Mike Dean - VAR

[KB1862]

Mike Dean declined to use VAR to save 'mate' and fellow referee Anthony Taylor from 'grief' - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66612570

I find this shocking on the part of Mike Dean. I get that referees are subject to alot of abuse and grief but surely that comes with the territory of being a referee? 

The whole point of VAR is to catch anything the referee has missed on the pitch. The fact that Mike Dean spotted the incident but rather than telling his "mate" to go to the screen, he allowed the game to go on as though nothing happened to save him from grief. 

This is why VAR gets as much criticism as it does because the people behind it don't utilise it correctly. 

[BlackandWhitePie]

The implementation of VAR and the human error that comes with it is often criticised. No official should be able to make a call without being fined and banned for several games. The decision to save a "mate" brings the game's reputation into question and damages the integrity of the official. This should be treated as seriously as match fixing. The motivation behind a decision should never be to save face, but rather to get the correct decision spot on. It is interesting to note that other sports have been able to implement similar systems without as much fuss. Is there something that football can learn from these sports?

[KB1862]

@BlackandWhitePie well on The Rest is Football podcast, they interviewed Howard Webb about VAR and he said that they are constantly working with other sports like Rugby about how to implement VAR properly and what they can take from other sports to improve. Hence why VAR has changed to not re-referee the game anymore. But, the technology is good it's just the people at the back of it that needs more education which he also mentioned that Wayne Allison is an ex-pro who helps them in certain parts. Because Shearer posed the question of why aren't more footballers, who have been on the pitch week in week out, able to give their input. 

2 hours ago, BlackandWhitePie said:

The decision to save a "mate" brings the game's reputation into question and damages the integrity of the official. This should be treated as seriously as match fixing

Exactly this. Essentially it is match fixing because you know there's an incident but you've failed to acknowledge it and like you said they should face punishment. 

It's like the Ronald Koeman situation against England in 93. Should have been sent off but the referee later said that he didn't want to face the wrath of the Dutch fans had he shown him a red despite acknowledging it to be worthy of such punishment. 

We can all excuse human error before VAR, obviously we'd be angered at the time, but with the implementation of VAR EVERY decision must be accurate. 

[NCRichie]

Mike Dean is retired, I believe. Still, I think he should face some sort of punishment for this. It was a foolish thing for him to admit; he should have remained silent. But now that he has made the claim, he should be banned from any involvement in the game.

[lambleypie]

It is quite concerning and baffling that Mike Dean would admit to such a thing. It is not right and shows a level of corruption. It is bad for the English game that a referee and official would cover something up to protect his friend. The abuse referees receive, at times, seems unfair to me, but they take on the job knowing full well that it will happen. It does not justify it, but it is hard to complain about it when one can choose any other line of work.

[Nocturnal-Magpie]

Mike Dean has made the worst comments that any former official could have made, what does he think will happen by publicly saying it? People won’t think the officials are mistreated, they will instantly think what else has he turned a blind eye to during his game. If he can do this for a friend, he’s not trustworthy because you have to be unbiased and follow the law of the game.

[MagpieLane]

Mike Dean has destroyed any respect that anyone should have for him. If he were still officiating, this would be a career killer. Just because he has retired, it does not mean that he should not face any consequences.

[cheeky~k8]

VAR is there for a reason so if its there to help or get the correct result, it should be used. Refs do make mistakes in games and linesmen, that would show what happened though.

[Joshua]

His comments left me both shocked and surprised. Such remarks are not characteristic of an intelligent individual. He either lacks concern or is aware that there will be no consequences for his words. His behaviour is unacceptable in the game, and it’s fortunate that he has retired.

[themightymagpies]

Has there been any talk of punishment about this? The Premier League needs to take some form of action; it’s baffling as to why he would admit this. If a manager gets in trouble for fielding what others believe to be a weakened squad, players and managers can be fined for bringing dispute to the game. Then Dean needs some form of repercussion.

[TheSkipper]

Mike Dean is going to alienate himself from the sport; other referees will want to distance themselves from him now. It’s a negative thing to claim and say, but I doubt he will be punished. It could see him being taken to court by the team affected by the decision, but I don’t think it’s likely.

[JIMBO]

Mike Dean leaves much to be desired. His reputation as a referee is inflated, and his decision to ignore the rules will likely come back to bite him.

[CliftonMagpie]

Mike Dean has always been somewhat of a contentious figure, a grumpy, block-headed individual aspiring to look like Jasper Carrott.

