Five Things From the Week: Oct. 14-20

Manchester City scored a controversial stoppage-time winner, Thomas Tuchel was introduced as England's new manager and the Major League Soccer regular season came to an end. Five Things From the Week covers all that and more.

1. VAR isn't going to be perfect, and that's OK

Situations like John Stones’ last-second winner Sunday are why Wolves voted to scrap VAR. They were told Max Kilman’s goal last season was disallowed by VAR because an offside player was too close to the goalkeeper. Bernardo Silva was awfully close to José Sá when Stones headed the ball, and VAR overturned the initial offside call to award the goal. It was probably the right decision, but any fan base would have been infuriated by the inconsistency of the explanation.

VAR was never designed to eliminate subjectivity or create unanimous agreement on every call. It can't do those things. Teams are going to be on both sides of controversial decisions, and it will be frustrating at times. That does not mean VAR is a failure or that it is making the game worse. Could it be used more effectively? Absolutely. But anyone thinking VAR was going to remove all refereeing controversy was kidding themselves. It is preventing blatantly obvious mistakes and giving referees a chance to take a second look. That is worth some headaches and frustrating moments.

2. Hiring Thomas Tuchel says the FA is fine with the status quo

The English FA is hiring Thomas Tuchel because he has done what Gareth Southgate could not: win a tournament. He led an uninspiring Chelsea team to an upset of Manchester City in the Champions League final and got PSG to the final as well. His teams succeed in tournament settings because they are well-organized defensively and fairly cautious, just like Southgate’s England was. Both men have demonstrated that the formula works. Tuchel managed to take it one step further and win a final.

Hiring Tuchel is an attempt to do the same thing just a little bit better. Maybe he can find the balance that Southgate never could. The Three Lions aren't bringing anything home until they can occasionally win knockout games by outscoring an opponent like France, Argentina and Spain had to do. That was Southgate's ultimate demise, and if Tuchel comes up short, it will probably be his too. 

3. CAF better do its due diligence 

No international team should have its flight redirected at the last minute and be left stranded for hours in an airport. Nigeria had every right to demand better treatment by boycotting their game against Libya and going home. If Nigeria’s side of the story is to be believed, it sure sounds like they were sabotaged as payback for what Libya claim was poor treatment when the teams met in Nigeria. That's where CAF needs to start when trying to sort this mess out.

Nigeria have valid reasons to think they were intentionally mistreated. It is AFCON’s job to figure out whether that is true or not. Awarding Libya the points because Nigeria refused to play rewards them for what was awful treatment of an opponent at the very least. This cannot be an “innocent until proven guilty” situation. Based on the available information, Nigeria deserve the benefit of the doubt. 

4. Removing Sir Alex Ferguson sends all the wrong messages 

Whether or not Sir Alex Ferguson was worth the salary Manchester United were paying him to be an official club ambassador or not really doesn't matter. What is important is the message that removing him from the role sends. There were numerous other ways United could have saved money that didn't involve laying off employees and treating one of the most important figures in club history so poorly. Imagine if they then sack Erik ten Hag in the next week or two.

On a basic level, obsessing over profit margins on the business side while the men's team continues to underperform is a bad look. It's the kind of mindset Ineos were supposed to come in and change. Instead, it feels like United are operating in the same way. Shockingly, the results on the field haven't gotten any better. The whole ordeal is just a reminder of how many issues still needed to be sorted out.

5. Atlanta United found a way

Atlanta United’s 2-1 home defeat to CF Montréal on Oct. 2 put them on the brink of elimination from playoff contention. It extended their winless streak to five with just two games left. They needed a win and losses by two of the three teams ahead of them on Decision Day to sneak into the ninth and final playoff spot. Their victory at Orlando City gave them consecutive wins for the second time all season, and the Philadelphia Union’s blown lead combined with Charlotte FC’s thumping of D.C. United provided the help they needed.

That Montréal loss is Atlanta's only one in six games. The Five Stripes drew Inter Miami at home on Sept. 18 and picked up five points in their last three road contests. They parted ways with Gonzalo Pineda early enough to give interim coach Rob Valentino some margin for error. There was no remarkable winning streak. They did just enough to give themselves a chance. In the forgiving world that is the MLS playoff structure, that is often all that's required.