Clear and obvious nonsense.

I would think it’s ‘clear and obvious’ to everybody now that this ridiculous catch all, cop out phrase must be dropped. After a weekend of one mistake on top of another - excused by the PGMOL’s pathetic scrambling to find a slew of excuses - it’s time to think again. And while we’re at it - what is the point of Peter Walton, Dermot Gallagher and Chris Foy? It’s a question I’ve asked before and I pose again. They are patsies for Mike Riley and his crew. They never offer a word of criticism, conflict or objectivity. They’d be better employed by Boris Johnson’s govt. They’d fit in well. You can’t believe a word they say. They simply cover up and trot out excuses - after being heavily briefed.

The only opinions I value are the two independent refs (not on the PGMOL payroll) Mark Clattenburg and Mark Halsey. I don’t always agree with them, but at least they offer an honest view.

Let’s start with the award at Man City. It wasn’t a pen. Why wasn’t Jon Moss asked to go and check his decision? As Andy Marriner looked at one angle after another - for almost three minutes - Moss waited patiently for the real ref to decide what his call was going to be. In the end Marriner shit it - apparently there wasn’t an angle that could prove Moss had made a ‘clear and obvious’ error. Yes there was. We all saw them - and I mean ‘them’. One after another proved that the ball had hit Moutinho’s body - underneath his arm. It wasn’t a difficult call. Moss had clearly made a mistake. 

In the time Marriner wasted Moss could’ve been at the monitor. We’ve got the damned technology - so use it. Let the on-field ref have a look - and don’t tell him what decision to make. This is still happening. When did you last see a ref look at a monitor and stick with his original decision? The PGMOL deny it. But ‘they would wouldn’t they’? Of course they will. That’s why we need to hear the conversation when a ref goes to the monitor. Not for one moment do I believe the conspiracy theorists that claim matches are being fixed by VAR - but we need transparency. If there’s nothing to hide - why can’t we listen to those exchanges?

What happened to the early season Instruction that there has to be ‘more than contact’ for a ref to award a penalty? Was there ‘more than contact’ when Salah went down? I don’t think so. If Stuart Attwell had been given the chance to see it again he might’ve agreed. VAR made the ultimate decision because there wasn’t a ‘clear and obvious’ error. There was when Allison brought down Danny Ings - so why wasn’t that referred?

I’ve no issue with United’s pen - but what about Chelsea’s first? If ‘clear and obvious’ is the barometer why was it even referred? Why not go with the on-field decision? You see, they tie themselves in knots. It was subjective - with or without a review.

Why didn’t West Ham get a pen at Burnley. Dawson was halved from behind - it was a worse challenge than the one that resulted in Chelsea’s first. ‘Clear and obvious’? It was to everybody except Jon Moss in VAR. Am I surprised? Not a bit. 

And if anyone seriously thinks Maddison’s acrobatics deserved a pen, then as Graeme Souness said ‘there is no future for the game’. ‘Clear and obvious’ dive? You bet. 

And I don’t believe you should get a pen if you stand on a defenders leg - but Brentford did. ‘Clear and obvious’? Yes - when you saw it again. 

I saw one at Arsenal that didn’t get a mention anywhere. Gabriel assaulted Tella, literally pulled him to the ground - it was so clearly a pen I was astounded Jarred Gillett wasn’t asked to look at it. A pen and a denial. Gabriel would’ve had to go. If Saints get that pen at 2-0 and score - it’s a different game. Instead Gabriel gets Arsenal’s third some little time later.

I didn’t want VAR. Football isn’t black and white. It never will be - even with technology - but I accept it isn’t going away. So what we have to do is use it honestly - stop making excuses - and stop hiding - or those that believe VAR is the best way to fix a game will start to be heard.

Here’s a sequence that’s interesting - frightening if you’re an Evertonian. The Toffees have picked up 5 points from their last 30 available. In the same time Watford have 6/30. Newcastle 7/30. Brighton 8/30. Burnley 10/30. Can anyone guess the likely outcome if that continues? I’ve nothing else to add on the subject this week.