VAR is by no means a popular piece of technology. Throughout its integration into football over the last few years, it feels like it has caused more controversy than it has solved problems, with there strong calls for its total abolition, even, in recent times. But despite all the commotion, this past weekend has seen desire for its implementation in England’s Women’s Super League grow further.
On Sunday, relegation-threatened West Ham thought they had equalised against champions Chelsea with a well-worked goal that ended in Honoka Hayashi cleverly finishing past Hannah Hampton. Yet, though the Japan star was at least a clear yard onside, the assistant’s flag ruled it out.
After the Hammers’ eventual 2-0 defeat, manager Rehanne Skinner did not mince her words. "It's not good enough,” she told Sky Sports. “The bottom line is, if that's how I operated in my job, I wouldn't be in my job. A lot of people are talking about VAR and things like that, and if that's what we need to do to get results right, then that's what we need to do.”
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner was pondering the same possibility just 24 hours earlier. The Red Devils were eventually soundly beaten by rivals Man City on Saturday, but the goal that broke the deadlock, after United had started the better of the two, should have been ruled out for a clear offside.
“It’s a question isn’t it?” he said, asked about the prospect of VAR. “It’s hard. Of course it would affect this actual decision and in other games, I’m sure, other decisions. I just don’t think it can stand, a goal like that. It’s a derby. It’s a huge, huge game. The first goal swung the momentum Manchester City had going into the end of the first half – momentum when they didn’t have any. I felt they played within their shells until that goal. The cliché is ‘goals change games’ and it definitely did in this case.”
But while VAR would have rectified these two particular errors, and many others, it is not the long-term solution to the officiating issues the WSL is facing.