Liverpool fans made their feelings quite clear about one recurring frustration during the Premier League clash against Leicester tonight.
On two occasions during the second half, the Reds had the ball in the visitors’ net but were made to wait for the input of VAR before learning of their fate.
While the officials in Stockley Park confirmed the on-field decision to allow Curtis Jones’ 49th-minute strike to stand, they also looked at a possible goal for Cody Gakpo after the assistant referee had flagged for offside, but another lengthy review saw the original call retained.
The two VAR checks took at least five minutes combined, with the Liverpool fans at Anfield vocal in their disdain over the length of time for both decisions.
The crowd’s ire wasn’t lost on Neil Johnston for BBC Sport, who wrote (21:29): “This is the second lengthy VAR check of the game. Liverpool’s fans are not impressed and are making their feelings clear.”
Even with one of the decisions (rightly) going in Liverpool’s favour, it was so galling for Reds fans at Anfield and watching from home or out and about that both VAR reviews took so long, particularly when neither resulted in the on-field decision being reversed.
The technology was brought in with the intention of eradicating ‘clear and obvious errors’, something which should be identifiable within 40-45 seconds of checking a replay.
It’s not just the interminable reviews which are so frustrating for spectators, either, but also the opacity surrounding them, with fans not privy to the discussions which take place among the officials on the pitch and in Stockley Park.
Surely it’s not asking too much for those conversations to be broadcast in real-time, and it’d improve the VAR process no end if a reasonable time limit were implemented so that obvious errors would be corrected without ridiculous delays.
In its sixth season in the Premier League, the operation of the technological assistance still has so much room for improvement.
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