10 Early Predictions For Premier League 2020-21 Season
6. Technology Will Continue To Disappoint
Last season was the first time the Premier League utilised the VAR system, and it's fair to say it didn't quite work as well as would have been expected. There were more than a few mistakes made by the Video Assistant Referees, and one particular matchday in which every single game saw an incorrect decision made.
Even goal line technology, something that the Premier League has been using since before VAR, let down Sheffield United by chalking off a clear and obvious goal against Aston Villa. This led to even further controversy as Villa survived by the one point they earned from the match against the Blades.
Improvements going into next season are an absolutely necessity, but the changes that have been proposed aren't going to fix the main problem with the system. Penalty kick encroachments, and playing through potential offsides are one thing, but there is still the element of human error.
It's hard to see VAR eliminating mistakes altogether when the bottom line is that a decision still has to be made by human judgement. What is the point of all this technology if it still comes down to the judgement of a single referee? With this still happening, fans will continue to question why it is slowing down and ruining their game, and will be far from won over by any improvements that are made.