The Premier League are reportedly unhappy with the lengthy Tomas Soucek VAR farce as David Moyes vents fury at being denied a late winner.
West Ham thought they snatched a last-minute win over Aston Villa on Sunday, but VAR intervention that prolonged for five minutes and 37 seconds put a stop to that.
The home fans inside the London Stadium burst into celebration when Tomas Soucek scored what appeared to be the decisive goal.
However, they were then left exasperated when VAR intervened, and eventually found out the final decision leaving West Ham fans disheartened.
According to claretandhugh, the Premier League is expected to demand an explanation from the PGMOL regarding the prolonged delay.
The fansite said: “This episode underscores the necessity for improved communication with fans during VAR reviews.
“The PGMOL might face mounting pressure to enforce stricter time limits to prevent such disruptions from affecting the flow of the game.
“The VAR controversy persists. While the technology aims to enhance officiating accuracy, issues like prolonged delays and a lack of transparency can overshadow its advantages. The challenge for the Premier League and PGMOL remains in effectively utilizing VAR, ensuring it adds to, rather than detracts from, the enjoyment of the game for fans.”
When speaking with the media post-match, Moyes was asked if VAR checks should have a time camp amid such a lengthy spell between the goal being scored and then disallowed.
He said: “I think you should speak with VAR about that, maybe if you can’t get Howard’s [Webb] number maybe ask some of the other referees who might explain it better.
“As I’ve said, we’ve had four in a week now where handball situations have not gone in our favour. That’s it, there’s not much else to say about it.”
“In the second half, Villa stepped it up, they were the better team for periods. I was really pleased with how we performed overall.”
Moyes added: “Burnley last week,Freiburg [first leg], and now two today have gone against us. It’s hard to take.
“If VAR thinks it’s right, it must be right. I think football people see things differently. We’ve had two hit people’s arms in the last week and not one went for us.”
“It’s what VAR do, it’s their decision not ours, we can’t do anything about it. It’s there to do the job.
“In the second half, Villa stepped it up, they were the better team for periods. I was really pleased with how we performed overall.”
David Moyes speaks to Sky Sports at the London Stadium post match pic.twitter.com/X5WseK51pi
— West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) March 17, 2024
David Moyes post match interview pic.twitter.com/Bhh7F4ZZMi
— West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) March 17, 2024
Michail Antonio said: “It’s been a long time waiting [to be on the scoresheet again] and hopefully I can just go on a run now.
“I’ve been out for a long time [with injury], missed a lot of football and I have really missed it as well.
“I came back and felt a bit rusty, but I feel as if I’m getting back to my usual form and now I’ve topped it off with a goal.
“I don’t really want the break right now after the performances I’ve been producing and would rather the games kept on coming
“I don’t think it was a foul [for Kudus’ disallowed goal]. I’ve gone to block [the goalkeeper] as I normally do, and he [Emiliano Martinez] has tried to fight me because he couldn’t get around me.
“He has made his decision and that’s it at the end of the day. [For my disallowed goal] I accepted it even though my arms were in my body. I tried to actually get it out the way but I couldn’t move it.”
Michail Antonio knows his laws 📚#BBCFootball #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/EtOfLQ5df1
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) March 17, 2024
West Ham and Michail Antonio think they have a second of the match…
But VAR deems the ball to have brushed Antonio’s arm and the goal is disallowed#WHUAVL pic.twitter.com/3LbBV8tc3S
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 17, 2024
In an article for the Daily Mail, Kieran Gill wrote: “West Ham will not complain to the PGMOL – headed up by Howard Webb since December 2022 – with one source telling Mail Sport they see no point in seeking feedback because they have to ‘just accept’ what happened at the London Stadium.
“One former Premier League official told Mail Sport yesterday that the lengthy checks are a consequence of VARs being frightened to come to a conclusion, adding: ‘That’s why it took so long to rule out West Ham’s goal. They’re worried about an angle cropping up later which shows they were wrong and then suddenly, they’re dropped from the next round of matches.
“The PGMOL face having to explain why VAR took an embarrassing five minutes and 37 seconds to disallow West Ham’s winner against Aston Villa, just a month after the Premier League warned the refereeing body that lengthy delays are damaging their product.”
Twitter users reacted with reports saying the Premier League are unhappy with the lengthy Soucek VAR farce as David Moyes vents fury…
@WHUFCGeezer: Glad to see the @premierleague are seeking explanation from @PGMOL. 60000 leaving a stadium moaning about the delays and workings of VAR isn’t a good look for their product when other Countries are having significantly less issues on a weekly basis. All those suggesting, ‘yes but they got the right decision’, should have sat through the absolute farce of it all. It’s a shambolic experience for the paying customer, currently. @PGMOL and Howard Webb cannot continue as is without retribution for the way they are using the technology.
@ZombieRocker86: Oh wow we are suddenly going to be granted 6 points dropped in the last few weeks due to VAR? Nope. Will VAR suddenly be capped at 2 mins? Nope. So what is the point?
@CMhadry: Let’s face it, it was a clear and obvious handball. The reason it took so long was they were trying to find any excuse to give that goal to West Ham so that Spurs could get that one step closer to taking 4th place.
@Tielemoons: Was one of the most obvious disallowed goals too which makes the time it took more baffling
@adamjkaine: You’ve already damaged the game by introducing VAR in the first place. No care at all for the fans that spend hundreds actually going to games
@tomfahy93: The biggest issue with this is that you could see Soucek swing his arm to the ball within 10 seconds, if you took another 10 seconds you could see the foul on Konsa. They got to the right answer but it should have been in a minute.
@dthomson123: Our 6th apology of the season incoming! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
@5tu_nffc: So we’ve clearly had a very sour relationship with the premier league in recent months … the VAR decisions look even more suspicious now don’t they? 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
@danwoff98: VAR is ruining the Premier League and continues to cost teams points every week. What even is handball now? The rule is so confusing and contradictory. Joke.
@FansAgainstVAR_: VAR was the end of elite football as we knew it. The spirit and the soul had suffered under Americanisation, ticket prices, TV, all-seater stadiums, overpolicing, player wages and corporatism. But VAR killed it stone dead. The Premier League is a tourist league in the stands.
@COYIronscom: Fuck the Premier League and VAR
@RohanGlen1895: Walk off , why play with such ridiculous officiating
@RyanMarkMac: I’m done with football. Disgusting.
@COYI_Joe: Not clear and obvious .. fixed
@27morg: They checked for handball for exactly the length of time they extended the game by with injury time lol
@harrythills: Not fucking clear and obvious is it if it takes 7 mins to make a decision actually so jarring
@scan2702: Spineless, gutless officiating. 😡😡🤬🤬
@JackSamuelWard: I swear to god VAR has killed football and I will die on that stance. At least 8 points we have lost due to the incompetence of @FA_PGMOL and you won’t do fuck all about it #SCUM
@DapperDan: SIX MINUTES they studied this. To find anything they could to try and disallow it. If I’m Moyes, or any manager in that situation, I’d take my players off the pitch. Refuse to play. Let these dickheads sit and play with their silly slo motion bollocks on their own.
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