Forget about transfer deadline day, it's time for the Monday VAR thread. This week featuring:

- The pitchside monitor dilemma and its impact on decisions
- How it feeds into Lamela/Martial
- Handball part 3

I've said several times that the use of pitchside monitors would not be a magic wand for VAR operation, for three reasons:

1) The "high bar" will always govern its success
2) You need confident decision-making from VARs
3) VARs must act "independently" of the match referee

We've had a weekend where the pitchside monitor was back to being redundant again, not used once, so why is this?

It comes down to what is "clear and obvious", of course. And where the "clear and obvious" gauge has been placed, with PGMOL wanting a higher bar.

This "high bar" must place doubt in the minds of VARs.

VARs should independently use their own judgement within the laws rather than guess some kind of higher value on each decision.

You need this to some extent, but it seems VARs may not be sure when to intervene.

If we take handball out, the VAR has sent the referee to the monitor only four times in 38 matches.

Craig Pawson twice for red cards
Simon Hooper for a reversed penalty
Martin Atkinson for a foul in the build up

None of these three referees acted as the VAR this weekend.

Now, there always has to be a threshold of some kind, otherwise the ref will be at the monitor several times a game.

But if the VAR is only being told to send the ref to the monitor if it is an unequivocal, 100% error, then you will have VARs second guessing themselves.

The nature of VAR means almost all pitchside reviews must result in an overturn, but PGMOL must avoid it being a confirmatory process (as last season with red cards).

VARs must be allowed to apply the laws, and referees must have the confidence to stay with their decision.

A few decisions which could easily have gone to the monitor this weekend:

- Clear penalty for foul on Mohamed Salah (with the score at 2-1)
- Possible reds for David Luiz, Stuart Dallas, Sander Berge, Luke Shaw

You will feel there were others.

Which brings us to the Anthony Martial - Erik Lamela incident, a very messy and complicated set of circumstances for the VAR to do anything with.

The VAR cannot simply tell the referee that they should both get the same; each offence must be judged on its own merits.

So, was a yellow for Lamela (he was booked, ignore the stats) a wrong decision for what is in essence a fend off with the arm with little force?

Is a red card for Martial a wrong decision for slapping an opponent in the face, above the neck?

The answer to both in law is no.

Lamela's distasteful actions in going to ground cannot be taken into account as Martial did commit the offence.

If Lamela had clutched a different part of the body to which Martial connected then there is a case.

But, in this instance, there's no case in law for simulation.

Which makes it very difficult for the VAR, Stuart Attwell, to tell Anthony Taylor he got the individual decisions "clearly and obviously wrong".

The act of retaliation does not automatically mean the provocation deserves then same punishment, even though many will feel it does.

Sheff United must think VAR is against them again, providing another example of why inconsistencies cannot be eradicated.

John Egan was sent off on the pitch for denying a goal-scoring opportunity vs. Villa, but Arsenal's David Luiz got away with a very similar offence.

Both could be argued either way, in terms of a goal-scoring opportunity being denied.

As the ref's on-pitch decision holds weight, United lose out both times. Could the VAR (Marriner) have been stronger?

Luiz - like Shaw, Berge & Dallas - could easily have seen red by review.

Finally, handball.

Contrary to popular belief, there was NOT ONE example of the handball penalty call that has caused such rage.

The "softening" of the interpretation had no effect on the decision not to give Man City a penalty for handball by Leeds' Leif Davis.

Law 12 states it's not handball "when a player falls and the hand/arm is between the body and the ground to support the body."

The IFAB provides a diagram, and video (still used here), to illustrate, clearly showing that the Leif Davis handball should never be penalised.