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      There’s no problem with VAR but there IS with those who operate it – it’s let football down

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      TWO things happened last week which put a smile on every West Ham United supporter’s face.
      The first was the convincing 3-1 win over Watford last Friday which 95 per cent secured our status in the Premier League.

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      Mark Noble is Mr West Ham and we are lucky to have him
      It was followed by an outstanding performance at Manchester United, which 100 per cent secured it.
      We also celebrated Mark Noble’s 500th senior appearance for West Ham which David Gold and David Sullivan paid tribute to last week.
      It is a quite phenomenal achievement in the modern game but then, as we all know, Mark is quite a phenomenal individual.
      He became just the tenth West Ham player to reach 500 first team appearances when he led out the Irons.

      Noble joins Billy Bonds, Frank Lampard Snr, Bobby Moore, Sir Trevor Brooking, Alvin Martin, Jimmy Ruffell, Steve Potts, Vic Watson and Sir Geoff Hurst in reaching the landmark, becoming the sixth academy graduate to do so.
      He also ranks ninth in games played for a single club in Premier League history.
      Yet his influence here at West Ham extends far beyond his commitment on the pitch.

      Throughout his long and distinguished career, Mark has always cared deeply about the welfare and needs of this club, and the staff who work so hard behind the scenes.
      We are lucky to have such a proficient, professional and dedicated captain. He is a leader in every sense of the word, on and off the pitch.
      Since the league recommenced, we have taken 11 points out of a possible 24 and scored 13 goals.
      It makes me reflect on what might have been this season if we had not had the dark period during it where we lost our goalkeeper and couldn’t keep a clean sheet.
      CRISIS CLUBS
      As this strangest of seasons grinds to a halt tomorrow, I feel sorry for the clubs at the bottom of the table. Of all the years, this is not the year to get relegated.
      The EFL appear to be looking to implement wage caps which are virtually impossible for relegated clubs to comply with.
      Games will still be played behind closed doors when the new season kicks off on September 12, which impacts the financial stability of all clubs — but those in the EFL rely most heavily on gate money.
      CEO of the EFL, Rick Parry, admitted to the select committee it was “difficult to answer” how many might go out of business as a result.
      With one having already dropped into administration, it is hard to be in a league which appears to have so much instability.
      Parry also stated that “parachute payments are an evil that needs to be eradicated” — even though he invented them and relegated clubs rely on them.
      If you get promoted to the Premier League, you owe it to your club to try to retain that status.
      That means massive investment which, if it doesn’t pay off, leads to financial disaster if you are relegated.

      No-one wants a promoted club to do a Blackpool but you might be forced to if relegation means you go into a league which seems to want to operate for the benefit of the lowest common denominator, not the highest, and will impose impossible conditions and fines which only impact you when you least need it to.
      VAR-CICAL
      And finally, VAR. The problem is not actually VAR itself but those that operate it.
      The Premier League shared with us the results of a fan survey.
      Supporters stated their main concerns are the subjectivity of VAR decisions, VAR interrupting goal celebrations, VAR decisions being communicated too slowly and not enough information about decisions that are being reviewed by VAR.
      This is about everything that VAR has to do!
      Which means the supporters, the players, the managers and the executives of the Premier League all share the same concerns.

      When you consider the amazing job the Premier League executive has done to get our football back on after lockdown, what a shame VAR has let football down.
      The Premier League now has to decide if we accept VAR as it currently is or do we do away with it completely?
      When the 17th Premier League meeting of the season concluded yesterday after a long three hours, it was agreed to have this debate at the summer meeting.

      Premier League 2020-21 season to start on September 12 but fixtures will be released just three weeks before kick-off More

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      Players and managers are sick of VAR and this week’s errors reinforce West Ham’s call to SCRAP it

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      SINCE the Premier League season resumed on June 17, there have been 49 matches without incident.
      Yes, we have had empty stadiums, worn masks, socially distanced, had five subs and water breaks.

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      VAR got three decisions wrong on Thursday, including Fernandes winning a penalty despite stamping on KonsaCredit: AP:Associated Press
      But still there has been no significant safety or security incidents.
      Unless, of course, you include the incidents involving VAR.
      They got it shockingly wrong again on Thursday – making wrong decisions in three games.
      All involved penalties. Two that should not have been given – for Manchester United and Southampton – and one which should have been for Spurs.

