We should be talking about a famous win for Newcastle United in the Champions League. An unexpected but thoroughly deserved victory over European giants Paris Saint-Germain in their own backyard. We should be talking about the bravery with which Newcastle defended, or the perfectly executed tactical plan to keep the stars of the Princes de Parc quiet.

We should be talking about Alexander Isak's first goal in the Champions League. We should be talking about how Lewis Miley looks at home on the biggest of the stages. We should not be talking about the ineptitude of VAR. But here we are.

With 97 minutes on the clock, the ball bounces up onto Tino Livramento's chest and onto his elbow. In real-time, none of the officials think it's a handball and therefore a penalty but suddenly, Newcastle just moments away from securing the most valuable of three points, are now left crestfallen.

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Referee Szymon Marciniak who is said to be the best in the business, takes next to no time to look at the pitchside monitor before pointing to his arm. Has the referee missed the ball hitting Liveramento's chest? Has he crumbled under pressure from the players and the crowd? Only he will know the answer, and in truth, there is little he can admit or say that will make this any easier for Eddie Howe or his players.

Had the equaliser come from a piece of brilliance or scrappy tap-in, few would have begrudged PSG a point - after all, Newcastle sat back for most of the second half and were all but camped in their box for the final 20 but that said they looked organised and good value to hold onto the win thanks to a 24th-minute goal from Isak.

PSG tried to break them down but were often forced to pass it sideways and then backward, finding it difficult to penetrate United's backline, and even when they did, goalkeeper Nick Pope was on hand to keep anything out.

But still, a goal without controversy would not have been unwarranted - painful, but hard to argue against. But a goal as a direct consequence of a shocking refereeing decision is an insult to all United put into that performance.

VAR was a tool that was introduced to get rid of this sort of nonsense but week in and week out we are seeing mistakes unfairly costing sides. The argument against VAR - aside from the ineptitude of some of those using it - is that it takes too long. It sucks the fun out of the game. Some miss the debates afterward, discussing the finest of fine margins and giving the referee the benefit of the doubt.

As a football fan, I miss it but I was prepared to give it up knowing that the majority of decisions were now going to be correct thanks to VAR but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case, and it is scandalous. It is scandalous that referees have such tools at their disposal and yet time and time again, the decision is wrong.

Make no mistake, it was not a penalty. The UEFA Board of Football back in April of this year urged UEFA for 'more clarity on handball rules, and at the meeting, it recommended: "UEFA should clarify that no handball offence should be called on a player if the ball is previously deflected from his own body and, in particular, when the ball does not go towards the goal."

It's unclear whether UEFA agreed to the recommendations, but that aside, it's very clear that next to no one believes referee Marciniak made the right decision. TNT co-comment Ally McCoist said it 'boarded on robbery', while Blackburn Rovers legend Chris Sutton said the decision was 'unfair' on Newcastle and the handball rule had become a 'lottery.'

The list goes on, from Michael Owen to Jermaine Jenas, there's an agreement from most that the referee got this badly wrong.

A win for Newcastle would have left their Champions League destiny in their own hands, now they need to beat AC Milan and hope Borussia Dortmund can get the better of PSG in the final round of games. Not impossible, but not ideal. And this is the issue, the wrong decision is actually so much more than a wrong decision.

As Wolves' boss Gary O'Neil said on Monday after his side felt a similar hand on injustice thanks to VAR, the impact 'on my reputation, and the club and people's livelihoods is massive.'

And it's hard to argue against that way of thinking. A win for Newcastle United would have put those players in the history books, as well as setting the team up with a real chance of progressing into the next round of the competition, which in turn means more games and therefore providing extra work for stewards and catering staff. It may seem trivial to some but it matters.

Looking at it from a true footballing perspective, United have not only been robbed of three deserved points but also the headlines that would have deservedly praised the efforts of everyone who played in black and white.

As noted, Miley looks so at home for a 17-year-old and carried himself in one of the fiercest stadiums with such maturity. The backline, Livramento in particular, was solid, while Anthony Gordon sent another reminder to England manager Gareth Southgate.

We should be talking about all of them and others. We should be talking about how Newcastle as a unit defended so well, and how they beat a team of stars despite missing 14 first-team players.

Instead, we are here talking about VAR - and asking not only what is the point of it, but how do we fix it. Perhaps it is the personnel using it, or is it the rules of the game that are causing the issue with VAR? It's a question no one quite seems to know the answer to but as we sit this morning, and with every replay that shows the ball hit up of Livramento's chest first, the calls to scrap it all together are deafening.

The real point is that if the referee makes that decision without being able to use VAR, in real-time and without the benefit of a replay, you can almost accept the decision but the very fact that he has the time to watch the incident, in slow motion via countless camera angles and still awards the penalty raises serious questions about the level of officiating on the pitch, those in the VAR room and the handball rule itself.

Quite simply, it's not good enough.