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      Every VAR mistake in Premier League this season as fans demand Tottenham vs Liverpool replayed

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      THERE have already been nine mistakes this season in the Premier League by VAR.And fans are growing even more impatient with the officiating after Saturday’s horror show between Tottenham and Liverpool.
      VAR has been put under the spotlight after Luis Diaz’s goal was ruled out for offside against TottenhamCredit: Alamy
      Here SunSport breaks down all nine of the mistakes that VAR have accepted they’ve made this season.
      Onana clash – Man Utd v Wolves
      In game week one, the Premier League officials made their first error of the new campaign during Man United’s 1-0 win over Wolves.
      Andre Onana wiped out Sasa Kalajdzic in the box after coming up to claim a cross.
      Referee Simon Hooper said no penalty and VAR agreed, only for the PGMOL to issue an apology after the game saying that both decisions were wrong.
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      Andre Onana’s clash with Sasa Kalajdzic should have seen Wolves get a penaltyCredit: Alamy
      Szoboszlai penalty – Liverpool v Bournemouth
      Dominik Szoboszlai was brought down in the area by Joe Rothwell and Liverpool were awarded a penalty.
      Mohamed Salah missed the spot-kick, but it turns out that it should’ve never been a penalty in the first place.
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      Mac Allister red card – Liverpool v Bournemouth
      As if one mistake in one game wasn’t enough, the refereeing bosses admitted another one in the Liverpool v Bournemouth clash.
      Alexis Mac Allister was dismissed with a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Ryan Christie after a VAR check.
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      Only for an apology to follow and the red card to be retrospectively overturned after the officials got it wrong.
      Refereeing officials admitted their mistake in giving Alexis Mac Allister a red cardCredit: Reuters
      Akanji offside – Man City v Fulham
      Nathan Ake bagged a goal for the Cityzens in their 5-1 win over Fulham.
      But it should never have stood with Manuel Akanji clearly in an offside position and in the line of sight of Bernd Leno.
      Manuel Akanji was in an offside position for Nathan Ake’s goal against Fulham, it should not have countedCredit: Getty
      Havertz penalty – Arsenal v Man United
      Kai Havertz was taken down in the box by Aaron Wan-Bissaka during Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Manchester United.
      Referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot, but VAR overturned the decision after deeming it incorrect.
      However the on-field call should have stood as the initial decision by Taylor was not a clear and obvious error.
      Arsenal should have had a penalty after Kai Havertz was brought down against Man UnitedCredit: Getty
      Berge handball – Nottingham Forest v Burnley
      Burnley’s Sander Berge committed a “handball” in the build up to Lyle Foster’s winner.
      Much to the Clarets’ frustration it was then ruled out by VAR after a lengthy review and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
      After the match it was declared that the officials got it wrong and Berge’s control of the ball was totally legal.
      Ref’s rejection – Aston Villa v Crystal Palace
      Referee Darren England made the decision to ignore VAR’s recommendation to award a penalty to Aston Villa.
      Ollie Watkins had been brought down by Curtis Richards and the officials at Stockley Park told England they thought it was penalty.
      In a landmark moment, England viewed the monitor and decided he disagreed with his colleagues and didn’t award the spot kick.
      Refereeing officials have since acknowledged that a penalty should have been awarded and England was wrong to go against them.
      Darren England disagreed with VAR’s recommendation to award Aston Villa a penalty against Crystal PalaceCredit: Getty
      Diaz offside – Tottenham v Liverpool
      Luis Diaz slotted a superb finish into the bottom corner to put Liverpool 1-0 up against Spurs, but the flag went up and the Colombian’s effort was ruled out for offside.
      VAR checked to see if the on field decision was correct and despite seeing that Tottenham’s Cristian Romero was playing Diaz onside, told the referee the check was complete.
      The “substantial human error” saw the goal disallowed despite there being no reason to rule it out.
      Tottenham went on to win the game 2-1 against a nine-man Liverpool side.
      Fans have been calling for Liverpool’s match against Tottenham to be replayed after Luis Diaz’s goal was ruled outCredit: Getty
      VAR officials got it wrong after Cristian Romero was clearly playing the Colombian onside
      Turner penalty – Nottingham Forest v Brentford
      Brentford forward Yoane Wissa nicked the ball away from Forest keeper Matt Turner in the box.
      In an attempt to clear the ball Turner clattered the Bees midfielder and brought him to the ground.
      No penalty was awarded, but it’s now been accepted as a mistake and Brentford should have had a chance from 12 yards.
      Fans have vented their frustrations with the officiating so far this season and many have even called for Liverpool’s matchup against Spurs to be replayed after Saturday’s error.
      Some supporters took to social media to let it be known what they think about the way that games have been refereed this term.
      One wrote: “VAR is doing more damage than good…”
      Read More on The Sun
      Another added: “Who cares about apologies? Do better!”
      And a third chimed in saying: “Pathetic! They can take as long as they like to rewatch something back and still get it wrong.” More