He’s attempting to downplay the situation, claiming his comments have been misconstrued. This is difficult to believe when you consider that he was quoted directly. No one suggested that his actions were due to a close friendship; he himself used the term ‘friend’.

In this video, he seems to be trying to accept responsibility without actually admitting fault. He insists that he was penalised at the time by being made to miss games following the incident. However, he comes across as someone unwilling to fully admit his mistakes or accept that he was truly in the wrong. He points out that no one questioned his decision, leading him to believe he had made the correct call (despite admitting he knew it was wrong). He mentions that a team is in place to assist and yet none of them raised any concerns (despite him being in charge of VAR decisions). He dismisses the technology as being ‘almost Mickey Mouse back then’. Most people would have made the correct call; he simply appears to be an individual who needs to step out of the limelight.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12947952/mike-dean-i-tried-to-protect-referee-as-var-i-was-wrong-i-made-a-bad-mistake

[liampie]

no football panel or live game should ever use him to analyse things, as if he cant do his former job right as a referee. how biased could he be on refereeing segments. i dont think someone who breaks what his role is to support a friend or even someone he works with, it just goes against why hes doing the job in the first place.

[OoooooTommy]

Mike Dean is an idiot.

I have watched a couple of interviews with him, where he just becomes argumentative or defensive. If he’s acknowledging the mistake, he doesn’t need to. Yet he shouldn’t act like he thinks he’s smart, having blurted this out during a podcast. He’s not newsworthy, he’s not a celebrity. He’s a former referee that officiated in the Premier League and tried to make games all about himself.

[allardyces tash]

Mike Dean is aware that he has made a mistake, and now he’s simply trying to deflect the guilt and responsibility. I agree that he has not accepted responsibility for his actions, as if he had, his apology would not have been so defensive in nature. He owes Chelsea Football Club and their fans the biggest apology, and now I hope he stops trying to do the media rounds and complaining about people trying to make a story out of it. Well, it seems that this is exactly what he wants.

[heraldmagpie]

It makes me wonder how many other referees have intentionally missed calls, not just in Premier League games or with VAR in general. Mike Dean, as such, should have ended his career by admitting to officiating mistakes.

[Chris]

He once bragged whilst doing a Sky interview that he believes he had sent off over 100 players, when he asked if he felt they were all the correct decision - his response was "It was my decision". It came across as pretty arrogant.

I used to watch Match of the Day all the time; it was something everyone in my family would watch, so I recall Mike Dean well.

He always came across as someone who liked to have the control of games, not to officiate well but because he enjoyed the power. I still have memories of him jogging backwards, blowing his whistle and pointing for the player to leave the field. I think it was Nicky Butt when he was at Newcastle.

@CliftonMagpie

[Robbie]

VAR has lots of things that are wrong with it. One of the biggest problems is that a lot of it is left to a match Referee or VAR Referee's interpretation of what they actually see on the video screen, when a final decision is made.

But that was happening long before VAR was ever implemented, right from when Football came into existence.

I have also noticed that more and more incidents are just being ignored by the VAR officials & the play is allowed to continue.

As we've seen here with Mike Dean, It may be that Referees are reluctant to upset the apple cart, but again, that's been going on pre VAR too.

The question remains.

What is the point of VAR?

[AmericanPie]

I've watched clips of Mike Dean on YouTube, still sharing his opinions on decisions and responding to VAR questions. In a recent instance against Forest, when Toney moved the ball for his goal from a free kick, the referee sprayed the foam. Toney moved it twice and displaced some foam. Dean's response lacked insight, making him seem less credible as an official. I don't consider him suitable for handling VAR, let alone being informative enough for Sky Sports.

[Robbie]

Totally agree @AmericanPie Tobey's actions should have resulted in a red card for totally disregarding and changing what the ref did when the ref marked the pitch, but even afterwards, no action has been taken against the player.

And VAR, that for another storey where I've asked the question. What's the point of VAR? 

[AmericanPie]

I believe the incident could be considered as clever cheating; not a single Forest player complained, and their keeper neglected to set up the wall. I'm torn regarding the punishment or whether the goal should have stood. Ben Foster thinks every player adjusts the ball, but with the introduction of foam, we haven't seen mishaps like this before. Mike Dean's unknowing response doesn't present well, but VAR requires ongoing training and simplified outcomes to ensure accurate decision-making in response to changes.