Ange Postecoglou voiced his concerns on the VAR problems in football, claiming that they were “self-inflicted.”
Officiating and VAR once again grabbed center stage as Tottenham lost 4-1 to Chelsea after a weekend full of contentious decisions and Premier League drama, including Mikel Arteta’s criticism of “embarrassing” rulings in Arsenal’s game against Newcastle.
Numerous goals were disallowed in the encounter, three red card checks that ended in no dismissals, and one red card for Cristian Romero—who fouled a Chelsea player and awarded them a penalty—were among the highlights.
There were protracted delays and extra time added to the match; twelve minutes were added at the conclusion of the first half and nine more in the second.
Postecoglou expressed his displeasure with the lengthy wait times during these decisions, but he also hinted that the reason for this could be attributed to the officials’ ongoing criticism.
“I don’t like it, that’s just how the game is going,” he said. Additionally, he pointed out that a portion of the issue is “self-inflicted” as weekly complaints about judgments result in undue scrutiny.
The manager thinks that additional adjustments are in store, perhaps including the introduction of microphones for referees, a la other sports.
Postecoglou underlined the importance of respecting the referee’s decisions and issued a warning against the continual weakening of the referee’s authority, which is giving power to someone who is watching TV from a distance.
Notwithstanding the disputes and difficulties, he acknowledged that these problems are inherent in the game and have been for a long time.