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      Liverpool demand audio of conversations between referee and VAR leaving Premier League rivals fuming at approach

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      LIVERPOOL have demanded the audio of the conversations between ref Simon Hooper and VAR Darren England after their wrongly-disallowed goal at Spurs.In the latest ratcheting up of their campaign against PGMOL chiefs, the Anfield club made the “formal request” for the full audio recording of the discussions between the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Stockley Park in the aftermath of the incident.
      Liverpool have demanded the audio from the decision to rule out Luis Diaz’s goalCredit: Premier League
      It comes after Liverpool said there was a “clear need for escalation and resolution” over the catalogue of mistakes that led to Luis Diaz’ strike being ruled out.
      But Liverpool’s antagonistic approach has raised the hackles of Prem rivals who are privately accusing the Merseysiders of attempting to  corral officials to give them the benefit of the doubt in future matches.
      Club chiefs know that neither PGMOL nor Prem chiefs can respond to Liverpool’s attack on the refs’ body without pouring oil on the flames, giving the Anfield outfit a “free hit”.
      There is, though, growing disquiet at the feeling that Liverpool are putting pressure on future referees rather than accepting they were on the wrong end of a dreadful decision.
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      It is understood that refs’ boss Howard Webb – who apologised to Liverpool for the error on Saturday evening – is keen to demonstrate that this was a significant cock-up rather than a conspiracy.
      League chiefs, though, feel that the full review process – including potential changes in the communications between VARs and referees that might prevent a recurrence – needs to be completed before the audio recording is made available.
      Former Prem ref Dermot Gallagher, the unofficial voice of PGMOL, told Sky Sports News that the decision was “the wrong call, 100 per cent” but was simply “a mistake, a very bad mistake, but that was it”.
      He added: “The only thing I can say is that we have to learn from it.
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      “There’s no way this can ever happen again.”
      It was believed that England had informed Hooper of his error when the ball next went out of play, meaning that there was nothing the referee could do to make amends.
      Gallagher, though, insisted: “I’ve been assured that at no point did he tell the referee he had made a mistake. 
      “The referee did not know from minute 34 to half-time that he had made a mistake.” More

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      Premier League table WITHOUT VAR decisions revealed with new league leaders and Chelsea still in deep trouble

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      THE top of the Premier League would look very different if VAR wasn’t used this season.VAR has been as contentious as ever since the start of the new campaign and Saturday’s horror show between Liverpool and Spurs has left fans asking if we would be better off without it.
      Fans have been calling for VAR to go after Saturday’s mistakes during Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to TottenhamCredit: Alamy
      The Premier League table without VAR this season would see Man City knocked off top spotCredit: Getty
      But not everyone would be so keen on how the league table would look if the tech wasn’t in place as the alternative standings have been revealed.
      The biggest news comes at the top of the table as Man City would see their spot in first place handed to Tottenham.
      Ange Postecoglou’s men have been superb since since the Aussie came in and if it wasn’t for VAR’s intervention they would be looking down on all 19 of their competitors.
      Bryan Mbuemo’s penalty in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Brentford would never have been given, turning the Lilywhite’s one point into three.
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      In fact it’s the Bees who should be the most grateful for VAR as stripping it away would see them winless so far this season.
      Thomas Frank’s side would have lost twice and drawn all five of their other games, dropping them down one spot in the standings from 13th to 14th.
      Down in the relegation zone Burnley would be two points better off and would have secured their first win of the campaign.
      Their three points wouldn’t be enough to lift them out of the drop zone just yet, but the change in points could have come in handy later on in the season.
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      Tottenham would be top of the table if there was no VAR intervention this seasonCredit: Alamy
      Thomas Frank’s Brentford wouldn’t have won a single game this season if it wasn’t for VARCredit: Getty
      Chelsea’s shocking start to the season, which in real terms sees them in 15th place with just one win, would be no different.
      Mauricio Pochettino’s side would still be stuck on just five points and winless since their victory over Luton in August.
      Erik ten Hag can’t look at VAR as an excuse for Manchester United’s worst points tally since 1989 either.
      The Red Devils would still be in 10th place with just nine points and their shocking four losses already this season.
      Liverpool were left furious after the PGMOL had to issue an apology for not allowing Luis Diaz’s goal to stand in their 2-1 loss to Spurs at the weekend.
      But with the on-field decision being offside, they would still be left disappointed if VAR wasn’t in place.
      Chelsea’s terrible start to the campaign wouldn’t be changed without VARCredit: Getty
      Manchester United are unable to use the tech as an excuse eitherCredit: AFP More

