The best and worst of football without VAR was on display last night in something of a throwback to the good old days when the officials in West Ham’s draw with QPR were barracked mercilessly for poor decisions.
At least it got the crowd involved in the ‘soul-less bowl’ with a couple of pretty familiar chants which are best left to the imagination.
Is the game better without the endless interventions of a video referee?
Granted, QPR’s first goal would have been overturned thanks to Soucek’s excellent recovery tackle somehow producing a penalty.
However, Jarrod Bowen’s ‘robust’ tackle that won the ball back and started the move from which the Hammers captain equalised would also have resulted in five minutes of forensic analysis, as is the Video Ref’s habit.
Knowing how the VAR team seeks any reason to intervene, more than likely that goal would have been chalked off too.
As would the second half penalty awarded to the Irons following Pablo’s ‘expansive’ fall to the ground.
VAR hardly ever made things better – as well we remember
At least the errors evened themselves out last night, without any claims of officialdom seeking to manipulate or interfere with the outcome – as when Callum Wilson’s late goal was chalked off by VAR in the now infamous encounter with Arsenal last season.
Love it, like it or loathe it, playing with honest and occasionally inept mistakes still takes football back towards a more spontaneous, engaging spectacle than the endless, joyless examination by video that Premier League games have become.
And chanting ‘VAR’s a ******’ doesn’t provide the same visceral pleasure in any case.
These are the same set of supporters who wanted Moyes sacked after winning a European trophy…
Seem to miss Kelman dropping both knees into Kolli’s face. VAR would have seen red so be careful what you wish for. Mbengue is a lunatic who’s in the wrong sport. Lamptey showed a one footed player (who didn’t have any impact on the game at this point) onto his stronger foot, looked very comfortable until the subs.
Firstly, we all know that Soucek got the ball first & that’s not in question, even though I’m a hoops fan, I can be honest about everything. The follow through on that tackle is what brought the penalty & yet, not 1 person, in commentary or columns has even mentioned that he continued into the player & we all know from the tackle in the world cup, that follow throughs get players sent off or at least lens given in the box. Yes Trump got the player re-instated, but you can’t have follow throughs & say it’s okay to break a leg, because he got the ball first. So rightful penalty, whether you like it or not, factually it’s correct.
With Bowen’s tackle, it’s not so clear cut to me. Of course as a fan, I want a foul given which rules out the goal, but I haven’t seen it clear enough to know if Bowen actually made a good tackle or not. If it was clean even though it didn’t look it, the goals was fine & given that our players seemed to just stand around & let Bowen do what he wanted, it’s our own fault that he scored.
Finally we get to Pablo’s penalty. As a fan, I don’t want that given against us as we’re hanging on, but Mbengue had no reason to pull his shirt as he was turning away from goal. I’d like to see penalties for all shirt pulling because let’s be honest, that ain’t football & never has been, but it crept into the game & is now so blatantly done for all free kicks & corners that its good to see a ref making a decision for once. Glad it got saved, but in my opinion, a penalty was correct.
Absolutely no VAR, I’ll take ref mistakes all day long over VAR.
I’d rather we won the championship and passed on promotion, the Premier league is dead.
I’ll go to as many games as possible this season because it’s mostly fun and as there are so many games in the championship I’ll pay for skysports.
In the Premier league forget it, I can’t be bothered to watch VAR discussions with a game of football somewhere in the background. Premier League as product is finished.
And yet, it’s more popular now than ever before, so your opinion isn’t making any difference.
Its time for everyone including this site to realise how poor a manager nuno is .teams still being chopped and changed wrong players in wrong positions tactively naive and worst of all sending a team out week after week with no intensity.
these are the reasons he was sacked from his previous positions we will not be promoted with him in charge.
nice to read someone saying it like it is…more ludicrous tactics, this time to bring back Soucek and leave Taty isolated…we should be walking this league – what next, inverted full backs? (oh, hold on, he’s already tried that…twice!!)
Nuno Out.
You want a manager out when you’re 2nd in the league? FFS get real people.
If your team was that good, you wouldn’t have been relegated to start with, but you should be enjoying to good times you have with him now & then, be happy if he goes at some point in the future.
We had to endure Ainsworth not only narrowly avoiding the drop when he came back, but then going as we were bottom & adrift the next season. You’ve got it good with Nuno.
Martin, did you actually watch the game?
The two handed pull on Pablo’s shirt was as blatant as you will see. His shirt was still being pulled up when he hit the turf. There is no way that would have been overturned by VAR.
As a QPR fan, I have to agree with you. No reason to be pulling his shirt but Mbengue is a league 1 defender, so you get what you pay for 🙁 Definite penalty to me.
QPR awarded a penalty incorrectly.
The assistant ref doesn’t flag for a foul and he was in line with play when the ball was clearly played by TS.
The ref was 10 yards behind play and only sees the follow-up contact after the ball was played.
Pablo was clearly pulled and correctly awarded a penalty, end of.
Overall the officials were out of their depth at times. Especially from set plays when there’s so much grappling in the box occurring and did nothing to quell it.
1st, Soucek didn’t clear the ball, it was heading for a corner, but his follow through was penalty, because you can’t take a player out by doing that & let’s be honest, all football fans know it too, but have no issues if it’s for their team, but complain when it’s against.
2nd, you’re right, Pablo’s was a penalty & I support QPR, as no one should be pulling shirts at any point. I’t’s an aspect of foot ball that the world hasn’t got to grips with yet, but every time now, it should be a card & a penalty.
3rd, maybe the officials weren’t the greatest, but when a player kicks his on leg & falls over & is convinced he was fouled instead, can you really question officials at being human as well?
I think Bowen could well have seen a red for that tackle if VAR would have been in use last night
The referee was truly shocking, but not as shocking as our ex-reserve ‘keeper multiple-sacked clueless loser manager who continually starts games with cagey tactics and the wrong starting XI.
I want him gone as soon as possible. I’ve no idea why this gutless uninspiring loser was kept on after relegating us.