This week's episode of Monday Night Football saw a special guest come on the show to discuss VAR - PGMOL Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb.
Webb appeared alongside Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher for approximately 30 minutes to discuss VAR in greater detail than we usually see, with some fascinating audio and visual clips on hand.
For the first time ever, football fans got to see and hear what the VAR team are saying to each other in the middle of a game, as they try to make the difficult decisions that define football matches.
Webb provided three or four examples to show fans at home how hard it can be to make the right call, and that there is a method to what goes on behind the scenes at Stockley Park.
And he is right. If anyone had any doubts about how difficult it is to be a referee, they shouldn't after watching those clips.
🗣️ "Fans NEED to see this! Players NEED to see this!" @GNev2 calling for transparency with VAR & referee decisions. pic.twitter.com/xT6AYN91hR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 15, 2023
There is so much going on at all times, and it's a miracle that referees get anything right at all given the pace of the game, added with the intense environment and the fact that both sets of fans and players are constantly demanding decisions go their way.
But if Webb's intention was to clear up some of the bigger errors VAR has made this season, he failed to do so.
Howard Webb talks VAR on Monday Night Football
There have been a few high profile moments that have resulted in Webb having to apologise to certain clubs, because VAR made such egregious errors.
Arsenal were denied a perfectly good goal against Brentford because the VAR didn't draw the lines, Brighton were denied as clear a penalty as you will ever see against Spurs that could ultimately cost them a Champions League spot, and that is just scratching the surface of entirely wrong calls this season.
What would have made for far more interesting TV, would have been if we got a good look at the VAR team making a decision that was an absolute howler.
Webb did show one instance where VAR got it wrong, but it was an extremely awkward call and one that any football fan would get over.
But in cases like the ones mentioned above, it's impossible to comprehend how the VAR could have reached the conclusion they did, and it would have made it a lot more interesting and admirable if they showed those instances.
There have been plenty of moments this season that has seen the entire footballing world in agreement over a decision, and VAR has done the opposite. Those are the moments we should have had access to Stockley Park to see what was happening.
As pointed out by VAR expert Dale Johnson, Webb coming on to discuss any refereeing decisions at all is a start.
What we can absolutely be certain of is this kind of thing absolutely wouldn't have happened before Howard Webb came in as chief refereeing officer.
Webb is clearly an expert communicator, which is a huge positive after years of radio silence from PGMOL.pic.twitter.com/EYEqLFxZb1— Dale Johnson (@DaleJohnsonESPN) May 16, 2023
But if this is the shape of things to come, and we see what is essentially a weekly propaganda piece for referees, fans shouldn't expect any great improvement in how VAR is used.
