Controversy will always be part of game, says Hughton

Brighton boss Chris Hughton does not expect the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to eradicate controversy from football and hopes it will not disrupt the flow of the game.

VAR will be used in a competitive game in England for the first time tonight when Hughton’s Seagulls host Crystal Palace in the third round of the FA Cup.

The system is designed to help referees with key incidents, such as a goal, penalty or red card, as well as cases of mistaken identity.

While Hughton recognises the need to try the technology, he is reserving judgment on how effective it will be.

“Am I a fan of it? I think you have to wait for the end product on that one,” replied Hughton when asked about VAR. “But I understand the reason why we’re doing it, why we’re trying it. Every time there’s a bad decision, there’s a clamour for better technology.

“I am probably a bit more of a traditionalist. For as long as we can remember there are always going to be controversies – whether it was a penalty or not or whether that ball was over the line.

“I don’t think any technology will clear it completely because still in some of our technology there is somebody that has to make a decision and we’ve already seen that you can have one panellist think completely differently to another.

“Whatever new ways that we have to improve our game, you eventually get used to it but I still think we don’t want anything which is going to slow down our game too much.”

Other Premier League managers have expressed their scepticism regarding VAR, including Palace boss Roy Hodgson and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe. There have also been suggestions on how to extend the technology’s use, such as giving managers a set number of challenges to decisions in each game.

However, Hughton – who was briefed on VAR on Friday – has no desire to be involved in that way, feeling it could over-complicate matters. “Once we start opening up to too many suggestion on ways we can make the best decisions then it’s almost never ending,” he said.