VARcical - Barca have genuine grievances with the standard of video refs

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No consistency in La Liga

Although the match against a resurgent Atletico Madrid was always going to be difficult given how poorly Barca have played since La Liga restarted, there was enough in our performance to suggest a win wasn’t beyond us.

Giving away two soft penalties hardly helped our cause, and uninspiring subs from Quique Setien didn’t help either.

In any event, Barcelona have every right to be aggrieved by the inconsistencies of VAR because just looking at the Atletico game, you had a farcical situation.

Hernandez Hernandez, upon the instructions of video ref, Mateu Lahoz, ensured Diego Costa’s penalty was re-taken because of ter Stegen coming off of his line, but Lahoz did nothing where Atleti’s players encroached for Saul’s second equaliser in the match.

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Similarly, in some of Real Madrid’s matches, elbows and offsides have gone unpunished, and Barca have obviously not been given the benefit of the doubt with the latter too.

That’s not bleating or being a sore loser, they are facts. Facts that everyone can see with their own eyes.

VAR does get things right, but it’s the lack of consistency with regard to certain decisions and whether the on-field ref should come to the monitor or not that’s annoying.

Unfortunately, the incorrect application of the technology then gives rise to the notion that Real are somehow behind a conspiracy.

Such accusations are far-fetched, but occasionally understandable.

The reality of the last few games, and perhaps this season as a whole, is that the team haven’t been good enough. There’s simply no escaping that.

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

If we’d have played at anywhere close to our best, we would be on the verge of winning another league title.

As it is, unless there’s a minor miracle over the course of the next few matches, Los Blancos will be celebrating.

A Real Madrid side that aren’t really all that but are adept at playing to their strengths, something we’ve failed abjectly to do in 2019/20.

There is still the Champions League to aim for, but I don’t believe anyone in their right mind believes we have a chance at adding another cup with the big ears to the trophy cabinet.

We can only hope that the club gets things right in terms of transfers in and out of the club during the summer window in the first instance, and that whoever is in charge of VAR next season leaves no room for misinterpretation.

If nothing changes in the latter regard, Barca could conceivably be within their rights to launch an official complaint.

It will probably fall on deaf ears but at least the point would be made.

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