BOSS IS VAR-Y WORRIED

FROM JOHN CROSS IN DOHA GARETH SOUTHGATE fears England could be targeted by VAR in the World Cup – and is seeking urgent “dialogue” with FIFA.

The Three Lions boss believes his team have already been the victims of a video nasty and should have had a penalty against Iran after Harry Maguire

(right) was rugbytackled to the ground.

But VAR did not intervene.

However, the video officials awarded a penalty AGAINST

England when John

Stones and Eric Dier tangled with Mehdi Taremi, who converted from the spot. Southgate’s worry is that refs were shown a video of an England goal before the tournament – when Kalvin Phillips blocked off a defender to allow Maguire to score in the 5-0 win over Albania – to make them aware of what to look out for. There is now a fear that VAR officials will be keeping an extra eye on England. Southgate said: “What worries me is that we were used in an example in the referees’ video. “The Harry Maguire incident in the first half, we were told that would be a definite penalty. “We’ve got to have that dialogue with FIFA... we want clarity, otherwise, we don’t know where we stand. “Goals are going in, and we don’t know whether they stand or not.”