Liverpool could contribute towards potential seismic change in next season’s Premier League

Liverpool and the 19 other clubs involved in next season’s Premier League could instigate a significant change over the next month.

As reported by David Ornstein for The Athletic, the 20 top-flight representatives will vote at the division’s AGM on 6 June on a proposal to abolish VAR from the 2024/25 campaign.

Wolves submitted a resolution to the Premier League calling for the technological input to be discontinued, with the system being widely derided by fans and commentators since its implementation in 2019.

A two-thirds majority of 14 votes in favour of the proposal must be reached in order for it to pass, but Liverpool could contribute towards a potentially seismic change if they vote in favour if its abolition and the quota is reached.

The spate of refereeing mistakes in the Premier League before VAR’s introduction led to widespread calls for officials to be able to draw upon the assistance of technology, but the implementation of the system has been more destructive than helpful.

Far too often we’re left banging our heads in frustration over the length of time taken for apparently routine checks to be carried out, or an unnecessary intervention over an offside decision so marginal that there’s no way the attacking team is gaining an advantage.

Few football fans in England are likely to be too upset if VAR is scrapped, but binning it off won’t improve the pitifully low standards of top-flight officiating in this country overnight.

If the system were tweaked so that reviews were capped at a time limit (beyond which a decision can’t be ‘clear and obvious’), or if the conversations between officials were broadcast in realtime so that those in Stockley Park were obliged to communicate professionally, we may see improvements to its hitherto flawed implementation.

After a season which saw a legitimate Luis Diaz goal against Tottenham ridiculously ruled out, Martin Odegaard get off scot-free with a blatant handball inside the penalty area, and Jeremy Doku likewise with a chest-high kick on Alexis Mac Allister, we won’t be the least bit surprised if Liverpool vote in favour of Wolves’ proposal to abolish VAR next month.