Matthew Lindsay
Coherence and consistency needed to alleviate VAR confusion
SCOTTISH football loves a summit more than Reinhold Messner. Any issue that arises in the game in this country – and there is, let’s face it, barely a week that goes by without something sending club owners, directors, managers, players or supporters here into a tizzy – invariably results in a meeting of all concerned parties being convened.
In recent years, there have been high- level pow- wows over league reconstruction, racial abuse, the introduction of VAR, sectarian chanting, the standard of refereeing and the treatment of our match officials.
So it was no great surprise when it emerged the SFA Professional Game Board had arranged talks with representatives of all 12 cinch Premiership clubs next week in a bid to address the unhappiness that exists over VAR in general and the penalty decisions which have been made this season in particular.
Dialogue is always healthy. It is to be hoped the discussions are constructive and go some way towards quelling the unrest which has been growing in the stands, dressing rooms, dugouts and boardrooms of stadiums across the land in the last few months.
That those involved will be asked to suggest potential changes to the handball rule – which SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell will pass on when he next meets with his IFAB colleagues this year – seems sensible too.
Des Roache, the former Category One whistler who now gives his opinion on refereeing matters on the Get Involved Referee podcast, described the rule as “clear as mud” in these pages this month following the outcry of the Connor Goldson incident in the Old Firm game.
Callum Davidson, the St Johnstone manager, is one of many who believes that it needs to be amended.
He was far from impressed when Willie Collum ruled the arm of his defender Ryan McGowan had been in an unnatural position and awarded a spot- kick against his side during a league game against Hearts at McDiarmid Park last month. Lawrence Shankland converted and the visitors won 3- 1.
“I’m not sure what Ryan is meant to do,” said Davidson. “The Hearts player just chips it up. But he gets booked for it because the referee said it was a shot towards goal. That is ludicrous as it was a flick. This handball rule has got to change a little bit.” Such sentiments are being expressed every weekend.
The problem as things stand is that penalty decisions are open to individual interpretation. What one onlooker believes is a “stonewaller”, another will feel is not worthy of any punishment. What exactly constitutes unnatural anyway? It is such a grey area.
The SFA held a VAR briefing for the media at Clydesdale House when Premiership football resumed after the World Cup last month in order to talk through the teething problems they had encountered and explain how they hoped to improve their use of the newly implemented technology.
During a lengthy presentation, SFA head of refereeing Crawford Allan replayed a few flashpoints from various encounters on a screen and asked those in attendance what they would have done in each circumstance. Opinion was divided on every occasion. It is little wonder that confusion and consternation abounds.
Alas, it is very hard to see how the ill- feeling can be alleviated by either talks or rule changes. The arguments over the rights and wrongs of big calls are always coloured by personal allegiances. In many instances of late, the phrase “I don’t care what the rule is, that’s a penalty” has been used. What chance do they have?
It is certainly true that there needs to be far greater consistency and clarity from referees in the remaining half of the season and beyond. But nothing will ever convince your average fitba supporter that their team is not hard done by and match officials do not favour their rivals.
Scottish football will really have to hold a summit on stupidity to sort it out.
AND ANOTHER THING
THERE is still another fortnight or so to go before the January transfer window “slams shut” and there is plenty of time for managers to bring in players who can bolster their bids to win titles or avoid relegation.
Michael Beale, who has been heavily linked with Todd Cantwell and Tom Davies, is likely to make one or two additions to his Rangers squad before the month is out.
Yet, even if he is successful in his pursuit of new recruits in the coming days, his Celtic counterpart Ange Postecoglou is once again way out in front.
Beale will need time to bed in whoever comes on board and the chances are they will not make an immediate impact. But Postecoglou got Tomoki Iwata, Alistair Johnston and Yuki Kobayashi in the door last year, has worked with them on the training ground for some time and has already handed right- back Johnston two starts.
Even if there are departures from Parkhead in the coming days, the Greek- Australian will be well placed to negotiate all of the fixtures his team have in the second half of the 2022/ 23 campaign without any dip in form.
The problem as things stand is that penalty decisions are open to individual interpretation