Premier League's latest VAR controversy shows that something has got to give

The case for ex-professional players joining VAR panels to help reach the CORRECT decisions is now overwhelming. After the absurd failure to send off James Tarkowski for his poor tackle on Alexis Mac Allister in the Merseyside derby, something has to give.

And after waiting ages for Pape Sarr’s ‘equaliser’ for Tottenham at Chelsea to be ruled out for a clear and obvious foul, it’s time to add some know-how to the process.

If you asked 1,000 professional footballers who have played the game and understand the ferocity, intent and speed of Tarkowski’s challenge, all 1,000 would agree immediately it was a straight red card. Not 998 or 999, all 1,000 of them.

Officials on the field only get one look at any incident in real time, so I have no gripes with referee Sam Barrott’s initial sanction of a yellow card. But what was VAR Paul Tierney looking at that made him think Tarkowski’s high and dangerous follow-through did not meet the red card threshold?

If an ex-pro had been part of the panel following the game on monitors at Stockley Park, he would have been able to tell Tierney and his assistant VAR Adam Nunn it was a clear and obvious error, and to advise Barrott to take another look on his pitchside screen.

Let’s keep it in perspective though: We are talking about a tackle in the heat of the moment on a football pitch. The death threats and online abuse directed at Tarkowski and his family are totally unacceptable and repugnant.

And in the case of Sarr’s disallowed goal, why did it take several minutes to reach the obvious conclusion it was a foul?

From the first replay, you can see the Tottenham sub catches Enzo Fernandez on the back of his knee, plays no part of the ball, and it’s a foul. Open and shut case, should take about 20 seconds to restart the game with a free-kick to Chelsea. Instead, it felt like it took half the night.

Ex-players have warned all along that if we are going to use VAR technology, it’s important that the people operating it understand the game. Referees may know the laws of association football inside out, but if they have not played the game to a professional standard do they truly understand the intent behind a tackle or what constitutes a foul?

Those two incidents in midweek made me despair for players, managers, TV viewers and, especially, the supporters who pay top-dollar for tickets. It’s bad enough when we have to wait for three, four, five minutes before knowing whether we can celebrate a goal. It’s even worse when VAR officials armed with multiple replays and camera angles still get it wrong.

As a manager at Northern Premier League level, I am so glad we don’t have VAR to ruin the spectacle every week. When the referee signals a goal, you can celebrate spontaneously knowing someone 200 miles away is not going to spoil your fun.

Referees are human beings, and they make mistakes that can make you tear your hair out, but they make honest decisions on the spur of the moment and everyone can get on with the game. If someone offered me VAR at Macclesfield, I would say ‘No thanks, no chance’. Football was in a much better place without it.

For those who are stuck with it, the Tarkowski and Sarr incidents this week should be a watershed. Get ex-pros involved in the VAR process and let’s make sure decisions are quick and correct.

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