      The frustration of players and managers is palpable.
      Everyone understands that refs make honest mistakes in actual time.
      But when VAR was introduced to right those wrongs, even with the luxury of time and dozens of angles to review, and yet they still get it wrong, well it just feels worse.
      Aston Villa manager Dean Smith called it “disgraceful” – I’m guessing that’s because like everyone he could accept the ref got it wrong on the pitch but couldn’t understand how VAR let them down on review.

      Even sitting at home most people could have worked out it was not a penalty but somehow VAR didn’t come to that conclusion.
      Spurs boss Jose Mourinho didn’t really have to say anything about Josh King’s blatant shove on Harry Kane which somehow VAR decided did not warrant a penalty.

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      Karren Brady wants VAR to be scrappedCredit: PA:Press Association
      Mourinho’s facial expressions and body language said everything his words didn’t.
      No one storms out of a press conference with more style than him.
      The conclusion for everyone after Thursday is VAR, brought in to right the on-pitch wrongs, has just not been effective in doing so.
      Something has to be done. Like scrapping it, as I said last week.
      The good news is football audiences are massively up post Covid-19 — hitting record TV numbers in the UK and across the world.
      But we all know that there is nothing like watching a match live.
      And the final stage of the five-step return of the Premier League is perhaps the most significant of all — getting the supporters back into the stadiums.
      It’s also the most complex.
      The aim of the Premier League, the Government and the SAG (the Safety Advisory Group who issue the licenses for the stadium to hold supporters) is to have fans back in FULL football stadiums by September.
      Before then we will need to work out the Government’s interpretation of social distancing — one metre, two metres or something in between.
      And we must work out how to reduce the risk of transmission during travel to and from the stadium.
      We need to reduce Covid-19 prevalence in the crowd, deliver high hygiene standards in catering, toilets and shops etc to reduce the risk to supporters and staff.
      To trial new ways of doing things there will be host of test events in August which will help form the policy going forward so we can finally open the turnstiles.
      The DCMS Stage Five Framework and Green Guide Additions from the Sports Grounds Safety Authority are due to be published within the next few days.

      They will then be analysed by the PL, trialled in August, amended (or not) and adopted by clubs and implemented.
      West Ham are lucky to have 66,000 seats so the chances are that even if capacity is reduced during the test events we will have the ability to let in tens of thousands of fans.
      We all need some good news. We need our supporters back — it’s just not the same without you.

      Jason Cundy is furious with VAR about Man Utd penalty given to Bruno Fernandes against Aston Villa More

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      Watch James Tarkowski’s wild challenge on Jarrod Bowen that left David Moyes fuming at VAR cock-up

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      WEST HAM manager David Moyes fumed at another VAR cock-up and asked: What excuse will ref chiefs give now? Jay Rodriguez scored his seventh Premier League goal of the season as Burnley celebrated their first top-flight double over relegation-threatened Hammers for 73 years. Can James Tarkowski count himself lucky here? His challenge on Jarrod Bowen […] More

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      VAR is damaging the integrity and worldwide brand of the Premier League, says former ref Mark Halsey

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      MARK HALSEY reckons VAR is damaging the integrity and worldwide brand of the Premier League. West Ham have called for the video ref system to be scrapped after one season following a series of controversial decisions this term. Mark Halsey reckons VAR is damaging the Premier League’s integrityCredit: Getty Images – Getty Hammers chief David […] More

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      Premier League VAR officials might be forced to quit Stockley Park due to coronavirus social distancing rules

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      PREMIER LEAGUE VAR officials may have to quit their Stockley Park matchday base when football returns. Games behind-closed-doors are a certainty whenever the green light is given. Mike Riley pictured overseeing the Premier League VAR hub at Stockley Park in actionCredit: Getty Images – Getty ⚠️ Read our coronavirus in sport live blog for the […] More

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      Referee Atkinson says wife and brother’s frontline war on coronavirus puts VAR flak into perspective

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      REFEREE Martin Atkinson ruefully recalls when VAR was the biggest issue in English football. But with his wife and brother at the NHS frontline in this coronavirus crisis, the Premier League whistler does not need a second opinion about what is most important. Martin Atkinson’s wife and brother are both on the NHS frontline of […] More