VAR debate: Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville demand changes after discarding Aston Villa tie | Football news

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville believe a serious rethink is required about the way VAR is being applied in the Premier League.

the Sky sports the experts were talking about Monday night football After Ollie Watkins saw a controversial late draw ruled out by VAR when Aston Villa was beaten 2-1 by West Ham.

It was just the latest in a long line of controversial VAR decisions since the technology’s introduction – there were only millimeters to the offside call and Watkins appeared to have been pulled by Angelo Ogbonna moments earlier, sparking much debate after the game.

Carra: the VAR does not help the referees

“He was a huge fan of the VAR,” Carragher said. “They were bringing it in to help the game and I defended it at first, as there were initial problems, but now we are at a stage where most of the people in this country have not bought it.

“I don’t think people are enjoying football so much. The moment that sums it up is David Marshall saving the penalty for Scotland, a huge moment in his career that he couldn’t celebrate while waiting for the referee.” If I could go back, I would use VAR in a different way. “

Carragher believes the decision not to allow Watkins’ goal on Monday night shows how the VAR’s thorough offside reviews are causing officials to miss other incidents.

“Ollie Watkins has an Ogbonna goal side, but he has both of his arms around him,” he added. “That’s a penalty, or maybe you could argue that he’s out of the box, so he shouldn’t be out of the game.”

“Watkins is trying to get away from him, but the fact that he’s been fouled means he’s offside.”

“He does the right thing and stands, but the fact that he’s fouled means he’s offside because his arm is out.”

“This was introduced to help the referees, and let’s not forget that we all asked for it, the managers asked for it when they made wrong important decisions. The referees need help.

“But I actually think that in some way the VAR has exposed the umpires. I don’t think it has been of much help to them. They are reviewing incidents and they are so obsessed with something that they don’t see the bigger picture.

“They are so obsessed with looking for that offside that they miss the foul. It goes back to the incident with (Jordan) Pickford and (Virgil) van Dijk. They are so obsessed with seeing if someone is offside that they actually miss the foul. . “

“This go-to-screen nonsense has to end,” Carragher added.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I know for a fact that when a referee goes to the screen, he is not looking at it to see if he has made a mistake, Stockley Park is telling him where the infraction is. I have talked to a referee and he has told me that is the case. “

Neville: Referees programmed as robots

Neville disagreed with Carragher that the umpires would consult the screens on the field before finalizing the decisions, but agreed that the application of the VAR should change.

“Going to the screen is not the problem,” he said. “What has happened now is that the authority of the referees is questioned, their credibility is questioned and they even doubt themselves.

“It is the application of technology that is the big problem right now, and the rules themselves. Handball is nonsense. The offside rule on the arm is nonsense. Those two rules must be changed. At that time, the VAR become more acceptable.

“The umpires, when they come up on the screen, they have to have the nerve to tell that guy from Stockley Park, ‘No, I’ll take my decision.’

“That is the problem at the moment. It seems they have been programmed as robots. They need to relax and go to the screen with the feeling that they are comfortable with their decisions.”

“But they are not. They are informed like crazy, they are programmed to the nth degree, they are scared to death, and the biggest problem I come back to is that the fans hate this, so they have to change that.”

Rice: VAR changes needed

Declan Rice provided a player’s perspective after the game, insisting that he and his teammates were relaxed about VAR, but admitting that changes are required before next season.

The West Ham midfielder called for the technology to be scrapped when the Hammers were denied a draw in controversial circumstances during a meeting with Sheffield United in January, but admitted that those decisions are easier to accept when they go their way.

“The guys are calm about it,” he said. Sky sports. “Some weeks we make decisions, others we don’t.

“There have to be some adjustments. I don’t know how we can fix it, but there needs to be a change next season because I don’t think they will change it mid-season.”

“The referees are on the court and we crowd around them, so I imagine that from that point of view they have a lot of high-mouthed players who are giving them a little bit.

“So they just leave it up to whoever is at Stockley Park and we obviously can’t discuss what that decision will be.”

Moyes: Referees must toughen up

West Ham manager David Moyes insisted that the decision to discard Watkins’ goal was the correct one, but admitted that the deliberation took too long, adding that it is up to the referees to be more selective with their decisions, while also frustrated by the decision to award Villa a penalty when Trezeguet sank in the area.

“After seeing it [the penalty decision] again, [Ogbonna] He pulls on his jersey, but would that make the player fall like he did? “Moyes said. Sky sports.

“We are encouraging the players to do it, because they know there is a reward, and now we are looking for these kinds of decisions.

“I would like the referees to toughen up a bit and stop making all the decisions. I don’t know how many free throws there were tonight, but it seems like there are too many.”

He added: “We want them to get it [VAR] okay if they will, but we want it to be a little faster. It took forever, I don’t know why it took so long. I took a quick look at him and it seemed like he was off the game when it happened.

“If they were looking for something else, I don’t know, but those little things were for us tonight. We’ll take what we can and move on.”

Smith: There is no use complaining about the VAR

Dean Smith, meanwhile, could only laugh at the decision that went against him and insisted that he will not lose sleep over the VAR.

“We have had a penalty that we have missed and a goal disallowed for a part of his body that still can’t get the ball into the net,” said the Aston Villa manager. Sky sports.

“Ollie’s goal at the end was taken offside for his arm, but the only reason his arm is out is because he needs it. Either he scores or it’s a penalty. I still don’t understand.

“I’m fine if it’s a red line and he says he’s offside. That’s the rule. But if his arm is up because he’s fouled, it’s a penalty.”

“I’m not going to go home and think about VAR. It frustrates everyone, but there’s no point in worrying about it. It has happened, I can’t do anything about it now.”