Football's governing bodies have lost sight of the game's true purpose. The fan's experience is being suffocated by VAR and referees who are increasingly taking center stage. I, a veteran manager with over 50 years of involvement in the beautiful game, believe that football should be about the fans, not the officials.
For too long, the emphasis has been on technology and procedure rather than the simple joys of watching live football. Referees are now more like emperors, issuing edicts from their thrones as they dictate the flow of the game. They're mic'd up, scrutinized by VAR, and have become a source of frustration for fans.
This has led to an explosion in stoppages, with players, managers, and officials alike forced to pause the action repeatedly during games. The pace of the game is being eroded, and with it, our collective enjoyment.
The problem lies not just with VAR but also with referees themselves. In recent years, the laws have become increasingly complex, leaving on-field officials bewildered. We now see players being flagged for offside positions that would never have been given under the old rules.
But my biggest issue is that referees and VAR are becoming more important than the game itself. It's time to rein in these authorities and allow football to breathe again. Here are some changes I'd make:
First, I'd give VAR a simple instruction: limit its reviews to two minutes. If it can't make up its mind within this timeframe, then that decision should stand.
Next, I'd introduce an ex-professional - perhaps a former manager or coach - into the VAR booth. This would bring a level of understanding and nuance to the officials' decisions, as they would be able to contextualize the play and interpret it more accurately.
Furthermore, I'd implement a clock that can be stopped for injuries, VAR checks, and excessive time-wasting. This would give fans a better sense of how much time is left in the game and allow them to enjoy the experience without worrying about unnecessary stoppages.
Lastly, I'd make referees invisible again by introducing more objective decision-making methods. The laws need simplifying, not complicating. We should be focusing on goals, not handball or offside calls that have become increasingly subjective over the years.
By making these changes, we can reclaim football from the VAR and referee's empire-building, get back to what it's all about - the beautiful game for everyone.
For too long, the emphasis has been on technology and procedure rather than the simple joys of watching live football. Referees are now more like emperors, issuing edicts from their thrones as they dictate the flow of the game. They're mic'd up, scrutinized by VAR, and have become a source of frustration for fans.
This has led to an explosion in stoppages, with players, managers, and officials alike forced to pause the action repeatedly during games. The pace of the game is being eroded, and with it, our collective enjoyment.
The problem lies not just with VAR but also with referees themselves. In recent years, the laws have become increasingly complex, leaving on-field officials bewildered. We now see players being flagged for offside positions that would never have been given under the old rules.
But my biggest issue is that referees and VAR are becoming more important than the game itself. It's time to rein in these authorities and allow football to breathe again. Here are some changes I'd make:
First, I'd give VAR a simple instruction: limit its reviews to two minutes. If it can't make up its mind within this timeframe, then that decision should stand.
Next, I'd introduce an ex-professional - perhaps a former manager or coach - into the VAR booth. This would bring a level of understanding and nuance to the officials' decisions, as they would be able to contextualize the play and interpret it more accurately.
Furthermore, I'd implement a clock that can be stopped for injuries, VAR checks, and excessive time-wasting. This would give fans a better sense of how much time is left in the game and allow them to enjoy the experience without worrying about unnecessary stoppages.
Lastly, I'd make referees invisible again by introducing more objective decision-making methods. The laws need simplifying, not complicating. We should be focusing on goals, not handball or offside calls that have become increasingly subjective over the years.
By making these changes, we can reclaim football from the VAR and referee's empire-building, get back to what it's all about - the beautiful game for everyone.
50 yrs of involvement in footy and he thinks VAR is suffocating fans? what's next, blaming the players for being too good?! 
ref's arent emperors just 'cause they wear mics, and we dont need some ex-pro in VAR booth makin decisions. what about the 5th official doin their job properly already?! clock stoppages r part of the game, get over it. simplify laws, not make 'em more complicated. he's still got it in for refs, that's all i see here. time to take a chill pill and enjoy the footy as it is! 
This is so true. I mean, who wants to watch a 5-minute stoppage in a single match? It's like they're more interested in keeping track of rules than actually playing the game 
Having an ex-professional in the booth would be genius too, it'd bring some much-needed common sense to those decisions 
. Less emphasis on laws and more on actual goals scored is where it's at for me 
️
, remember when you could just chill out and enjoy a match without worrying about every little thing? now it's like refs are more popular than players 
, VAR is just a fancy way of saying "officials can't make up their minds" 
and all these stoppages are killing the game's pace 
... what really gets me is how simple the solutions would be if they just tweaked some rules 
i mean what happened to just watching 2 guys kick a ball around? 
and yeah var is a total disaster it's like they're trying to make the game more boring 
not less
just let the players play and let the fans enjoy the game 
that would bring some real expertise to the table and make those decisions way more accurate 
clock stoppages are a major issue too 
. have you been keeping up with the game all those years? it's changed so much since i started playing. maybe we should hear from some actual experts in the field instead of just some guy who thinks he knows better 
. And don't even get me started on VAR - two minutes review period sounds perfect to me 
.
. Just the beautiful game, plain and simple 
.
. I mean, come on, some calls are just wild 
.
. Let's bring back the good old days of football, where we're not stuck in this VAR-induced limbo 
.
.
.
.
.
! The more I watch games, the more I feel like technology is taking over our beloved sport. It's not just VAR, but also how referees are getting more attention than the players themselves... it's a bit too much for me 
. Maybe we could even have a fan's panel to help with those decisions too 
. The clock stopping for injuries, VAR checks, and time-wasting would also help fans enjoy the game more. I just want to see goals being scored and players celebrating with their teammates... that's what it's all about! 
Give me back the beautiful game, stat! 
... just think about it, would really make them less noticeable and more focused 
instead of bein super strict & ruinin the flow of the game 
especially when you've got a match with a decent scoreline and everyone's just waiting for the ref to blow his whistle again. i think we need to find a better balance between technology and human intuition, maybe even introduce more trust in the referees' decisions but not at the cost of safety. also having an ex-pro like you mentioned would be a great way to bring some sense to var's reviews