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      Liverpool set to appeal Curtis Jones’ red card after controversial defeat to Tottenham

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      LIVERPOOL are set to appeal Curtis Jones’ controversial red card.The Reds midfielder, 22, was initially shown a yellow for his over-the-ball tackle on Yves Bissouma early on in Saturday’s Premier League clash at Tottenham.
      Curtis Jones saw red for his foul on Yves BissoumaCredit: Rex
      The midfielder went over the ball and caught his opponent on the shinCredit: Sky Sports
      But after an on-field VAR review, referee Simon Hooper upgraded the decision to a straight red with the youngster catching the Spurs man on the shin with his studs.
      That should see Jones handed a three-match ban – missing October’s Premier League games against Brighton, Everton and Nottingham Forest.
      However, Liverpool want a review of the decision in the hope of getting it overturned and are reportedly ready to lodge their official appeal.
      Manager Jurgen Klopp was furious at Hooper’s decision and aimed a few words at the official as he brandished the red to the England Under-21 international.
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      Afterwards, the Kop boss – whose side were reduced to nine men when Diogo Jota picked up two quickfire yellows – fumed: “I never saw a game like this with the most unfair circumstances, crazy decisions.
      “The first red card, Curtis steps on the ball and goes over. Not a bad tackle.
      “It looks different in slow motion. He steps full throttle on the ball and goes over the ball. That is unlucky.”
      Both Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp felt the decision to send Jones off was harsh.
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      Neville said: “I know when you’re doing someone, I’ve done it myself. He wasn’t there to do someone.
      “He’s showing him the end motion which looks bad but that’s not how it’s ended up there. His foot has just slipped over the top of the ball.
      “I think he’s gone to try to tackle the ball. It’s not for me a red card.”
      Redknapp added: “I think it’s extremely harsh. He’s trying to nick the ball away from Bissouma.
      “It doesn’t look good don’t get me wrong but for me it’s not a red card. A yellow card would have sufficed in that situation.”
      But football fans on social media do not believe Jones’ punishment will be rescinded.
      ‘GOOD LUCK’
      One said: “For the ankle breaker? Good luck with that.”
      Another added: “Why on earth would that be overturned.”
      A third replied: “That’s not getting overturned. Some said yellow, some said red. It was somewhere in the margins between the two but no one said it was an outrageously wrong decision.”
      Klopp and Liverpool’s mood was worsened when Luis Diaz’s opening goal was incorrectly ruled out for offside thanks to a monumental VAR blunder.
      VAR Darren England FORGOT to tell Hooper to change the decision and allow the goal to stand in what the PGMOL described as a “significant human error”.
      Liverpool released a statement promising to “escalate” the issue as they did not accept the PGMOL’s apology – although the match will not be replayed.
      Read More on The Sun:
      To make matters worse, the Reds were slapped with a £25,000 by The FA for their ill-discipline in North London.
      And Alexis Mac Allister is at risk of an additional ban for suggesting Hooper was Tottenham’s 12th man on social media.
      Simon Hooper watched a replay on the pitchside monitorCredit: Reuters
      Bissouma stayed down and needed treatmentCredit: Reuters
      Jurgen Klopp was not happy with the decisionCredit: PA More

