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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Max Rushden

It’ll always be eVARngelists v VARsonists but TV tell-all is a positive step

Referee Michael Oliver awards Manchester City a 3rd goal after a VAR review during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Fulham
Michael Oliver and his VAR team were the centre of attention during Manchester City’s win over Fulham. Photograph: Matt McNulty/Getty Images

This is fun isn’t it? Howard Webb coming on television to tell Michael Owen, three days later, that Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji was in Bernd Leno’s eyeline as Nathan Aké’s header squeezed past him and into Fulham’s net at the weekend. I’m all in favour – I want more. David Elleray doing a follow-up show with Tony Adams. Then Pierluigi Collina can do a live Insta reviewing Elleray’s review before Roger Milford and George Courtney lighten the mood with a synchronised TikTok dance with Keith Hackett beatboxing on the side. It’s all rounded off with a live countdown of Mike Dean’s top 40 PGMOL friends on VH1 voiced by Bruno Brookes. “Up two to No 11 and leapfrogging Darren Cann – it’s David Coote.” Eventually it’ll become more popular than the football.

The despair of the Fulham manager, Marco Silva, was pretty evident after the Aké goal. “Everyone that has played football, who has some knowledge of football, knows 100% sure to disallow that goal. For the [assistant referee] it can be difficult to see an offside position, but for VAR it is impossible not to disallow that goal. That moment had a huge impact on the game.”

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