This looks to be the tightest VAR offside yet.

It HAS to change next season.

Leagues MUST be allowed to follow the UCL method and only give offside when technology graphically provides a clear decision.

Pierluigi Collina wants it this way. It has to happen. #FULWOL Image
One subjective aspect people don't appreciate is one VAR can look this and decide the tech isn't needed and give the goal.

But tonight (like with Bamford vs. Palace) the VAR decided to get the tech out. Once he does that, it opens it up to these pathetic millimetre decisions.
Decisions such as these are NOT about the offside law. People get wrapped up in that.

It's not the problem. It's not about feet. It's not about daylight.

The issue is how offside is handled in VAR. How the major leagues have been told to use the tech to the absolute letter.
Changing the offside law wouldn't alter ANYTHING if you keep using the technology in this way.

There would still be players ruled offside with red and blue lines blurring into each other.

Until we get semi-automated offside, the VAR process must be relaxed.

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More from @DaleJohnsonESPN

12 Apr
Here it is, your Monday VAR thread. Looking at:

- Spurs v Man United
- Burnley v Newcastle
- Why we're in this situation
- Comparison to Bundesliga / other leagues
- Brief offside (it's nothing new)

There's many moving parts to this. Strap in!
Let's start with the big decisions.

Firstly, the Scott McTominay foul on Son Heung-Min.

This is very much along the same lines as the penalty Danny Welbeck was awarded against Liverpool. If the ref gives the foul, fine. But it's not for VAR in the PL. Image
In both, the decisions don't happen if the VAR doesn't get involved. If the VAR does, and based upon the replays, the ref is left with little option at the monitor.

The surprise is the VAR was Craig Pawson, who hasn't advised a goal be disallowed all season - even for offside. Image
Read 27 tweets
10 Mar
SEMI-AUTOMATED OFFSIDE: A THREAD
CAN IT TRANSFORM VAR?

- How it works
- When will it arrive
- The end of the delayed flag
- How it saves the emotional, spontaneous celebration
- What the IFAB says about it
This only fixes part of VAR, as "clear and obvious" remains a subjective problem.

But of 101 PL VAR overturns this season, a THIRD have been for offside.

These are the lengthiest checks, and almost all involve the scoring of a goal.

These should all be removed. Game changer.
And remember, those 101 are only overturns.

Most of the 716 goals scored in the Premier League have had to be checked for offside - to varying lengths of time.

Goals which fans have had to wonder "is this going to be ruled out for offside?"
Read 21 tweets
8 Mar
Very little VAR-related action this weekend, so a brief thread (by recent standards) based largely upon:

- Burnley v Arsenal
- Brighton v Leicester

However, I've plenty of quotes out of the IFAB meetings from last Friday. I'll do some threads through the week on key topics.
First, possible penalty for Matej Vydra.

Why is this different to, say, David Luiz v Wolves?

Luiz deemed careless by impeding Willian Jose in his running action, but Vydra kicks Bukayo Saka in shooting.

Key: Both decisions made by the ref, so not clear and obvious errors? Image
This is one aspect of VAR which fans find hardest to understand: that similar incidents can bring different outcomes based on the decision of the referee.

Incidents which will stay with the on-field decision whether the ref has given the decision or not.

Which plays into...
Read 16 tweets
18 Feb
LATEST VAR STATS THREAD

Overturns: 83
Rejected: 3
Goals: 23
Disallowed: 25
Pens: 19 (4 missed)
-for handball: 8
-overturned: 16
-retakes: 3
Offside goals: 20
Allowed after offside: 5
Disallowed handball: 3
Allowed after handball: 0
Reds: 12
-overturned: 1
espn.co.uk/football/engli…
VAR STATS (cont)

Most for: Brighton 8
Fewest for: Arsenal 1
Most against: Liverpool 10
Fewest against: Burnley 0
Most net for: Chelsea, Everton 3
Most net against: Liverpool 5
Most involvement: Man United 15
VAR STATS (cont)

Most goals awarded: Leicester 4
Most goals disallowed: Liverpool 6
Best net goal score: Everton, Sheffield United +3
Worst net goal score: Liverpool -8
Read 11 tweets
17 Feb
FIFA officially lists the 10 most expensive transfers of the window.

1 Diallo to Man Utd
2 Rosa to Man City
3 Haller to Ajax
4 Diatta to Monaco
5 Szoboszlai to RB Leipzig
6 Smalling to Roma
7 Maehle to Atalanta
8 Man to Parma
9 Frimpong to Leverkusen
10 Milik to Marseille
Transfer window takeaways from the FIFA report:

- 2,295 transfers, down 36.2% compared to January 2020
- 395 transfers involving a fee, down 30.5%
- $0.59bn spent, down 49.1%
- Lowest sum of transfer fees to be registered in the January
window since 2014
Transfer window takeaways from the FIFA report:

- The top 20 transfers (by transfer fee) accounted for 58.6% of all spending, with an average spend of $17.2m
- Average spend of the remaining 375 transfers was $646,000
Read 7 tweets
16 Feb
The Monday VAR thread, on Tuesday, has landed. Lots to cover this week, you might say too much...

Including:
- Leicester vs. Liverpool
- Rescinded penalties
- What is handball?

As usual, don't shoot the messenger - and there's too much to include everything.
Let's start by remembering that the first VAR decision at Leicester was in Liverpool's favour - and correctly so.

Stuart Attwell correctly decided the contact on Harvey Barnes from Tiago was just outside the area, and cancelled the penalty.
Onto the James Maddison goal, allowed after Daniel Amartey was ruled onside by the VAR, following an offside flag.

Two initial points:
- Frame selection correct
- I've no issue with the defensive line to Firmino's toe. No clear evidence of an issue with a "shadow"
Read 38 tweets

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