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      Liverpool star Diogo Jota’s Wag brands Tottenham clash ‘rigged’ and rages at ‘clown’ VAR officials

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      LIVERPOOL star Diogo Jota’s wife has unleashed a furious blast at VAR “clowns” and claims the clash with Tottenham was “rigged”.Rute Cardoso lashed out at Premier League officials following the Reds’ controversial defeat on Saturday.
      Diogo Jota was sent off as Liverpool went down to nine men against TottenhamCredit: Getty
      His wife Rute Cardoso launched a fierce attack on the officials after the controversial defeat at SpursCredit: instagram @rutecfcardoso14
      Liverpool suffered a 2-1 loss at Spurs after finishing the game with nine men.
      Curtis Jones was issued a straight red in the first half after his foot slipped on the top of the ball and caught Yves Bissouma.
      They also had a perfectly good Luis Diaz goal ruled out wrongly for offside after a VAR mix-up.
      That led to the PGMOL issuing a statement admitting that a “significant human error” took place and called the decision “a clear and obvious factual error” by VAR official Darren England.
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      Things got even worse for Liverpool in the 69th-minute when Portuguese forward Jota, 26, was given his marching orders for a second yellow card.
      That left the Reds hanging on for a draw, but their brave efforts came undone in the final seconds as Joel Matip’s own goal condemned them to defeat.
      And Rute was in no mood to forgive and forget afterwards as she took to social media to vent her fury.
      She posted the PGMOL statement on her Instagram story along with the caption: “Rigged game.”
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      She then went on to add a clip of Jota’s first yellow card, which came after Spurs ace Destiny Udogie went down after minimal contact from Jota.
      Rute added a clown emoji to the footage, which had been posted by Liverpool fan page with: “This was given as a yellow card.”
      Reds boss Jurgen Klopp was also fuming after the game, and in response to Jota’s dismissal he said: “The two situations, the first I think is clear not a yellow. The second I didn’t see actually back but it’s not important.
      “If the first is not a yellow then we still play with 10 men.”
      Jota, who will now miss the upcoming Premier League trip to Brighton, and Rute moved to England in 2017 when he joined Wolves from Atletico Madrid.
      He signed for Liverpool in 2020 and the following year the couple welcomed their first child into the world.
      Rute is no stranger to showing her support for her man on social media and regularly keeps fans updated with snippets from their personal life on there.
      Pretty brunette Rute and Jota met when they were just 13, and have been together ever since.
      Like any footballers’ Wag, Rute has taken to a glam lifestyle with ease and she has even settled into UK-living watching her favourite TV show Peaky Blinders.
      They began dating in 2013, when they got together at high-school in Porto.
      Rute often shares snaps of her and Jota’s adventures on social media
      She appears to be a big fan of travelling, often joining Jota on holidays of a lifetime.
      Over recent years she has shared Instagram stories and photos on the beaches of the likes of Mauritius, Marbella and the Maldives.
      Meanwhile, Liverpool have broken their silence on the VAR fiasco by slamming those at fault – and promising to “escalate” the issue.
      They released a statement saying they do not accept the explanation given by the PGMOL in their apology.
      It read: “Liverpool Football Club acknowledges PGMOL’s admission of their failures last night. It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined.
      “We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR.
      “It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.
      “That such failings have already been categorised as “significant human error” is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.
      “This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again.
      Read More:
      “In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”
      Action was taken by the PGMOL on Sunday as they removed VAR England from Nottingham Forest’s draw with Brentford.
      Liverpool have been left furious after Luis Diaz was wrongly ruled to be offsideCredit: Sky Sports More

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      Will Tottenham vs Liverpool be replayed after Luis Diaz VAR error?

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      LIVERPOOL fans have united in fury after Luiz Diaz’ goal was wrongly ruled out in the controversial 2-1 defeat at Tottenham.PGMOL chiefs have admitted to a “significant human error”, explaining that VAR darren England believed he was confirming that Diaz was ONSIDE when he told referee Simon Hooper “check complete”.
      Luis Diaz was wrongly flagged offside against TottenhamCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      It was some 45 seconds after after play had restarted with a Spurs free-kick that Hooper was informed of the mistake.
      But that meant there was nothing he could do under International FA Board VAR protocols and the Laws of the Game.
      SunSport explains the cock-up – and what can happen next:
      Why was Luis Diaz’s goal ruled out against Tottenham?
      The flag initially stayed down when Mo Salah played Diaz in behind the Spurs defence but was then raised as the ball found the net – which was the assistant referee following the correct process when he believed it was a “tight” offside call.

