Would you rather lose goal opportunities or players? I think I would rather lose the occasional goal opportunity than to risk losing one of my most important players.
If the offsides takes precedent, what would stop a defender (if he were certain that it was offsides) from using his hands to stop a shot? Afterall the offsides is the main call. Now that's taking it to an absurd level and if the play wasn't offsides that player would probably never live it down.
I don't think VAR could make snap offside decisions on live play could they? They have to freeze frame everything and put their grid overlays on it.
I'd always favour player safety, and I don't think VAR for offsides should be used when the margins can be so tiny, and though they say it is a binary thing, they are or they are not, from the images they show to the public, it can be anything but clear. If they are seeing something they are not showing the public, then show us it, because if I can't tell from the 'evidence' you are showing, then it is not a clear mistake.
Add the effect it is having on the game as a whole, the delayed reaction or suspicion of celebrating goals, the deflation when goals are ruled out, and it is taking some of the enjoyment out of football for me. But, high profiles mistakes, and the availability of technology, has got us to this point, and hopefully it will improve over time, because I don't think it is going away. They will play on and reply on the technology as a safety net for the decision, not necessarily the safety of the players.
As an aside, I know some countries around the world have had problems with corruption over the years, but in the UK I never had the feeling that that was ever a problem. What the Referee said was what he believed to be correct for what he saw, or didn't see. Now with VAR, I can see what they are taking time to make decisions on, and they are sometimes coming to the wrong decision, imho of course,
so my confidence in the officiating is going down the more VAR make mistakes. And especially when there is no one to admit to, or answer to the mistakes.
The Pickford/van Dijk incident as an example. Everyone is astonished that Pickford receives no punishment. They first showed the offside decision and that was it. Then they were like, hold on, what about that tackle? They didn't look at it. What! Then there is confusion about what they are allowed to look at, and when. Then nothing. Oh, hold on Pickford may face retrospective punishment, oh he isn't. Ffs.
At no point has anyone official faced a camera, or made a statement afaik, why that incident had not been judged, as far as most media, ex pro's and a lot of fans, see as a huge mistake at the time during the game.
For me football shouldn't be a radically different game to what that can be played in the park from the highest level. Now match officials change that obviously in organised leagues, but the game shouldn't be different between different divisions. If VAR is not in effect in Division 2, then it shouldn't be in effect in the top league, because how the games are officiated will be affected by the technology, and officiated in different ways. Also, because of the availability of the tech means different games in cup competitions (FA Cup, League Cup for example) can be officiated differently, and that is not right imho. In a competition the rules should be the same for every team in every game. Phew, got that off my chest.
Oh, and I meant to say, that if situation can be instantly seen to be offside, which could be seen for obvious mistakes in a second or so, rewind the video, flip between the different views, and if clear, then that should stop the continuing procession of play by the Referee, rather than waiting for a break in play 5-20+ plus seconds later. If it is not obvious then it stays the way it is now.
VAR looking at offside, and then seemingly not looking at the Pickford and van Dijk coming together. Wtf is VAR if not to get decisions like this right. I hope van Dijk gets well as soon as possible, but it didn't look good the way his knee overextended. Looked like Thiago got injured as well from the tackle by Richarlison which got him sent off. Fingers crossed not as serious as van Dijk. Thiago is much better than I thought he would be though, and that is after 1.5 games. 
If anyone has crossed a line and done anything illegal track them down and prosecute. Only way to try and stem the tide of such stuff.
