It may well be a one-nation crusade at this stage but all credit to Norway’s major football clubs for continuing their heroic fight against the evils of VAR.

A while back I wrote about how fans at games in the Norwegian top flight were carrying out anti-VAR protests by throwing things on the pitch during matches. And by things, I mean tennis balls, smoke bombs, and, of course, fishcakes.

It was a concerted and passionate campaign by supporters who said – and it’s hard to disagree with them – that VAR isn’t working properly, is slowing down the game and sucking all the enjoyment out of watching matches.

Now the situation seems to be coming to a head.

Last week Norsk Topfotball, the organisation that represents the 32 clubs in Norway’s top two divisions, voted comprehensively to chuck VAR in the bin. They decided the system should be scrapped “as soon as possible”.

Norway’s football association (NFF), however, is adamant that the system should stay in place and be improved. The best way I can see that happening is if they don’t actually switch it on during matches. That would be the perfect compromise.

The NFF is probably afraid of what getting rid of VAR would do to their image and their standing within UEFA. They may feel they will be turning up for conferences and congresses like representatives of some Amish, anti-technology sect.

But the reality is, if VAR is removed from their leagues, they could become a shining beacon of hope for all those fans who agree that VAR is a horrendous insult to football; like me, if you hadn’t guessed.

If they were to accept the clubs’ stance and play their cards right, they could find better and alternative ways to reduce errors in matches – like additional officials on the pitchside, for example. They could make Norwegian football a shining beacon of hope in a VAR sea of despair and vastly increase their public profile at the same time.

But they are afraid of denting their reputation with their VAR-loving peers.

However, they may not have a choice. Next month a vote will be put to the association’s congress, which brings together all the professional men’s and women’s teams, amateur teams and regional representatives.

If they collectively vote to remove VAR, the NFF will have no choice but to do so, and that, in turn, might start a Europe-wide revolution against a system that is sucking the soul out of football.

Probably not. But I can live in hope.

Football’s biggest putdown

I’ve heard managers complain about their players before, but Ruben Amorim’s put-down of Marcus Rashford takes the concept to whole new levels.

In case you missed it, and I’m reasonably sure you haven’t, the Manchester United boss essentially said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach than Rashford.

“You can see on the bench we miss a bit of pace on the bench, but I would put Jorge Vital before a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day,” he said.

Ouch!

If, come tomorrow evening, Rashford is still a Manchester United player then I will eat my hat

The mind boggles as to how a player who was once the toast of the town has let his career crumble to this extent. The very least you would expect from someone who is pocketing a rather handsome £300,000 a week is turning up to training and putting in maximum effort.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t like your manager or if you want to move or if you have fallen out of love with the game, you are being paid insane amounts to be a professional footballer and the very least you need to be is professional.

By the time you read this there is a good chance Rashford will have moved on. I would

suspect it will be a loan, with United having to cover a portion of his wage to sweeten the deal.

If, come tomorrow evening, he is still a Manchester United player then I will eat my hat. Well, I will go out and buy a hat to eat as I don’t believe I currently possess one.

Things are now so toxic for Rashford that staying at United for at least another five months could kill his career entirely.

Although to be honest, I am starting to wonder if he would be entirely unhappy with that outcome...

Controversial ref’s sad reality

When the rumours and allegations about referee David Coote first surfaced, I suggested in this very column that there was something deeper to the story.

The ref was caught on camera on several occasions either doing drugs, drinking heavily or talking about how much he dislikes Liverpool and their then manager Jurgen Klopp.

It wasn’t a good look for a match official, and it has, quite rightly, forced him out of football.

But last week, Coote revealed that he is gay and has been struggling to hide that for his entire career.

Of course, his sexuality doesn’t justify what he did. Not in the slightest. But all those people who have been so quick to condemn and vilify the man for his mistakes may want to have a little rethink about what Coote has been going through.

As he himself said, referees get constant abuse anyway and he was petrified of being found out as gay as the abuse would have gone up to a whole new level.

That he felt that way is a poor reflection on the culture that surrounds football and must go a long way towards explaining his irrational and illogical behaviour.

As I said, no matter what pressure he was under, allowing himself to be filmed doing drugs and saying things about teams he was officiating was unforgivable.

But let’s give the man a break now the full, and in many ways sad, story is out in the open.

Deadline-day doldrums

So, is everyone uber excited about transfer deadline day? Me neither!

There is always the chance that something big happens tomorrow, one of those drop-your-bacon-sandwich moments; like when a player you didn’t imagine would move not only moves but moves to a club you never imagined would want him; or that he would want to move to.

But, let’s be honest, those sorts of deals are few and far between.

Any club that is taking this transfer window seriously will have done their business already, quietly and calmly and without the threat of an impending deadline distorting their decision-making ability.

What we generally get on TDD is the desperate buying the unnecessary – clubs that are struggling at the wrong end of the table splashing out money they would be better off saving to ease their impending relegation; or teams whose push towards the top of the table has started to wobble going out to buy players who will ultimately make little difference come the season’s final reckoning.

Could be a busy day for Manchester United and Chelsea then...

E-mail: James.calvert@timesofmalta.com

X: @maltablade