Hate the wait. Excess process. VAR needs work
Semenyo decision needs to re-focus PGMO minds
“They pick over things endlessly and come up with a counter-intuitive solution believing they are Poirot. The rest of us just see Clouseau.” So posted Chris Bojke, a professor at Leeds University’s school of medicine, about the embarrassing six minutes taken to come up with a reason for ruling out Antoine Semenyo’s second goal for Manchester City at St James’ Park.
Chris was replying to a mini-rant I had on X during last night’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg about how long the decision took and why a 90-second time limit was needed. It’s clear and obvious the English application of VAR isn’t working. It’s clear and obvious that the original intention behind technology’s introduction, catching clear and obvious errors, is not being adhered to. It’s clear and obvious a lighter touch is required which was PGMO’s avowed intent at the start of the season.
It’s also clear and obvious, and apologies for labouring the theme, that the current generation of officials is not the best. That’s partly because they are spread thinly, given assignments at Stockley Park as well as in stadia. Scrutiny is now so intense, and backlashes occasionally so vicious on social media, that refs appear inhibited, overly reliant on technology, and constantly seeking reassurance and help from the screen watchers.
The on-field official, Chris Kavanagh, gave the goal but was instructed to think again by VAR Stuart Atwell about whether Semenyo’s team-mate, Erland Haaland, was offside and interfering. Nobody had noted it. Did anyone actually complain? Three vexing issues were raised by the incident: the time it took, why they needed to send Kavanagh to the screen as they rarely go against VAR and whether they reached the right decision at the end of the wait anyway.
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The most frustrating was the delay. A player is going to pull a hamstring one day having hung around in the cold. The crowd became restless, chanting “F*ck VAR”. At the very least, match-going fans (and viewers and listeners) deserve to hear more of the decision-making process as it plays out. It would wile away the wait, provide some explanation in the vacuum and introduce more accountability. Whose game is it anyway? The game belongs to fans, not refs.
And let’s be realistic here. It’s not as if the game is going to get rid of VAR. It works well elsewhere, especially in Uefa and Fifa competitions (where the quality of officiating is inevitably better). When the Premier League clubs last voted on VAR, it was 19-1 in favour. The initial impetus for VAR was frustration, often anger, over costly mistakes, the Hand of God, the Hand of Thierry etc. If the game scrapped VAR, there would be moments when managers, players, supporters and commentators point out that an incident “would have been caught by VAR”.
So let’s improve the standards of those applying it. Let’s stick to clear and obvious. Let’s introduce a time limit; most major errors would be cleared up in 90 seconds.
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It felt they were almost looking for ways to rule out Semenyo’s flicked finish. They’re not, of course, and the conspiracy theorists should sit this one out, but it was micro-managing gone mad. Officials are at risk of resembling traffic cops pulling over a driver, unable to find anything wrong with tyre tread, so checking windscreen wash levels instead. Those OK? What about the glove compartment? Tidy? OK. But where’s the air freshener? Right, to the monitor, punishment incoming. Well done, boys, good process.