PGMOL open to major Premier League VAR change impacting Aston Villa, Wolves, Leicester City & more

Since its introduction into the Premier League, VAR has been a major and consistent source of controversy. Criticism aimed at the system seems to have been taken on board and huge changes to the way it is implemented ‘could’ be put in place soon, according to PGMOL chief Howard Webb.

When VAR decisions are being made, fans in the stadium are often left in the dark until the final call is made. To counteract this, Webb has suggested that referees should announce their decisions to the supporters in attendance.

There has been no official announcement to confirm that this will be the case moving forward, though Webb certainly seems to be in favour of the idea - he thinks it would be ‘really useful’ and he also believes that VAR, in its current state, needs ‘improving’.

What did Howard Webb say about the potential changes to VAR moving forwards?

Speaking on the Premier League’s Mic’d Up, Webb said: "It [VAR] does need improving, doesn’t it? When you hear the clips on shows like this it makes sense what’s happening, it all becomes apparent.

"You'll hear the referee, Andy Madley, having been to the screen saying, ‘I'm going to speak to Lewis Dunk’ to explain why the penalty that he feels he should have isn't going to happen because he's fouled [Yoane] Wissa before that. We're looking at ways to improve the in-stadium experience.

"One of the things you'll have seen maybe in FIFA tournaments, like the Women's World Cup, is announcements from the referee once they've been to the screen. So we're looking at that, we're keeping an open mind about whether that's something we could utilise in the Premier League. It would be really useful for the referee to be able to speak to all of the people in the stadium - [to explain] the rationale."