      That decision was automatically checked by VAR Darren England and his team at Stockley Park.
      According to PGMOL, England and his assistant Dave Cook wrongly believed they were conforming the goal was onside, rather than determining that a mistake had been made by the onfield officials.

      That led to them telling Hooper “check complete” – which inadvertently ratified the incorrect offside decision as far as the referee was concerned.
      Play then restarted with a Spurs free-kick for offside and it was only at the next stoppage in play for a Liverpool throw 45 seconds later that Hooper was told of the error.
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      Luis Diaz thought he’d opened the scoring against TottenhamCredit: Reuters
      Will the game be replayed?
      There is no realistic possibility of the match being replayed.
      Under the Laws of the Game, and this has not changed, “the referee’s decision is final”.
      In this case, Hooper acted properly under both the laws and the VAR protocols.
      Of course, Arsenal famously gave Sheffield United a replay (although still at Highbury) in a 1999 FA Cup tie after Nwankwo Kanu did not realise Ray Parlour was throwing the ball back to Blades keeper Alan Kelly and squared for Marc Overmars to score.
      But Fifa actually criticised the FA for allowing that to happen because the result should have stood despite the circumstances.
      What have the PGMOL said?
      So far, PGMOL have issued two statements.
      The first, on Saturday evening, saw PGMOL “acknowledge a significant human error” and that “a clear and obvious factual error…should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention”.
      PGMOL pledged “a full review into the circumstances which led to the error”.
      Then on Sunday it was announced that England and Cook had both been stood down from their planned duties at Nottingham Forest v Brentford and Fulham v Chelsea respectively.
      Diogo Jota was sent off in the game as Liverpool went down to NINE menCredit: Alamy
      What have Liverpool said?
      Jurgen Klopp’s righteous frustration in the aftermath of the game was measured and understandable.
      However, the club raised the ante with what many viewed as a contentious statement on Sunday night.
      The Anfield club acknowledged PGMOL’s “admission of their failures” but added: “It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined.”
      Liverpool said it was “unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention” and described the description of the mistake as “significant human error” as “unacceptable”.
      The club finished: “In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”
      Quite what that means is unclear – although hints at a demand for head to roll.
      Liverpool’s initial comment was also incorrect. The Laws WERE applied but wrongly as a mistake was made in terms of the VAR’s non-intervention.
      What happens next?
      PGMOL is under some pressure to release the full audio of the conversations between England and Hooper as soon as possible to demonstrate its version of events is accurate – even if that embarrasses the VAR.
      Read More:
      It seems likely that both England and Cook will be sidelined this weekend as well, with that action potentially extended to after the international break.
      But the Premier League will not order a replay – as it did not when the failed goalline technology missed Sheffield United’s “winner” at Villa Park in the first weekend back after lockdown in 2020. More

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      Furious Liverpool break silence after VAR blunder apology as they promise to ‘escalate’ the issue in damning statement

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      LIVERPOOL have broken their silence on the VAR fiasco by slamming those at fault – while promising to “escalate” the issue.The club has released a statement saying they do not accept the explanation given by the PGMOL in their apology.
      Liverpool have slammed the VAR fiasco that cost them a goal against TottenhamCredit: Rex
      Luis Diaz was wrongly deemed offside before scoring at Tottenham and VAR failed to interveneCredit: Premier League
      The refs body admitted a “significant human error” was made by VAR.
      SunSport understands VAR England clearly saw Diaz was ONSIDE but forgot what the on-field decision was.
      He then accidentally gave the “check complete” signal believing he was AWARDING Diaz’s goal when, in fact, he was allowing play to continue at 0-0.
      The Reds are now seeking a resolution and called for greater transparency for the benefit of all clubs.
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      A statement read: “Liverpool Football Club acknowledges PGMOL’s admission of their failures last night. It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined.
      “We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR.
      “It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.
      “That such failings have already been categorised as “significant human error” is also unacceptable. Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency.
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      Simon Hooper was the official for the matchCredit: Reuters
      “This is vital for the reliability of future decision-making as it applies to all clubs with learnings being used to make improvements to processes in order to ensure this kind of situation cannot occur again.
      “In the meantime, we will explore the range of options available, given the clear need for escalation and resolution.”
      The PGMOL took action on Sunday by removing VAR Darren England from Nottingham Forest’s draw with Brentford.
      But seething fans have called for the match to be replayed following the injustice, which saw Liverpool lose to Tottenham after also having two players sent off. More

