It’ll always be VARsonists v eVARngelists but TV tell-all is a positive step | Max Rushden

Football isn’t meant to be perfect – perhaps Match Officials: Mic’d Up can help us towards a touch of sympathy for officials

This is fun isn’t it? Howard Webb coming on television to tell Michael Owen, two days later, that Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji was in Bernd Leno’s eyeline as Nathan Aké’s header squeezed past him and into Fulham’s net at the weekend. I’m all in favour – I want more. David Elleray doing a follow up show with Tony Adams. Then Pierluigi Collina can do a live Insta reviewing Ellery’s review before Roger Milford and George Courtney lighten the mood with a synchronised TikTok dance with Keith Hackett beatboxing on the side. It’s all rounded off with a live countdown of Mike Dean’s top 40 PGMOL friends on VH1 voiced by Bruno Brookes. “Up two to No 11 and leapfrogging Darren Cann – it’s David Coote.” Eventually it’ll become more popular than the football.

The despair of the Fulham manager, Marco Silva, was pretty evident after the Aké goal. “Everyone that has played football, who has some knowledge of football, knows 100% sure to disallow that goal. For the [assistant referee] it can be difficult to see an offside position, but for VAR it is impossible not to disallow that goal. That moment had a huge impact on the game.”