The big VAR debate: with, without or change its scope?

Would football be better without the Video Assistant Referee system?

Premier League fans, managers and players got a reminder of what life was like without VAR in the FA Cup fourth round – and it is fair to say this weekend was not without its problems.

For this season and the previous FA Cup campaign, VAR has not been brought in until the fifth round, with many fans looking forward to a return to football without interruptions from technology.

After a season full of controversy, delayed decisions and confusion fuelled by VAR, its very existence has been questioned at times, with many claiming the game would be better without it.

In fact, after a day full of long delays, mixed messages and irate managers in early February, ex-Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Match of the Day: “For the good of the game, you’d have VAR gone.

“The problem is what it is doing to the games, to the spectacle, with the amount of time it takes to get there.

“Do you want more right decisions or do you want a more free-flowing football experience that is genuine and spur of the moment?”

We have all heard the arguments against VAR.

Decisions taking too long, celebrations being put on hold while deliberations take place, confusion as goals are given – or ruled out – for marginal reasons, denying referees the ability to use their own common sense.

But Newcastle’s controversial 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday could hardly have gone better for supporters of VAR – or worse for those who argue football is better without it.

Tammy Abraham’s opener was clearly offside, Villa’s full-back Lucas Digne inexplicably escaped conceding a penalty for handball and the Frenchman could easily have been dismissed for a reckless challenge as well.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said: “I’m so torn because the game is better without VAR in terms of excitement and the spectacle for the supporters and us when we’re living a moment live.

“But it does give accurate results. It does make the game more precise in terms of decision making. You have to respect those moments. They’re worth their weight in gold, especially us today when we were on the wrong side of it.”

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery went further, saying “VAR is necessary. It’s necessary to help the referees”.

There was also some controversy at Anfield during Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brighton.

Substitute Rio Ngumoha, 17, had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside for the hosts, while the Seagulls were furious Mohamed Salah was awarded a penalty.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot said: “In general, I enjoy watching football without VAR because if you then score you’re like ‘it’s a goal’.

“I like VAR only for the clear and obvious things – I’m not meaning a red card yes or no for Marc Guehi on Mo Salah because I thought it was.

“So let’s stay away from that and only go to offside yes or no, ball over the line yes or no and, for the rest, the referee referees the game.

“I think we’re now so used to VAR that I would prefer to have VAR during a game.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was unsure whether football was better with VAR, despite seeing Omar Marmoush denied a goal for a debatable offside in his side’s 3-0 win against Salford.

For some though, it is simple – rather than VAR being a solution for wrong decisions, they would argue officials just need to get things right.

When asked on Match of the Day Live whether the errors at Villa Park put him in favour of VAR, ex-Newcastle striker Alan Shearer, said: “No. I would like the officials to do their job properly. It is not too much to ask, is it?

“If you ever needed any evidence of the damage that VAR has done to referees, I think Saturday is a great example of that.

“These guys look petrified to make a decision because they didn’t have a comfort blanket.

“For me, [referees’ decisions] are actually getting worse.”

Former Newcastle and Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given added on Match of the Day: “It shows you why we use VAR. A lot of decisions the officials got wrong at Villa Park. VAR is like a comfort blanket for referees.

“The decision is taken away from the officials. The linesman has been told all season not to put their flag up, so their brain has been trained. I think it shows VAR is a help even though we complain about it most weeks.”

When asked whether football had become too reliant on VAR, Howe had some sympathy with the argument.

“There is an argument to say yes,” he said. “Because when VAR is there, there is a tendency to think ‘oh well I won’t give that because VAR is there to check it’.

“Then your decision making isn’t as sharp as it would normally have to be. Maybe there is a difference there. I would probably say you are right in that respect.”

But former referee Graham Scott feels it is unfair to claim officials hide behind VAR.

“I really don’t think that’s fair,” he said on the Wayne Rooney Show.

“Obviously I work with them closely and I know these guys and they’re not like that. It’s not how their minds work, not how their processes work.

“I spent half my career with VAR and half without it – the other way around of course, without it first.

“And then when I was in the Premier League I was still dropping into the Championship quite often. So you’re in and out, in and out. And your processes essentially stay the same.

Against VAR:

James: Football without VAR is real football. Having gone to games for the last 30 years, the last few years have been terrible in comparison. I don’t bother cheering goals any more as the officials are far more interested in finding ways of disallowing goals than the entertainment of the match-going fan.

VAR will be the thing that makes me turn in my season ticket, and if West Ham do get relegated the lack of VAR will be a blessing.

Frank: I supported the introduction of VAR, but it was great not having it today. It wouldn’t be so bad if there weren’t so many VAR ridiculous errors.

Alan: Much, much better [without]. VAR has ruined the game, thankfully I now support non-league football where there are humans, making human mistakes and getting it right.

Stephen: Much better without VAR. No waiting for obvious incidents that everyone can see immediately but takes VAR forever to decide. Time for return of refs and linesman to start refereeing the game again.

Mike: Better, even though City probably had a goal chalked off incorrectly. Right or wrong, its so much better to just know immediately if its a goal or not. VAR is a moment-killer.

Les: The game is so much better without VAR. It flows without problem like it used to do. The officials are there to make decisions rightly or wrongly. VAR are always making wrong calls so I can’t see the point of it. Offside because someone’s toes are on the lines drawn is absolutely pathetic.

For VAR:

Bonnie: As a Villa and VAR fan, that is exactly the decision that VAR doesn’t get credit for. VAR gets it right 100%

Roger: That was so blatantly offside, have linesman lost their natural ability to spot stuff like this since the introduction of VAR? Whenever you see a defence hold their line like Newcastle did, strikers are more often than not offside. Poor decision.

Peter: There’s an easy fix for VAR offsides. If you can watch one TV replay and see the on-field decision is clearly wrong, you intervene.

Stephen: That’s what you all wanted isn’t it? More goals regardless of whether they’re actually fair or not?

Liga: It’s these types of situations and these types of situation only where VAR should and needs to be used for offsides. Not those hairline millimetre is he on or off line drawing nonsense situations.

Callum: This season is proving 2 things. 1) VAR is a must. 2) Brave, high pressure attacking football is dead.