Howard Webb comes under the spotlight as Premier League clubs grow impatient
Howard Webb comes under the spotlight as Premier League clubs grow impatient
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Two years into Howard Webb’s reign as referee supremo, Premier League clubs are impatient for change. And it has even been suggested that if Wolves tabled their motion to scrap VAR again, the outcome might be different from the 19-1 vote to keep it. It is too late to go back but VAR will never win any popularity contests.
At the heart of this, there remains support for Webb as the head of the The Professional Game Match Officials Limited as he is trying to drive improvements. But ultimately, any shortcomings or failures are on his watch and questions are asked of him whenever there is a high-profile error.
Even the normally supportive Referees’ Watch show on Sky saw ex-official Dermot Gallagher admit he would not have sent off Arsenal ’s Myles Lewis-Skelly for his foul on Wolves’ Matt Doherty on Saturday. One regular referee commentator mocked the hyperbole surrounding the fall-out and public condemnation by insisting it was not even the worst mistake this season. That is sort of a backhanded message.
The bigger gaffe was unfortunately down to Michael Oliver when he was VAR and intervened to give a last-gasp penalty against Manchester United at West Ham for a foul no-one else could see. The notion about conspiracy theories is just that… a theory. And a flawed one at that. That does not deserve to be entertained any more than the scandalous abuse aimed at Oliver. He is an outstanding referee but probably needs to be taken out of the firing line.
There is a feeling that the VAR system is just not working well enough and the clubs are fed-up of mistakes and want to hear solutions. One of the big questions is why a junior referee would be on VAR and therefore would he feel able to question the decision of his senior? That dynamic is one that should be changed and the PGMOL are introducing more dedicated teams.
