“It’s good for football”- Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino takes his side on the VAR debate as PL clubs vote on crucial matter

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettinos feels VAR should be utilised wisely

The future of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in the Premier League is under intense scrutiny as clubs prepare to vote on its continuation for the upcoming season and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has given his two cents on the matter. This debate has been sparked by a series of controversial decisions that have led some teams, such as Wolves, to call for the technology’s abolition. They argue that VAR undermines the essence of the Premier League due to inconsistent and erroneous decisions.

Amidst this controversy, Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has voiced his support for retaining VAR, emphasizing the need for better implementation rather than discarding the technology altogether. According to Pochettino, the primary issue lies not with VAR itself, but with the officials operating it. He believes that the league must focus on improving the proficiency of those behind the screens to ensure accurate and fair use of the technology.

Pochettino’s stance highlights how Chelsea has been adversely affected by poor VAR decisions in both domestic cup competitions and Premier League matches. He maintains that with better training and usage, VAR can fulfill its intended purpose of aiding referees and enhancing the fairness of the game.

"In the way they do it, I would vote against it. These people are not able to use it" ❌

Jurgen Klopp says he would vote against VAR if it were to continue to be used in the current way 😯 pic.twitter.com/tIRT9E7w6o

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 17, 2024

The Argentine manager gave his thoughts on scrapping the technology, and his comments seem to indicate he is not against the removal of VAR. Speaking to the reporter, he further said via BBC:

“I am not involved in this process. I like VAR. The way we need to improve is how we use VAR; that is the key. We need to be open and welcome the new technology. I think it’s good for football.”

Pochettino’s stance highlights how Chelsea has been adversely affected by poor VAR decisions in both domestic cup competitions and Premier League matches. He believes that with better training and usage, VAR can fulfill its intended purpose of aiding referees and enhancing the fairness of the game.

Critics of VAR point out that on-pitch referees often make the same decisions as VAR officials, questioning the added value of the technology if it doesn’t improve judgement. VAR was introduced with the promise of identifying instances that the on-pitch referee might miss, generating significant hype. However, the core issue remains unchanged, as controversial decisions persist.

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The technology as a whole is worth it but the incompetence of the referees and those operating VAR makes it appear poor as a whole. To put things into perspective, VAR is used better on the European stage while sports such as cricket also make excellent use of video replays without too many controversies.

The onus should not be on whether VAR is needed or not, but rather those running it are competent to make use of it.