What annoys me is not one single manager yet has asked why its not being used for just "clear and obvious" errors as thats what it was sold as to be voted in by the 20 PL clubs.
The clear and obvious thing is a prime example of why it can never work in a way that doesn’t seem to benefit one team over another.
How on earth do they define clear and obvious? Is it based on how many times you look at the replay to determine the result? Surely for every tight offside VAR should not be intervening. If you have to spend 7 minutes drawing lines how can they say the linesmen made a clear and obvious error if 40 camera angles and a load of computers still can’t really give a 100% conclusion. Sky can show replays in 10seconds that reveal the correct decision. But VAR spends twice as much time getting the wrong answer.
It’s like “giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacker”. NO! Refs and linesmen used to do that at match speed; if they aren’t sure they can’t blow for offside. But with VAR offside is offside, onside is onside. Otherwise bin all the cameras as they are clearly pointless. You can’t draw a load of lines, see that a striker was offside, but then say we’ve been told to give him the benefit of the doubt so ignore the lines.
Same with handball rules. Silhouettes, sleeves, unnatural body position. But no mention of distance and velocity of the ball. Refs have no idea what they are supposed to do any more.
Goal line tech is 100% and works brilliantly. The rest of it is pointless without cameras tracking every player individually and immediate automated offside calls, which will never happen.
Simplest way of minimising (but not eradicating) the old mistakes was just to add more officials onto the pitch. Get them closer to the action and have communication between them all, with said communication broadcast to supporters.