Fans of Everton and Liverpool may concur that the Mike Dean discovery must be a watershed event.
VAR has received criticism for not providing adequate resolutions, but the most recent discovery only serves to increase the need for change.
he is a friend and a referee, so I didn’t want to send him up.”
Mike Dean, a former Premier League referee, used unsettling words while using VAR to explain why he chose not to get involved in a contentious on-field decision last season.
In fact, there has already been tension between Everton and Liverpool and the video assistant referee. Last weekend, Alexis Mac Allister’s challenge on Ryan Christie resulted in a straight red card, which caused controversy for Jurgen Klopp’s team.
At Stockley Park, Paul Tierney and Constantine Hatzidakis were ready, but oddly chose not to assign Thomas Bramall to the pitchside monitor. To win the game, Liverpool had to withstand Bournemouth’s pressure for the final 32 minutes; the Argentine’s punishment was ultimately lifted by the Football Association.
Dramatic video captures the moment the house caught fire
Everton was furious a week earlier on the first day of the match when Stuart Attwell ruled that James Tarkowski had fouled Bernd Leno in the lead-up to Michael Keane’s goal against Fulham. At Goodison Park, the Cottagers went on to win by a solitary goal.
These two rulings are from just this season, but Everton, Liverpool, and other Premier League clubs have had similar outcomes ever since VAR was implemented in 2019–20.
In fact, since its introduction, the technology has been under a lot of fire. it could take a long time to make a conclusion or the decision might not even be the right one.
In crucial Premier League games, the decision-making of the match referees is coming under increased scrutiny. Since then, because of the criticism from bad rulings, some referees have resigned from their positions in the top division or have been demoted by the league.
Fans’ annoyance with VAR and the inconsistent application of correct judgment seems to be at an all-time high.
Dean, who retired from his position as a Premier League referee at the end of the previous season, has stepped up to analyze decisions on television. Speaking on behalf of Sky Sports, he would decide that referee Bramall was correct to send Mac Allister to the bathroom early on Saturday.
Then, this week, he would make an appearance on Simon Jordan’s podcast to talk about the contentious decision not to disqualify Tottenham Hotspur’s goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge during their fiercely disputed matchup last season. Marc Cucurella’s hair looked to be pulled by Cristian Romeo during the buildup, and Harry Kane scored afterwards.