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      Mark Halsey: VAR is NOT the issue, it’s the people using it… here’s my five-point plan to fix it after latest shambles

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      HOWARD WEBB, the PGMOL chief, has a mammoth job to regain the trust of players, managers and fans after the biggest VAR blunder we’ve ever seen.We have had inconsistent calls on handballs, challenges and penalty incidents since the technology was introduced.
      VAR was in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons during Tottenham’s win over LiverpoolCredit: Alamy
      Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes five areas of improvement are needed to fix VARCredit: Rex
      But there’s a major problem when we start getting factual decisions wrong, such as the goal by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz being unfairly ruled out for offside against Spurs.
      VAR isn’t the problem — it’s the personnel using the technology and it’s no wonder people are losing trust and faith in the system.
      No one wants PGMOL ­statements, apologises or explanations on TV shows — refs’ boss Webb must forget all that.
      He just needs to sort out VAR — and the standard of officiating — fast because the technology is a good tool IF used correctly.
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      The Premier League has the best players and managers and the supporters pay a lot of money.
      But the officials, with VAR bunglers Darren England and AVAR Dan Cook the latest culprits, nowhere near the level required.
      Everyone makes mistakes but they are now happening every weekend.
      Here’s a five-point plan to avoid further horror shows:
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      IMPROVE COMMUNICATION
      Only the on-field referee and VAR should speak — nobody else.
      During the review process, from the cases we have heard, the system is too chaotic with far too much chit-chat going on. Just cut out the “mate this” and “pal that”.
      Conversations must be more precise, to the point and clinical. We can learn from cricket and both rugby codes where reviews are slick.
      At the moment, there’s too much going on over the mic which leads to confusion.
      MAKE THE AUDIO PUBLIC
      Fans must be allowed to hear the conversation between ref and VAR. We’re in 2023, not 1973. I know IFAB currently prevents this and Webb wants this to come in.
      But we need to push to make this happen because Webb and Co must regain the trust and faith of everyone in the game.
      Suspicions have been raised over some VAR offside decisions in recent weeks — but the only way to be transparent is for fans to hear the audio.
      It would remove that layer of doubts that is now creeping in.
      Luis Diaz was wrongly deemed offside before scoring at Tottenham and VAR didn’t intervene
      MORE TRAINING AND EDUCATION
      VAR officials had four days of extra training before the start of the season — but was that really enough?
      Referees have not trained for all those years to sit in front of a TV screen. It’s a different job and do they really know what they are looking for?
      Pundits have sat there for years, have the experience of watching matches for hours on end to make the correct judgements.
      Prem clubs haven’t helped themselves by voting against the semi-automatic offside system and it needs to be revisited and introduced straight away.
      SET UP A SPECIALIST PANEL OF VAR OPERATORS
      We need a dedicated team that just focuses on VAR because the personnel at present is a huge issue.
      They must be non-active officials, ex-refs or former players who know the laws of the game.
      Ex-players know what a poor challenge is and also the natural and unnatural positions of the arm/hand when judging deliberate and accidental handball.
      Mike Dean was an excellent ref but not suited to using VAR and was quickly moved on.
      Curtis Jones was sent off after VAR showed referee Simon Hooper a still imageCredit: Premier League
      STOP USING STILL PICTURES
      When ref Simon Hooper went to the monitor at Spurs on Saturday, VAR England had lined up a still picture of Curtis Jones’ tackle on Yves Bissouma.
      That immediately plants a seed in the ref’s mind over what the outcome will be.
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      Stills and slow motion make every challenge much worse than what it is.
      Reviews must be in real time initially. More