Steven Naismith this week became the latest Premiership manager to voice his concerns and frustrations over the way VAR is being implemented in the Scottish top-flight.
His comments were entirely understandable!
They followed the sending-off of Hearts midfielder Peter Haring for what everyone could see was nothing more than a trip on St Mirren’s Mark O’Hara last weekend. The referee, David Dickinson, immediately brandished a red card; patently the wrong decision.
That was bad enough, but worse was to follow when his video back-up team, having studied the footage, endorsed the call, and failed to recommend he review it. It was as ‘clear and obvious’ an error as we have seen all season long.
Thankfully, the independent panel upheld the appeal, and the card was downgraded to yellow, but that doesn’t begin to explain why the red was not immediately reversed on the day.
It is just the latest in a long line of inexplicable decisions that have somehow slipped through the VAR net since its introduction last autumn.
Haring was the second player in the last month to have such a punishment overturned, following Hibernian’s James Jeggo, sent off in equally baffling circumstances against St Johnstone, only to have the panel dismiss the officials’ match day verdict.
Earlier in the campaign, Tony Watt became the first player to be sent off by the referee, have that call ratified by VAR, but to then be admonished upon appeal.
Thank goodness that route is still available, but it really should not be required, particularly when the VAR team has access to countless video replays, and the time it takes on many occasions for them to come to a conclusion.
Quite apart from those instances, there has been a string of incomprehensible decisions throughout the season, many arising from the application of the handball law, with some alarming inconsistencies.
Plenty penalties have been given for what were clearly inadvertent transgressions – if they were even that – but when Andy Considine all but juggled the ball in the box against Kilmarnock in March, VAR did not intervene, leaving Derek McInnes understandably bemused.
A step too VAR?
It is not just handball that has caused an issue, there have been further examples of ridiculous decision-making most weeks, and they could have serious repercussions for clubs, particularly those at the foot of the table.
Dundee United are currently bottom, and they only have themselves to blame, but their cause was not helped by the awarding of a phantom penalty for St Mirren at Tannadice, when Curtis Main somehow lost his balance. That was another clear example of VAR failing to offer the necessary support to the on-field referee.
I accept that allowances had to be made initially as the new technology bedded-in, and those charged with implementing it got used to its demands, but it has now been in place for seven months, and the problems have continued.
There has been talk of specialist VAR officials being brought in, and that might help, but whatever they do, the authorities are going to have to work hard to regain the confidence of the clubs and the paying public.
As it stands, although those in charge will not admit it publicly, VAR has not performed as it should have done.
I hope steps are taken over the summer to rectify that for next season.
Dons right to say no to B teams
I was delighted to learn this week the Dons had rejected an invitation to join the proposed Conference League.
The plan is an abomination, one which effectively relegates the majority of Lowland and Highland League clubs at a stroke, and will do next to nothing for the overall good of our game.
It has been driven by Celtic and Rangers, the suggestion being it will better prepare their youngsters for first team football. Even if those players were to improve as a result, how many would realistically ever be given a chance at either? Few, if any.
It was also good to see Aberdeen acknowledge their long relationships with Junior and Highland clubs, and express the desire not to harm those.
The loan market makes complete sense for the Dons and will offer their young stars competitive first team action, without the financial drain of paying to join the Conference.
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