Let's hope someone in a position of authority and with a shred of reasonableness reviews all these 'above the ankle' challenges at the end of the season and we land with some consistent, and dare I say common sense, decision making for when the 24/25 season comes around. That's the best case outcome IMV.
The current interpretation and application of this law is wildly inconsistent from one game, team and ref to the next. Stating the obvious, laws are supposed to be based on fairness, reasonableness, and promote consistency of decision (i.e. Standardised responses to similar actions) not setting people up to fail. I don't think refs or VAR are intentionally fucking up these decisions - it's a combo of a rule that's not fit for purpose and a proportion of refs who lack the confidence, fortitude and judgement to apply a bit of common sense to one of the most dynamic sports in the world. Hence why it's so unfair to slow motion replay these tackles on a loop! Apply some basic behavioural science to VAR and it'll drastically improve decision-making.
I suspect we get treated harsher than most on average because we tend not to complain either directly (Arteta, Klopp) or via the supposed Vox Pops (Neville and Carragher).
Do I think there will be a change for the better next season? No.
