Ange Postecoglou has voiced his discontent with the use of VAR in football, suggesting that it has negatively impacted the overall enjoyment of the game. His concerns came to the forefront following Mauricio Pochettino’s highly emotional return to Tottenham, where he guided Chelsea to a chaotic 4-1 victory over his former team.
The match at the stadium was marred by officiating controversies that cast a shadow over the otherwise thrilling encounter. Tottenham, in their pursuit of regaining the top spot in the league, ended the game with just nine players, adding to the drama. One of the pivotal moments of the match was when Cristian Romero received a red card after an extensive VAR review. This incident prompted Postecoglou to lament the game-slowing effects of technology.
Postecoglou, the manager of Spurs, expressed his reservations about VAR, stating, “I don’t like it. It is the way the game is going. Some of it is self-inflicted because if we come out every week complaining about decisions, that is what will happen. Every decision gets forensically checked, and we will be sitting around for a long time in every game trying to figure out what is going on. I don’t like it, but I am probably in the wilderness with that because I keep getting told that’s where we want to go. I am too old school; I’ll respect the referee’s decision, right or wrong. But it is the way the game is going.” He further elaborated that the constant scrutiny of decisions via VAR makes it challenging for referees to officiate, and their authority is consistently eroded. Postecoglou harkened back to a different era when referees were held in high regard, much like policemen, and he appreciates the purity of the game.
In a forward-looking statement, Postecoglou predicted that referees might eventually be equipped with microphones to explain their decisions during matches, a move aimed at bringing more transparency to the decision-making process. Later in the game, Destiny Udogie was also sent off for two bookings, further fueling the debate around VAR’s influence on match outcomes.
Despite the controversies, the game itself saw some remarkable moments. Spurs initially took the lead with Dejan Kulusevski’s goal, but Chelsea quickly equalized through Cole Palmer’s penalty. The defining moment of the match came from Jackson, who secured a late hat-trick, propelling Chelsea to 10th place in the league and solidifying their comeback in the game.
Mauricio Pochettino, on the other hand, acknowledged that the various VAR checks took too long, but he expressed satisfaction with Chelsea’s overall performance. Pochettino’s return to face his former club Spurs after four years was an emotional one for him. He emphasized the passion of the game and the crucial nature of securing three points for Chelsea in this high-stakes encounter.