Jamie Carragher unveils his four-point plan to fix VAR once and for all, he's had enough
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Jamie Carragher has unveiled his four-point plan to finally fix the issues that have plagued VAR in the Premier League and Champions League this season.
The technology has been the source of controversy on an almost weekly basis, from denying Wolves what appeared to be a clear penalty on the opening day against Manchester United, to incorrectly ruling out Luis Diaz's goal for offside against Tottenham because of human error.
VAR decisions in Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Newcastle on Saturday provoked the ire of Gunners boss Mikel Arteta - you can listen to his reaction below - but an independent panel ruled that the decision to allow the Magpies' goal was, in fact, the correct one.
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But the latest VAR saga occurred on Wednesday evening, when Marcus Rashford was sent off for United in their 4-3 defeat against Copenhagen.
The incident was not spotted in real-time, before VAR used slow-motion footage to come to the conclusion that Rashford had committed a red card offence.
The sending off changed the course of the game, with United going from 2-0 up at the time to 2-2, before losing the game in second half injury time.
Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher says that VAR cannot continue in its current form - and has proposed a host of changes.
One of those changes is a reduction in interference by VAR - particularly in the case of red cards and handballs.
He explains: "It feels like interference is ingrained. Officials have become so scared of being criticised for making poor decisions that they want to intervene, deeming too many tackles and handballs within the remit of red cards.
"A firmer order has to come from the top to reduce it. Please let the on-field referees take more control and more responsibility. No official is more qualified to make a judgment on an incident than the one on pitch."
Carragher also advocates for the semi-automated offside system that was used during the World Cup to be brought into the Premier League.
And the Liverpool legend wants dedicated VAR officials to be appointed, writing: "Some officials are more suited to VAR than others. If you have trained to be an on-field referee, it is not your natural skill set to be stuck in a room watching slow-motion replays."
Finally, he has also urged that the threshold for red card offences is reduced: "A red card used to be an event in itself. I attended the 1985 FA Cup final, when [United defender] Kevin Moran became the first to be sent off for a foul on [Everton midfielder] Peter Reid. The threshold was so high.
"There were 30 red cards in the Premier League last season. Eleven games in, there have already been 25.
"Is the game more ill-disciplined? No. The use of VAR is a negative influence here."
Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Jamie Carragher, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, VAR, Premier League, Champions League
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