Hey, sports fans! Buckle up, because Mr. Ronald is swinging in with a firestorm hotter than a Premier League title race in May. The FA Cup final was supposed to be all about glory, legacy, and lifting that iconic silverware. But instead, it’s the football gods themselves who are under the microscope – and their name is VAR.
Let’s set the scoreboard on fire!
In a moment that’s got the football world shaking its collective head (and keyboards lit up like Old Trafford under the lights), Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson decided to channel his inner Oliver Kahn… but without the legal license. Late in the game, with the energy of Wembley at boiling point, the Eagles’ shot-stopper charged out his box and – wait for it – brazenly batted the ball away with his hands. Outside. The. Box.
You don’t need a UEFA coaching badge to know what that means. Straight red. Sunday league stuff. Textbook.
Except… no red. In fact, not even a polite shrug from VAR. Silence. Confusion. Outrage.
Cue the BBC Sport pundit table, where Wayne “Wazza” Rooney and the ever-vibrant Micah Richards nearly fell off their chairs in disbelief. Rooney, a man who’s seen it all from Champions League nights to ferocious Manchester derbies, looked genuinely flabbergasted. “Just get rid of VAR!” he barked, and folks, he didn’t say it for clicks. He said it because the whole thing smelled more rotten than three-month-old shin pads.
And honestly? He’s not wrong. Let’s break this down like a counterattack in stoppage time.
VAR was sold to fans as the pillar of truth in modern football. The all-seeing eye. The great equalizer. And sure, it’s delivered justice in pin-point offsides and ghost handballs. But lately? It’s been more hit-and-miss than a blindfolded striker in a wind tunnel.
How VAR missed Henderson’s handball is beyond comprehension. Maybe they were pouring tea? Maybe they were arguing over which crisps to have? One thing’s for certain – they weren’t watching the game. Because nine million fans, two pundits, and one furious Rooney all saw exactly what happened.
Let’s not forget what this game was: the FA Cup final. Not an average weekend game. Not an EFL pre-season friendly. THE FA CUP FINAL. History is written here. Careers are made, dreams are crushed, and fans live for moments just like this. And yet, the officiating powers that be couldn’t even be bothered to give it a second glance? That’s not just a bad look – that’s a slap in the face with a muddy boot.
Crystal Palace might’ve walked away, head held high. Their keeper dodged a potential game-changing banishment. But the game itself? I’m afraid it limped off the pitch, bruised and battered.
Football deserves better.
If VAR can’t be consistent, if it can’t catch the big, obvious calls – the ones every grassroots ref can whistle for on a foggy Tuesday night – then what’s even the point? Should we bin it? Fix it? Rewire it with some good old football sense?
As Mr. Ronald always says – “Respect the game, protect the game.” And right now, we’re veering into dangerous inconsistencies that chip away at the joy, the justice, and the integrity of this beautiful sport.
So… what’s next? Pull the plug on VAR? Reboot the system? Or remind those behind the screen that this isn’t a video game – it’s real football, and every decision echoes through history.
Let’s keep the fire burning, footy fam! Drop your take in the comments. Was that the worst no-call you’ve seen? Is the VAR era over before it ever truly began?
Until next whistle blows – keep your boots sharp, your vision clearer than a Hawkeye replay, and your passion blazing like a last-minute screamer.
– Mr. Ronald
