JJ Watt, co-owner of Burnley, asserts that “everyone hates VAR” and demands that the Premier League improve their “trash” system. Watt is an NFL Legend.
Football referees were meant to have an easier time off and be spared from having to make more controversial calls when technology was introduced into the game. That hasn’t been the case up to this point, as it seems like every round of fixtures brings with it a new wave of controversy.
Almost all of the top-tier English clubs have had grievances regarding VAR and PGMOL at some point throughout the season. Burnley, who is now fighting to stay in the Championship, is one of those clubs.
The Pat McAfree Show spoke with Watt, a board member of Clarets who is now deeply committed to teamwork at Turf Moor, about the need for reform, saying, “Everyone hates VAR, that’s the problem.” There are three possible outcomes for VAR: success, quality, and legitimacy. However, due to its current extreme subjectivity, everyone despises it. We won’t employ the World Cup’s technology, which makes offside really obvious. Though there are a lot of potential benefits to VAR, as of right now, it’s garbage; it’s a nuisance that detracts from the game and costs players points and enjoyment.
It’s a reality that VAR needs to be fixed because it’s currently awful. It has to be fixed by the Premier League. VAR has to be corrected; it is an issue.
Burnley is now enjoying their winter break; the Clarets won’t play again until January 31 when they travel to face Manchester City, the defending champions. The next four games they have are against Liverpool and Arsenal; it’s possible that Watt and his former USWNT star wife Kealia may be traveling back across the Atlantic for those matches.