’13 times’ – Neil Mellor gobsmacked over one thing he saw during Liverpool’s win on Sunday

Mellor hits the nail on the head by reminding us all that the original purpose of VAR when it was introduced to football was to eradicate clear and obvious errors, not to scrutinise several incidents per game to a forensic degree.

Endo’s challenge might’ve seemed rash on initial viewing but replays showed that it certainly wasn’t endangering Norgaard, and that viewpoint was also voiced by former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch on Monday morning.

If a refereeing mistake fits the description of ‘clear and obvious’, VAR could reasonably be expected to pick up on it inside 40-45 seconds, so any reviews which go on for longer than a minute waive the right to be classified as blatant errors.

While the officials came to the right decision regarding that incident yesterday, it’s hard to blame Mellor for calling out the unnecessary length of time it took for the review to be completed.

These needlessly lengthy delays, which are routine in Premier League matches, antagonise not just fans of the clubs involved but also irritate neutral viewers. Also, as Roberto De Zerbi pointed out over the weekend, there are numerous instances where still the final call leaves players, managers and supporters baffled.

Most people watching at home could see almost straight away that Endo’s challenge wasn’t a red card offence, so you’d have to wonder why the VAR officials took as long as they did to let the match continue.