Most fans are reasonable enough to appreciate that referees will make mistakes, so VAR should be an easy way to fix these.
The problem is the system just isn’t fit for purpose – it’s resulting in huge delays, decisions are often missed or wrong and the inconsistency is maddening.
A couple of tackles in recent games prove this perfectly, if we look at the examples of Eddie Nketiah and James Tarkowski.
Nketiah was sent off for this tackle last night, and it’s probably fair enough:
Pictures from RMC Sport
Arsenal fans will claim he didn’t mean it and he’s going for the ball, but it’s a nasty looking foul and you can at least understand why the red was given.
Less than 24 hours later, James Tarkowski only saw yellow for an eerily similar foul, and fans are always going to be furious about this kind of inconsitency:
Can James Tarkowski count himself lucky here?
His challenge on Jarrod Bowen only produces a yellow card ?
But @karenjcarney thinks it was worse than Eddie Nketiah's against Leicester… pic.twitter.com/J215f4Wx4v
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 8, 2020
Fans have since taken to Twitter to complain about this, and it does make you wonder what makes this happen:
Actually really in shock that Tarkowski challenge was not given a red. Why has VAR not asked for a review? Why did Oliver and Linesman see that as a yellow in the first place? How is that a yellow and Nketiah’s was a red last night?
Corruption or incompetence? Maybe both?
— Louis Akindele (@Louis_Akindele) July 8, 2020
Nketiah tries to win the ball. RED CARD.
Tarkowski wasn't even anywhere the ball. Only gets a yellow card.
VAR is the most inconsistent thing in football history. pic.twitter.com/iM8C04Yxaa
— ? (@efcstruan) July 8, 2020
Just seen Tarkowski tackle. Unbelievable how that was deemed a yellow. Worse than Nketiah yesterday.
— MJL (@mjl1988) July 8, 2020
The Tarkowski tackle just show how bad the officials are in the premier league, if Nketiah is sent off surely Tarkowski has to be? I thought this is what VAR was bought in for. #FA
— Dan Timbrell (@Mr_Dan_Timbrell) July 8, 2020
Can someone at the @FA explain why Tarkowski only gets a yellow tonight, and #VAR felt that Nketiah last night deserved more?
— Matt Stanley (@Stanley646) July 8, 2020
It was also revealed earlier that Arsenal have lodged an appeal against Nketiah’s red card, so it will now be fascinating to see how they rule on that.