Tottenham Hotspur manager, Ange Postecoglou, voiced his dissatisfaction with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system following a 3-1 Premier League victory over Southampton on Sunday. Despite the win, Postecoglou was left disgruntled as VAR took almost five minutes to disallow a Spurs goal due to an offside ruling.
Lucas Bergvall believed he had extended Tottenham's lead to 2-0 in the 33rd minute from a set-piece when he found the bottom corner of the net. However, after an extensive check lasting four minutes and fifty seconds, VAR ruled out Bergvall's effort for a marginal offside.
The lengthy delay led to impatient fans booing while Postecoglou was seen flipping an imaginary coin and playing rock-paper-scissors. The gestures seemed to imply that he felt such decisions were down to luck rather than clear-cut rules.
Manager calls for instantaneous decisions
Postecoglou expressed his belief that offside decisions were never intended to be "microscopically adjudged". He suggested that such rulings should be made instantaneously rather than being subjected to prolonged scrutiny which disrupts game flow and frustrates both players and spectators alike.
Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham manager, said:
"If you told me a few years ago that we would be spending five minutes during a football game standing around I would never have believed you," Postecoglou told reporters.
"They draw those lines [to check for offside] -- is anyone convinced by those? This is not a slight on anyone... but the fact we're waiting five minutes, I really don't think that's what technology was brought in for. I think it's gone too far down the road for anyone to claw it back. We used to allow the assistants to make those decisions and we all accepted it."
The 59-year-old manager’s comments reflect growing concerns within football about how technology is impacting the sport. Many share his view that while technology can help ensure fair play, its current application often leads to unnecessary delays and contentious decisions.
Premier League responds with semi-automated technology
In response to these concerns, The Premier League announced plans for semi-automated offside technology which will be used for the first time later this month following successful testing in the FA Cup. This move is expectedly aimed at reducing delays caused by VAR checks and making offside decisions more efficient.
While VAR has been instrumental in ensuring accuracy in football, its implementation has not been without controversy. The recent incident involving Tottenham Hotspur's disallowed goal highlights the ongoing debate about the balance between technological intervention and maintaining the fluidity of the game. As semi-automated offside technology is introduced, fans and teams alike will be keen to see if this can provide a solution that ensures fairness while preserving the pace of play.
