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Valerien Ismael calls for VAR in the Championship after controversy as Blackburn lose to Swansea

Valerien Ismael calls for VAR in the Championship after some controversy as Blackburn lose 2-1 to Swansea on Tuesday night.

The Rovers head coach supports the introducing VAR in the EFL, having been left frustrated to a series of poor refereeing decisions which have gone against his team.

Blackburn were denied late penalties in defeats against Charlton and Swansea, and referenced similar incidents at West Brom and Watford.

Ismael feels as though VAR would reduce pressure on referees, improve decision-making, and benefit the Championship, especially with high stakes in promotion and relegation battles, but also argued that consistent refereeing errors harm the league’s appeal and fairness, urging quick implementation of VAR to support clubs’ investments.

He said to RoversTV: “If you want to release some pressure on the referee, then you need to give them some support.

“They are not able to deal with the situation and make the right decision. One mistake can happen, it happens in football, but now it seems to be a lot.

“Not only with us, you see every weekend some terrible decisions, terrible calls. At some point, when it’s about relegation or promotion, the pressure will be higher.

“We need to rely on clear, professional decision-making and not be influenced by anything. If VAR is the solution, then we need it quickly because a lot of clubs invest a lot of money and want to push for something, to make the Championship more attractive.

“At the minute, it’s not good for the football, those decisions. We are not getting the help we deserve.”

Ismael said, per BBC Sport:

“It was a better performance than last week. I think we give the win away again. The two goals we concede we can avoid.

“The first one it is one or two minutes before half-time and we are not aggressive enough to stop the cross.

“I said to the boys if you are waiting for something it won’t come, so we have to chase it and show more desire and stay on the front foot.

“The second half we played like we wanted, but in one situation the first touch is not good and we lose the ball a second time too easily and it is 2-1.

“We kept pushing. We created chances. Then the penalty situation… I think it’s terrible. That level again.

“The decisions against us are changing the start of your season. Managers are losing their jobs because they are not picking up points, but if someone takes the bad decision, then you are losing your job because someone is not doing their job. It’s a terrible feeling.”

Swansea head coach Alan Sheehan:

“With the Hull game, then Birmingham the disallowed goal and then the penalty the other day – I felt like we should have had more points.

“But consistency is key, showing up. Tonight was all about mentality. I think we have played a lot better in other games and not got wins so I am very happy to come away with three points and proud of the resilience the lads showed.

“I think in moments in the first half we controlled it without creating enough. Then a wonderful bally by Tymo (Josh Tymon) and a wonderful finish from Goncalo [Franco] after going behind.

“Second half we made a couple of changes and then Adam [Idah] shows that moment of composure and quality to pick out Culls (Liam Cullen). We have got into those areas so many times this season and not come away with as many outcomes as we should have, but it was an excellent finish.”

Here’s how fans reacted as Valerien Ismael calls for VAR in the Championship after controversy as Blackburn lose to Swansea…

@johnrobinson07: Clutching at straws here, the squad and coach isn’t good enough anyone can see that. I have watched the pen claim back on tele and I am not sure if it’s actually a pen from the TV angle. It looks like one of them or claims sometimes you get them sometimes you don’t.

@s_m_gill: VAR can’t intervene on coaching ability nor club leadership, management and recruitment. #Rovers

@Billy__F: Haahahah fucking ridiculous

@MoorcroftRico: VAR didn’t lose us the game, VAL did. Todd hasn’t got 90min in him on his best day, he hasn’t got 60min in him on a bad day. We need the energy of Alibiosu in CM or RM ,the game was there to be won on 60min and Val failed to make subs. Disrespected DeNeve by putting him on late

@SamDCross: WHAT IS THE LINESMAN DOING ON THAT SIDE?!?!

@JE22_JCK: If the referee and linesman (who is 10 yards away) don’t think it’s a foul, the only other alternative is a dive. He played on.

@AllVenkysOut: Ipswich, Charlton and now Swansea. When will we be on the good side of a decision? #Rovers

@papalanga: We’ve got a ton of luck at the moment, all of it being bad #Rovers

@2GDonk98: Bizarre how these EFL refs get worse every year they wouldn’t be out of place down pleasy

@sparkyjack84: 100% a pen. We had one not given on Saturday. Some shocking refereeing in the Championship

@lukewallis82: First time I’ve left the stadium thinking it was a stonewall pen but to agree with the ref, I don’t think that’s a pen at all, not even in the box

@EwoodTerraces: Stonewall

@chengy888: Same ref (from Preston) we had at home vs Norwich in March, screwed us over then too….

@mcurrie95: Yes. And probably 2nd yellow…

@JoshLogan1999: Wow that defo a pen a blind man would of seen that shocking ref that even the linemen should of seen it

@flubberbrfc: Clutching at straws this bloke now. Clearly worried about his job if this is the case and after last night’s interviews and rightly so. It’s not good reading for him a little push back end of season take that away piss poor point return. Don’t think it’ll improve either.

@marchamjack: Didn’t think so in normal play but seeing replay yes. VAR would’ve given it. Oh well… 😬😅

@hughledger1432: 100% a penalty…… we got lucky there. Makes up for pull back on VIP on Saturday. Penalties have a habit of evening themselves out during a season

@tombury89: Stonewall penalty, the standard of refereeing gets worse every season, as much as I don’t like VAR I’d take it in the Championship so big balls like this are given, this is the 3rd penalty so far this season that hasn’t been given for us

@LNW1994: I thought it was tbh but we’ve been shafted ourselves a few times already this here. EFL officials are terrible.

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