Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp responds as Premier League announce that there is a change to VAR from this weekend onwards, and it’s got plenty of people talking.
He is the first top flight manager to give his verdict after finding out that referees will now be encouraged to use the pitchside monitors.
VAR update!?
Premier League referees have been urged to use pitchside monitors this weekend if they are recommended to change a red card decision?️? pic.twitter.com/mkALAI6EfF
— bwin (@bwin) January 17, 2020
The referees have mainly relied on information from VAR officials over at Stockley Park to make their decisions, although now they will be made to look at the monitors that have been placed on the side of the field in every high-level match since the introduction of VAR in the Premier League earlier this season, instead of refusing that option.
A meeting with Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, who manage elite referees, told the officials to use the ‘referee review area’ whenever VAR wants to change a red card decision.
As we all know, VAR has been widely criticised this season in all aspects of it including for how it’s used and the tight call decisions.
Here is Klopp on one of his rants, ahead of the North West derby this weekend…
Jurgen Klopp criticises Manchester United's style of play & VAR
?"It was a clear foul" pic.twitter.com/8UcQ8716Gu
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) October 20, 2019
Klopp said about the new changes on Friday: “The only reason for having it is to use it. I don’t know why they aren’t used so far.
“We want the right decisions so we should use all sources. It won’t happen five or six times a game. It’s just about 100% clarification that is needed.”
Has he got his wish? In December, he wasn’t happy at how long VAR was delaying matches, meaning quite possibly a quicker decision.
He said: “We are in December and coming into January.
“Players standing around that long waiting is not good. I would prefer if referees going to the screen.
“I think the first situation it would help. But if you think offside, then it takes a while. But with the possible handball it could be quicker.
“That’s how we do it England at the moment. We were on the other side of VAR decisions at Aston Villa. These things happen, nobody likes it.”
Klopp also opened up on the belief of fans that this could finally be the club’s year to win the Premier League.
He explained: “I think our fans are exactly like the team is: they are not interested in the moment, they don’t want to celebrate now and stuff like this.
It would seem that there has been no examples in the Premier League of a referee using the monitors in order to turn a yellow into a red card or turn a red into a yellow.
Though referee has put it into practice already, and that came at Crystal Palace in their FA Cup Third Round match against Derby County.
Palace fans showing their banner, which has now been destroyed following the VAR red card decision ? #VAR #CRYARS pic.twitter.com/VK9escylLE
— Darren 父 Cox (@hammersmad) January 11, 2020
Michael Oliver decided to check the screen after VAR to turn Luka Milivojevic’s yellow card into a red following a clash with Tom Huddlestone
After looking at the screen, he agreed that the booking wasn’t enough and then changed it to a red card.
A couple of weeks ago, we saw this in the FA Cup…
1️⃣ Milivojević and Huddlestone clash off the ball
2️⃣ Michael Oliver books both players
3️⃣ VAR tells the ref to check the footage
4️⃣ Michael Oliver sends Milivojević offpic.twitter.com/SUV94lDBfp— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 17, 2020
Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang received a yellow card for his challenge on Crystal Palace’s Max Meyer last week, though after a check from VAR, it was upgraded to a red card.
Explaining the move from PGMOL to speak to refs about looking at the screen a source told the paper: “What the referees have been told was a reminder on the areas where they should use a pitchside monitor, primarily for red card incidents.
“If an incident similar to the Aubameyang one were to happen this week the referee would be expected to use the pitchside monitor to assist with that decision.
“It will be only when the VAR recommends upgrading or downgrading it, because there is an element of subjectivity and it would be better if the referee should have the final say in a potentially match-changing incident.”
PGMOL don’t want their referees to use the screens too often as it could lead to longer delays in play, which has been another of the major criticisms of the VAR system.
In other news relating to VAR, Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo wants to see changes to the handball law after they had three goals chalked off by the video officials due to the new rule that was implemented for the 2019-20 season.
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TWITTER REACTION:
Why this has taken until January to implement I do not know.
— Jack Richardson (@92_jackrich) January 17, 2020
Just scrap it. The players hate it. The fans hate it. Many people think it's being used to rig who wins the league. #SCRAPVAR
— Kloppster Pepy (@Kloppster_Pepy) January 17, 2020
So a change in rules mid season meaning not all games played under same conditions. Shocking. It might be the correct decision but it shouldn’t be changed mid season.
— Mark Ashmore (@mg_ashmore) January 17, 2020
Whilst maybe increasing the chances of eliminating the contentious decisions, this only exacerbates the cries of VAR killing the atmosphere from games and taking long periods of time to process decisions.
Mid-season change also a forced unfair bias against previous decisions…— Matt Eddolls (@Matt_Eddolls_) January 17, 2020
Late, very late. Joke this
— Dave Baker (@Bluedave77) January 17, 2020
@Scotwolf2Steve: Do we get the points back we’ve lost ?
@martinward12: About bloody time.
@dobbydobz: Absolute bollocks it’s taken this long when it was already known that’s how it should be done.
@JonnyDrury7: Only taken half the season
@Bluebird131999: Finally. Now just need IFAB to change handball law to something equal for defence and attack, and both PL and IFAB to sort out a better definition of offside rule e.g. ‘clear and obvious’ so whole body offside = offside, otherwise not offside.
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