PGMOL 'looking at' making major Premier League VAR change impacting Man City and Man Utd

VAR has been a near-constant source of controversy and discontent since its introduction into English football and the Premier League. There have been debates or changing or even scrapping the system but now, according to PGMOL chief Howard Webb, some changes may come to fruition.

Webb believes that VAR needs ‘improving’ and to do this, he has suggested referees could begin to make stadium announcements to the fans in attendance when they are making VAR decisions. He feels that it would be ‘really useful’ for referees ‘to be able to speak to all of the people in the stadium’.

He used the Women’s World Cup as an example of when this strategy has been successful in the past. Currently, fans in the ground are left in the dark when VAR decisions are being made and sometimes only learn the reasoning behind a decision after a game.

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."