This was a day to remember that plenty of officials can make correct decisions without needing to be hooked up to their mates in a TV booth 100 miles away.
The pro-VAR lobby have been loud and proud this weekend following a series of dodgy calls made by referees, with the technology not deployed during the third and fourth rounds of the FA Cup.
Leeds United advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Birmingham after the sides could not be separated during 120 thrilling minutes, mostly dominated by Blues.
Against the run of play, Lukas Nmecha had given Leeds the lead early in the second half only for Patrick Roberts to force extra-time late on. With no further goals in extra-time, Tommy Doyle and Roberts missed in the shoot-out and Leeds scored all four of their efforts to advance. They would also have been grateful for another penalty incident that went their way much earlier.
Three minutes before half-time, Birmingham winger Carlos Vicente drifted past Sean Longstaff and flung himself to the ground. From a distance, it looked a penalty, but referee Paul Tierney was in the perfect spot. He blew immediately for a free-kick to Leeds and booked Vicente, who walked away looking a little sheepish.
Leeds goalkeeper Lucas Perri saved a spot-kick in the penalty shootout to help his side see-off Birmingham
The Premier League side were pushed all the way by their Championship opponents
Had VAR been in use, we would have had a three or four-minute check to verify a decision Tierney had needed a split-second to make. Who knows, if the gang at Stockley Park had studied replays for long enough, perhaps they would have determined that the airflow from Longstaff’s moving boot had disrupted Vicente’s stride?
Maybe it would have been a penalty after all – only for it to be overturned because, on closer examination, a stitch on Vicente’s boot was a fraction offside. In fact, Leeds were denied a spot-kick at the end of extra-time when Brenden Aaronson fell under Patrick Roberts’ challenge, but it was another 50-50 call that would still have been disputed had VAR reversed it.
The reaction to Saturday’s mistakes, particularly in the Aston Villa-Newcastle game, has been maddening. Just because a referee has a poor game, it does not mean that VAR is unequivocally ‘a good thing’. Newcastle boss Eddie Howe even acknowledged as much after watching his team’s 3-1 victory at Villa Park.
It is a fair bet supporters would be happy to swap the tiresome delays and baffling over-rules in exchange for a few more errors slipping through the net, which is why the temptation to introduce VAR throughout the Cup and in the EFL should be resisted.
Patrick Roberts had pulled the hosts level to force the game to extra time
As far as Premier League football is concerned, the horse has bolted. Every summer we are bombarded with terms like ‘high bar’ and ‘over-forensic’ – only for the same old nonsense to cast a shadow over the season that follows. For better or worse, we must accept it now. But trying to extend its influence is pure folly.
Birmingham, of course, will hope to see a great deal more of VAR in the years ahead. US investment group Knighthead have huge plans for this club and they are targeting a second promotion in as many seasons, having returned to the Championship from League One last term. There was more heavy investment in January, too, to try to make the play-offs.
Chairman Tom Wagner, the driving force behind those ambitious plans, is currently recovering from a stroke but is said to have watched the game. The Tilton End unfurled a banner that read ‘Get Well Soon, Tom’ while players wore TW13 – Wagner’s lucky number – on their sleeves.
Wagner would have liked what he saw in the first half. Though both sides made six changes, Birmingham settled quicker – no surprise for a team beaten only once at home in the Championship this season. Lucas Perri had been recalled in goal for Leeds and he made a stunning stop in the 11th minute, turning Stansfield’s angled effort on to the bar at full stretch.
It was all Blues. Gabriel Gudmundsson slid to cut out Vicente’s cross with Stansfield and August Priske lurking. Christoph Klarer’s goalbound header from Kai Wagner’s corner was blocked. Then Demarai Gray twice came close, first with a strike that hit team-mate Priske, and then drawing another stop from Perri following a slick break involving Priske and Vicente.
Frustrated that his team could not find the breakthrough, Vicente took matters into his own hands and was shown the yellow card for tumbling near Longstaff. Leeds were just glad to make it to half-time and boss Daniel Farke sent on Ethan Ampadu for the woeful Facundo Buonanotte.
Ampadu’s presence seemed to galvanise Leeds and four minutes into the second half they took the lead. Nmecha collected Noah Okafor’s pass, found space on his right foot and beat Ryan Allsop at the near post from 20 yards.
Birmingham did not lose heart and continued to force the pace, yet at the decisive moments they found luck and composure had deserted them.
During two second-half stoppages, Blues boss Chris Davies gathered his players for on-the-hoof team talks as they did everything to reach extra-time – and they finally had their reward when substitute Patrick Roberts’ 89th-minute strike from distance took a huge deflection off James Justin and flew past Perri.
And they should have won it with the last kick of normal time when Justin switched off, Ibrahim Osman – who missed several chances – hit the post and fellow sub Kanya Fujimoto’s follow-up was blocked by Jaka Bijol.