sure about that. Players still slip up and swear in TV interviews straight after the game so the chances of them all minding their manners during the actual match seem pretty slim.
 

mr ashley

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Jan 27, 2011
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I'm not sure about that. Players still slip up and swear in TV interviews straight after the game so the chances of them all minding their manners during the actual match seem pretty slim.
When was the last time that happened???
They get media training.
what makes them any less capable of using other words than any other profession?
It’s a poor excuse
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
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When was the last time that happened???
They get media training.
what makes them any less capable of using other words than any other profession?
It’s a poor excuse

After the Sheffield united game today.
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
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Oh really?
What happened- didn’t watch it.
That’s really rare to be fair.

The interviewer asked Mcgoldrick if he thought they'd get into Europe and he said that the manager would give him a bollocking if he said yes.
There was another incident recently as well, but I can't remember who it was. It might have been one of our players. It probably happens occasionally and gets edited out.

I've just remembered this one as well.

 
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theShiznit

Well-Known Member
Jul 26, 2004
17,800
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It's all very well them saying "x decision was incorrect"
but there needs to be some sort of comeback.

Maybe a league table and the refs that are consistently getting the VAR decisions wrong at Stockley park need to be removed from that job.

Otherwise they'll just carry on protecting the other refs egos.
 

mr ashley

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
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The interviewer asked Mcgoldrick if he thought they'd get into Europe and he said that the manager would give him a bollocking if he said yes.
There was another incident recently as well, but I can't remember who it was. It might have been one of our players. It probably happens occasionally and gets edited out.

I've just remembered this one as well.


Ok so two, in a field of thousands of post-match interviews is still showing it happens rarely.
But my original point is that the ref being miked up could be kept on mute until the crowd/audience need to hear the VAR review conversation-this is exactly how it happens in cricket. It means you rarely get to hear players sledging (unless it’s picked up on the stump mike).
So, not having it in place is still a feeble excuse.
If we want a fully functioning VAR system, we need to move past some of these excuses for not implementing it properly
 

nailsy

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Jul 24, 2005
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Ok so two, in a field of thousands of post-match interviews is still showing it happens rarely.
But my original point is that the ref being miked up could be kept on mute until the crowd/audience need to hear the VAR review conversation-this is exactly how it happens in cricket. It means you rarely get to hear players sledging (unless it’s picked up on the stump mike).
So, not having it in place is still a feeble excuse.
If we want a fully functioning VAR system, we need to move past some of these excuses for not implementing it properly

It's not just two because I don't watch every post match interview and they edit out swearing in the prerecorded interviews. If you watch the games without the crowd noise you can hear a lot of swearing during the game.
I'd actually like to see the mics brought in, but I think they might need a thirty second delay so they can bleep out any possible swearing.
 

mr ashley

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Jan 27, 2011
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It's not just two because I don't watch every post match interview and they edit out swearing in the prerecorded interviews. If you watch the games without the crowd noise you can hear a lot of swearing during the game.
I'd actually like to see the mics brought in, but I think they might need a thirty second delay so they can bleep out any possible swearing.
So, rather than hunting down evidence of swearing in recent matches or interviews, please hear me out.
If the PGMOL announced they were going to broadcast the ref link comments, and it picked up significant swearing from players (more than can be apologised for than commentators currently do), there would be a backlash.
Players would have to mind their language, in the same way we all do at work.
And if we reached a point where it was so bad, then I’m sure the clubs would start fining their players if they continued to swear on camera, especially if threatened with games being moved post-watershed.
But in striving to improve VAR, players would have to (and are completely capable of) change their behaviour
 

nailsy

SC Supporter
Jul 24, 2005
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So, rather than hunting down evidence of swearing in recent matches or interviews, please hear me out.
If the PGMOL announced they were going to broadcast the ref link comments, and it picked up significant swearing from players (more than can be apologised for than commentators currently do), there would be a backlash.
Players would have to mind their language, in the same way we all do at work.
And if we reached a point where it was so bad, then I’m sure the clubs would start fining their players if they continued to swear on camera, especially if threatened with games being moved post-watershed.
But in striving to improve VAR, players would have to (and are completely capable of) change their behaviour

Maybe, but there's no guarantee. In the heat of the moment things get said. How many Respect campaigns have there been and refs still get sworn at regardless? I'm looking at this as a parent. I don't want my kid watching something where he's going to hear swearing.
 

mr ashley

Well-Known Member
Jan 27, 2011
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Maybe, but there's no guarantee. In the heat of the moment things get said. How many Respect campaigns have there been and refs still get sworn at regardless? I'm looking at this as a parent. I don't want my kid watching something where he's going to hear swearing.
So you’d keep VAR as it is then?
Remember, my point throughout this has been that miking up the refs can improve VAR and improve player behaviour.
It can be win-win

But it does sound like some people - not necessarily you nailsy, would keep VAR in its current format ( with all its faults) because they perceive players incapable of change.

Coming at this from a parent too, my children are more likely to hear the swearing from me! (especially after watching incredulously after we get robbed by dodgy officiating again!)
 

spurs mental

Well-Known Member
Mar 10, 2007
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So you’d keep VAR as it is then?
Remember, my point throughout this has been that miking up the refs can improve VAR and improve player behaviour.
It can be win-win

But it does sound like some people - not necessarily you nailsy, would keep VAR in its current format ( with all its faults) because they perceive players incapable of change.

Coming at this from a parent too, my children are more likely to hear the swearing from me! (especially after watching incredulously after we get robbed by dodgy officiating again!)
This is my stand on it too.

It works really well in rugby with the referees being mic'd up.

I believe the players could change themselves too. They aren't stupid and know they're role models so if they're going to get hit in the pocket for swearing it would change pretty quickly.
 

Who’s our next manager?

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Jul 6, 2020
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Managers are interviewed post match.
Players are interviewed post match.

Referees should also be put in front of the cameras. VAR operatives, usually referees should also be interviewed. They should explain their decisions. As it stands they can,if they wish, make wrong decisions ,decisions not based on the incidents they have seen. If they had to explain themselves I reckon we’d see far fewer ‘dubious’ decisions.
 
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