There once was an innocent time where we all presumed that VAR might solve a lot of the issues in the game and we would see fairer results on the pitch, but it’s started to go the way we all feared it might.
“Clear and obvious” mistakes were supposed to be the target of any VAR reviews, but it’s started to stay into nit-picking territory, while we are still seeing some big mistakes going unchecked so it’s understandable that players and managers are getting irritated.
West Ham’s late equaliser against Chelsea was chalked off at the weekend for something that may or may not have been a foul, but it didn’t really stray into the clear and obvious territory. David Moyes and Declan Rice were outspoken about the decision after the game, so many expected them to be dragged over the coals like Thomas Tuchel was for Chelsea recently.
Instead, it appears that they’ve escaped punishment for their actions and potentially bringing the game into disrepute, however, Moyes could still face action on a further charge of going after the referee.