VAR was branded “a total joke” and “not fit for purpose” after another day of video ref outrage.
Norwich, Brighton and Crystal Palace all had goals chalked off for offside — despite official VAR images appearing to show the players were ONSIDE.
Teemu Pukki couldn’t believe that his first half strike was disallowedCredit: PA:Press Association
Furious Norwich boss Daniel Farke blasted the decision to overturn Teemu Pukki’s goal — which would have given his side victory over Tottenham — as unfair.
The fuming German said: “There is no sense VAR is helping the game. It should make the game more fair but it isn’t doing that.
“Teemu is a yard BEHIND the Tottenham player.”
Pukki was stunned when his ARMPIT was ruled offside.
Farke added: “I don’t know when exactly they drew the line in but I can’t influence it and I don’t want to keep wasting my energy talking about it.
“We want to support an offensive game but VAR is not doing that.
“No VAR decision is going our way this season.”
Former England captain Gary Lineker steamed in on Twitter.
The disallowed effort would have put Norwich 2-0 upCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The Match of the Day host tweeted: “More nonsense from VAR. Pukki goal ruled out when level. If you have to draw lines and dots and it’s still not clear one way or the other, then please stop undermining the on-field officials. Absurd.
“If VAR was a manager, he’d have been sacked weeks ago.”
Dan Burn had a goal disallowed in Brighton’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth — despite the official VAR image showing only his ARM was in an offside position. Wilfried Zaha also had an assist chalked off during Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with Southampton after a VAR referral deemed the winger’s TOE was offside.
Of the 30 goals that have been ruled out by VAR this season, 20 of them have been offside decisions.
Seagulls defender Burn admitted: “This is the THIRD time I have been done for VAR this season and it feels especially gutting when you have just wheeled away celebrating.
“If it is offside then it is offside but it was my armpit or something stupid like that.” The latest VAR controversies sparked a furious backlash on social media, with fed-up fans branding the high-tech system “an embarrassment for the sport”, “an utter shambles” and a “total joke”.
Former Prem referee Mark Halsey wants VAR chief Mike Riley to take action.
On Burn’s offside decision, SunSport’s Halsey said: “The line showed the offside is on his arm — we all know you cannot score with your arm so it begs the question: What part of the body were they working from?
Dan Burn also saw his strike disallowed on a bad day for VARCredit: AFP or licensors
“And why did they feel the need to come back to this supposed offside incident after almost THREE passages of play had passed? We all know the technology is not 100 per cent accurate in these situations.
“The camera angle is not even parallel to the incident.
“It has to be changed for next season. It is ridiculous we are chalking off goals like these in the Premier League.
“I am at a loss. We have to give these goals otherwise the game is gone.
“How can you give an offside for a toe? When is it even offside? It is madness.
“The buck has to stop with Mike Riley. Fans pay to see goals and we are in the entertainment business. VAR was designed for absolute howlers made by the refs and their assistants, not tight offsides.
“In these incidents, it is not fit for purpose.”
Brighton boss Graham Potter added: “I always thought you gave the benefit of the doubt to the attacking team.
“When it’s a shoulder or an elbow in the first phase of a free-kick it seems extreme.
Credit: Reuters
“The reality is you can’t celebrate goals any more because you have to get everything checked and then you can.
“But as soon as you bring it in that was always going to happen so I don’t know why anyone was surprised by this. Once it’s a quarter or a millimetre off then it’s off, that’s the flipside of us making sure we get it right.”
James Tomkins gave Palace the lead against Southampton but admitted it was harsh to rule out Max Meyer’s earlier strike after Zaha was deemed offside — which would have handed them all three points.
Defender Tomkins said: “It’s so unlucky. What can you do if it’s just an arm or hand?
“It can just go against you and for you.
“We’ve had our fair share go for us so far this season. It’s just hard to celebrate any goal at the moment when it can be turned around. It can change so quickly.”
Eagles boss Roy Hodgson said: “I was never one to be banging the drum for VAR but if the mass media want it and the public want it, once again you have to be mature enough to accept it.
“VAR wasn’t on our side today. We didn’t have the VAR god on our side, he was obviously on Southampton’s side.
“It’s small margins but those are the rules they’re using.
“It’s the procedure they go on, so it’s either it is or it isn’t. There isn’t much more you can say.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
