The head coach of Tottenham has issued a warning, stating that the technology as it stands is inappropriate and could deprive English football of its distinctive selling proposition.
Tottenham’s head coach Ange Postecoglou has rejected requests from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to rerun the team’s match from the previous weekend, saying he would do away with VAR “in its current form”.
Postecoglou warns that in an attempt to “sanitise” football, the English Premier League may lose sight of its key differentiator—the speed of play—and believes that the VAR’s error, which denied Liverpool the first goal in their eventual 2-1 loss in north London, is more proof that the technology is unfit for football.
The Australian has long been an outspoken critic of VAR, which has been thrust into the spotlight again since Luis Diaz’s goal was incorrectly disallowed last Saturday, and says he would get rid of the technology if he could.
In its current state, Postecoglou responded, “I would.” Simply said, I don’t think technology is prepared for our game.
“I have nothing at all against goal-line technology; it makes sense because it advances our game. Simply put, I believe our game is special. I believe that things will get worse the more [VAR] we utilise.
“It seemed to be everything now, yet it was there for the ‘plain and evident’ error. Every move—yellow cards, fouls, corners—is being closely examined. We’re not rugby players, it’s not our game, and we don’t have such stoppages.
“What I always loved about England was the frenetic pace of football. That’s what everybody said. Premier League, English First Division, that was the difference between some other leagues where you go, ‘oh, it’s so slow and ponderous, it drives you nuts. Not the English league, it’s bang, bang’.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has long been an outspoken critic of VAR in its current form
/ Action Images via Reuters
“What makes us want to remove that? Now, I believe that one of the outcomes from previous week was that none of us liked it when they took so long to decide, and it seemed like they made a snap choice last week.
“I take that to mean that I don’t think the technology is appropriate for our game as it stands right now. But even though I know I will be in the minority in this regard, my part in it is to realise that, in the end, choices will still be made by an arbitrator, and we must follow their rulings when they are made, regardless of how I feel about it.
On Wednesday, Klopp raised the possibility of a replay, saying it was “the right thing to do”, but insisted he was speaking as a football man rather than the Liverpool manager.
In response to a question about his thoughts on a rematch, Postecoglou declared that if replays were given for each refereeing error, there would be a game every day of the year.
“I believe that what Jurgen said may have been taken a little out of context,” he remarked. “In my opinion, a mistake is not a bar for discussing a replay, regardless of the repercussions. There needs to be some kind of cutoff point.
You might have a case to argue, “Well, you know what, there’s something there,” if we veer off course and violate the law or integrity.
Jurgen Klopp called for a replay after Luis Diaz’s goal was ruled out for Liverpool last week
/ Premier League
But when you pull everything apart, it was all a mistake, that much is true. Although I agree that it was an unprecedented mistake, it was nonetheless a distinctive mistake. People have called it that. Therefore, 365 games a year, I believe, assuming your bar for replays is individual blunders.
Postecoglou has said that he has reduced the intensity of his touchline celebrations since VAR was implemented out of concern that he will appear “like a clown” if the goal is later disqualified.
With the growing trend of refereeing football games using more technology and automation, the 58-year-old, whose team plays newly promoted Luton on Saturday, said he was “happy” that he wouldn’t likely still be in the game in another 20 years.
“It’s still fun – but this is probably the only time I’m happy I’m 58 and not 38,” he said. “I don’t know what the game is going to look like in 20 years’ time and I’m not sure I would like it with the way it’s going.
“I’ve always loved the fact that our game has more flaws in it. The uniqueness of our game is the goal is so hard to get. We always focus around that.
“Usually, goals came from either a combination of brilliance or some flaws by someone. A player, a manager, a referee, something happened and a goal came.
“We’re trying to sanitise all that by trying to make it into something that I just don’t think is our game. That’s not what I’ve loved about football. I’ve loved the imperfect nature of it.
“When you’re sitting there analysing every little decision – and it seems we’re going that way where people just want every decision to be right – then that will slow down the game invariably, there will be more interruptions and they’ll take away from what I love about the game.
“But that’s me personally, other people might see it differently.”
