Introducing VAR to the Scottish Premiership must be a no brainer after Aberdeen were robbed of a deserved win at Ibrox.
Aberdeen lost out on a valuable two points in Glasgow due to a wrong penalty decision which would have been eradicated by VAR.
The hope is that VAR (Video Assistant Referee) will greatly reduce the amount of costly refereeing errors clubs must face – particularly away to Rangers and Celtic.
I’m not for a moment suggesting there is any biased slant from referees towards the Glasgow clubs – there isn’t.
However, the maelstrom and noise at Ibrox and Parkhead when packed with home fans can potentially, unwittingly, sway referees’ decisions when a cacophonous roar erupts after an incident.
Referees have a split second to make a call which can determine the outcome of games and potentially the course of seasons.
They need all the help they can get to ensure decisions are right and VAR will deliver that.
Scottish referees are honest and are all trying to do a difficult job to the best of their ability – it is the SPFL, not the KJB or MI5, and there is no conspiracy.
However, that will not lessen the frustration of Aberdeen and the club’s supporters at being denied a win by a penalty which should never have been awarded.
Had VAR been in use at Ibrox in Aberdeen’s 2-2 draw on Wednesday, John Beaton’s award of a penalty would have been reviewed – and surely scrapped.
Rangers attacker Fashion Sakala appears to throw his body into the left leg of Aberdeen centre-back David Bates as he attempted to win a header.
James Tavernier’s delivery into the box was behind Sakala, who was struggling to meet it.
It was a coming together of Bates and Sakala and never a penalty.
That phantom spot-kick would have been exorcised by technology in the week of Halloween rather than allowed to haunt the Dons’ recent revival.
Aberdeen should have finished a magnificent week with nine points from nine against Premiership big hitters Hearts, Rangers and Hibs.
They were denied a maximum return through no fault of their own by being punished by the wrong penalty call.
Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass confirmed last week that he is in favour of VAR.
Just two weeks ago the Dopns were deep in a hole after a 2-1 loss at the Premiership’s then bottom club Dundee extended a winless run to 10 games.
Aberdeen displayed real strength of character to haul themselves out of that hole.
However, Beaton’s wrong penalty call could have kicked them back into that pit of misery had Rangers gone on to grab a late winner after their penalty kick equaliser.
The SPFL are reportedly set to offer all 12 Premiership clubs a vote before the end of February on VAR’s introduction.
Premiership clubs attended a meeting earlier this month on VAR where 2010 World Cup final referee Howard Webb talked about benefits of introducing it.
Webb revealed feedback was supportive.
If voted through, VAR is set to be introduced after the World Cup in Qatar next winter.
Where would Scotland be without VAR?
Any Scottish football fan against VAR should consider where the national team would be without it – miserable and regretting another failed World Cup qualifying campaign.
VAR has twice came to the rescue in the ongoing World Cup qualifying campaign in crunch games.
In the 1-0 defeat of Austria, the Scots were initially denied a penalty for a foul on Che Adams, only for a spot-kick to be awarded after the incident was reassessed by VAR.
Likewise, in the 3-2 defeat of Israel, a Lyndon Dykes goal was chalked off as referee Szymon Marciniak initially disallowed the goal for a high challenge on Ofri Arad, who had attempted to head clear.
However, after consulting the pitch-side monitor, the referee let the goal stand.
That’s four points which would have been lost against Scotland’s two closest rivals for a play-off spot if VAR was unavailable.
I don’t particularly like VAR as it can disrupt the natural flow of a game and it can also still be wrong as it is a subjective process. However, it the lesser of two evils.
It is much better for supporters to be frustrated at a few breaks in play that allow the referee to make the right call than leave grounds like Ibrox enraged at being denied a deserved win.
Marley Watkins off the goal mark
Summer signing Marley Watkins is beginning to show why he was such a key figure last season and why his exit in 2020-21 was so costly.
The 31-year-old Welsh international was the glue who gelled the Dons attack during his loan spell from Bristol City last season.
Aberdeen looked dangerous, fluid and creative when he was at the heart of the action, stretching defences with his runs and brining in team-mates with his link-up play.
That disappeared when Watkins suffered a hamstring injury in the 3-3 draw with Celtic last October that prompted the premature end of his loan deal and his return to his parent club.
Aberdeen missed Watkins and last season the misfiring attack equalled the worst-ever goal return in a league campaign in the club’s 118-year history.
Initially it appeared a permanent Pittodrie return would not materialise when Watkins signed a short-term deal with Cardiff City in August.
However, despite scoring twice in his only game for Cardiff, he was not offered an extended deal. Aberdeen moved to snap up the free agent on a two-year deal.
📺 All The Angles 📺
⚽ No harm in watching @MarleyWatkins superb finish from Saturday a few more times. pic.twitter.com/hEIT0w2DC3
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) November 1, 2021
Cardiff’s loss is Aberdeen’s gain as Watkins is now back from a recent hamstring problem and impressing in attack.
He scored a superb equaliser in the 2-1 defeat of Hearts and stretched the Jambos defence to open up space for Christian Ramirez, who was unfortunate not to score.
Watkins is getting back to his match sharpness and that can only bode well for the Reds’ revival to continue.
Dean Sutherland going for more title glory
Big time professional boxing returns to Aberdeen’s Beach Ballroom with city hero Dean Sutherland involved in a major title fight.
Undefeated Sutherland will go against Italian Michele Esposito for the WBC International Silver welterweight title in a much-anticipated homecoming fight on Friday November 12.
Southpaw Sutherland, 23, will aim to continue his rapid ascent in pro boxing, having claimed the WBO Youth welterweight world title in July.
I’m backing Sutherland to claim another belt. He is exciting fighter who will go on to secure even bigger titles.
The undercard also has another top prospect in Billy Stuart, who boxes for the Aberdeen-based Northern Sporting Club.
Stuart suffered the first defeat of his pro career in July when losing an IBF Youth super-bantamweight world title bout to Alejandro Jair Gonzalez.
Like Sutherland, Stuart will go on to secure many pro titles.