Brendan Rodgers: Scottish football must bring in VAR

Celtic's Scott Sinclair shows his frustration after his hat-trick goal is disallowed for offside against Airdrie in the Scottish Cup

While the decision to disallow what would have been a hat-trick-clinching goal for Scott Sinclair ultimately had no bearing on the outcome of Celtic’s Scottish Cup victory over Airdrie, it was another unwelcome example of the basic errors which have led to the country’s match officials being subjected to so much negative scrutiny this season.

Celtic manager Rodgers was also left bemused when he watched the highlights of St Mirren’s cup win against Alloa in which his Northern Irish compatriot, Brad Lyons, was mystifyingly sent off on his debut for the Paisley side for two bookable offences.

According to Rodgers, the latest incidents strengthen the case for video assistant referee (VAR) technology to be introduced to Scottish football as soon as is feasible.

Although also a proponent of full-time referees, Rodgers accepts the financial parameters of the game in Scotland make that an unlikely prospect any time soon. Instead, he has urged the Scottish football authorities to prioritise VAR in any investment they make in seeking to raise the standard and  consistency of decision-making.

“It has to be VAR – 100 percent,” said Rodgers. “If you can’t do both, and have full-time refs as well, then you would have to do VAR.

“I say that because at least then, at every ground, you would get the decision right. For example, with us at the weekend, with Scott Sinclair’s goal. They could easily go back on that and see it was a good goal.

“The sending-off of the  St Mirren player was baffling. It was so disappointing for him. You could see the reaction of the Alloa lad, he thought the free-kick was given against him. These are the things that don’t help, when one of the up-and-coming top referees [Don Robertson] is making that kind of mistake. Of course it’s a worry, but it’s a challenge to us all to help them get better.

“The meeting last week was very productive, even if it didn’t work for us at the weekend, mind. It is ongoing. Hopefully going forward it can improve. We need to help the referees, they need to help themselves as well. It is not just about help, you need to make good decisions consistently. I think the ones that have been highlighted are decisions that should be correct – you shouldn’t be getting them wrong. We have to help them and make sure that the mentoring programme and the learning is taking place.

“You don’t have a big pool of referees here. You have a small pool of refs and their average age is less than what others would be in terms of experience so somehow we have to try to help them.

“It is no different to football teams or individual players. You have got to demand quality. I’ve said before that I was surprised referees weren’t full-time but they are not. It is as simple as that. Humans will always make mistakes but now, with the focus on them, it is how can we help and that is key. We are seeing and we will see decisions that may baffle you but we have to keep trying to find a way to help improve the level. If you can get the two things through – full-time refs and VAR – then great. But through choice, if you couldn’t, and finances allowed only one, then for me you have to go with VAR all day long.

“I think everyone would want to see full-time refs, but it’s very difficult if the finances aren’t there. If you have guys who are earning X-amount in a really good profession, and they’ve been asked to go full-time on 50-70 per cent less money, you’re not going to do it, are you? It’s common sense, really.

“I think all the refs would love to be full-time as that would save them having to be up early in the morning to go to the gym before going to their work and then later in the evening doing more fitness work or studying. So, I think common sense would say they would want it all, to go full-time and have VAR. But if you don’t have the clout financially to do it – and you have to choose one or the other – then for me it has to be VAR.”

Rodgers does not regard VAR as a panacea for Scottish football’s issues with erroneous and contentious decisions but believes it must be implemented in order to keep pace with the development of the game elsewhere in the medium to longer term.

“It’s not foolproof,” he added. “But at that moment in time when there is a decision to be made in the game, it might be dealt with properly.

“Listen, the English Premier League don’t have VAR yet and it’s the richest and most competitive league in the world. But we should be working towards it, absolutely. It is coming in European football and it will get to the point where there will be a difference between leagues. If you are playing here with no VAR and then go into Europe where there is, the things you get away with when the eyes are not watching will be different.

“You’ll get pulled up quicker in Europe. It’s a different view of the game. There’s a lot of debate around it but for the status of the game and the quality of decision making, then you have to go with VAR.”