VAR a ‘muddle’ and ‘an embarassment’ for refs – Merse

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Paul Merson says he is concerned that the buzz and excitement is being taken out of football as he calls for former footballers to help improve VAR decisions after another weekend of controversial calls in the Premier League.

From the overturn of Arsenal’s ‘penalty’ at Newcastle to Nathan Collins avoiding a red card for Brentford against Manchester United and Brighton not being given a penalty at Chelsea, it was another busy weekend for the officials in the top-flight.

Once again, there has been plenty of debate over decisions and in a passionate column for Sky Sports, Merson has had his say on officiating in the top-flight, discussing the use of VAR, muddled rules, how ex-pros could help and his concerns for the future of football…

Read the Magic Man’s thoughts in full below.

‘Football in danger of losing its buzz’

There is no bigger buzz in football than scoring a goal.

That adrenaline that goes through you when you score that goal and there’s that release from the crowd, it’s an ‘out of this world’ feeling.

I can’t tell you how good that feeling was, but it’s going from the game.

You can’t celebrate a goal anymore with VAR. There’s no point.

You should wait until they give it now to celebrate because all they are trying to do is stop a goal. They are never trying to get you a goal, just stop it.

This isn’t right, particularly for the fans that pay their money every week to watch football. They want that buzz. There’s no better buzz for them. But the worrying thing for me, is that is going from the game.

‘The constant checking of goals is a grind’

We’re in a situation where the referees have to go to VAR and every goal is being looked at. They go further and further back to look at incidents. They are trying so hard to stop every goal.

This is an entertaining sport.

The decision-making was part of that over the years. We’ve lived with bad results against our teams or the feeling of getting away with one. Now, you can’t celebrate a goal.

Scott Parker said that the other week and he’s bang on.

We don’t just check offside. They check fouls right the way back down the pitch and minor handballs. It’s a grind.

‘The monitor checks are embarrassing’

One day, I’d absolutely love for a referee to give a penalty and then be called by VAR to the monitor, only for them to ignore the ‘I don’t think it’s a penalty’ stuff and say: “You know what, I do think that’s a penalty. I’m the ref and it’s a penalty.”

It’s embarrassing when they go over. They might as well not go over and just let the VAR give the penalty. It’s a waste of everyone’s time.

They are just telling to change the decision he’s given, and that’s what happens almost 100 per cent of the time.

It drives me up the wall.

Let’s look at the Viktor Gyokeres penalty.

Nick Pope might get the slightest touch on the ball, but he still wipes the striker out.

In a game, if you nick the ball but the forward can still get to it, and then you bring them down, is that not a free-kick?

It’s still a free-kick. You can’t just wipe people out even if you do get the ball.

Merse on ‘muddled’ rules: ‘I don’t get them anymore’

The officials are totally muddled.

One week we get one explanation, the next week we get another. Someone will go through next week and the defender will get a touch to the ball to knock it away but then follow through and bring the player down. That will be a penalty next week.

Look at Robert Sanchez getting sent off at Old Trafford. He got a touch to the ball, didn’t he?

I am struggling with the rules now.

I was sat at home earlier in the season and I ended up shouting at the TV. I couldn’t believe what I was watching. It was Fulham vs Man Utd and Calvin Bassey gave away a penalty for a foul on Mason Mount, wrestling him to the floor.

I don’t know what they are watching.

Bassey is one of the best at heading the ball for Fulham, Mount is nowhere near that level heading the ball. He puts his arms around Bassey to try and interfere with him. All Bassey does is throw him away. Why can’t he do that? Mount has his arms around him.

When he throws him away, Mount loses his balance and goes to ground. Ninety-nine out of 100 times, he wouldn’t even fall over.

They give the penalty and it is Mount who has started the grabbing. Why shouldn’t Bassey be allowed to get Mount off him? It frustrates me!

‘Ex-pros can help VAR’

I’ve always said it, and I will continue to say it until the cows come home, they need to have someone with VAR who has played the game.

I’m not talking about a superstar or a top Premier League player, I’m talking about potentially a League One or League Two player, who may have to work after finishing football.

Put someone like that with VAR and they will give you that football context.

I am not saying that because we played the game, we know more than the referees or the public. It is not that at all. We love football because the game is about opinions, and everyone can have one.

That’s the beauty of our game.

However, what having an ex-pro with VAR would do, it would provide context. It would tell the officials about those key moments, and it would take you inside the mind of footballer. Could he have stayed on his feet? Did he go over too softly? Did he mean that reckless tackle?

An ex-pro has been there and done it, and they can give you those answers.

It’s priceless knowledge and it is something the referees haven’t got. Their conversations on the pitch show you that.

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