Scotland's referees told to be more consistent amid calls for increased 'humility'

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell was left perplexed by some decisions during last weekend's defeat by Dundee United.

Kettlewell feels clubs are not always getting value for money from their investment in VAR technology and that referees could help relations by admitting when they are wrong.

The Motherwell boss remains unsure why two similar incidents involving his goalkeeper, Liam Kelly, and Steven Fletcher during his side’s defeat last Saturday resulted in a penalty and then a yellow card for the Dundee United striker for simulation. “I just want consistency,” he said. “Even if it was two penalties, that gives us all clarity. If it was two bookings that gives us clarity. But the fact we had two completely outcomes, I still find it incredibly baffling.”

Kettlewell also felt aggrieved that Kevin van Veen had a goal disallowed for offside on the back of a Rangers goal being given at Fir Park last month when Fashion Sakala was given the benefit of the doubt. “Now, I wasn’t sitting in VAR HQ when the lines were drawn so I need to be cautious in what I am saying but, from the pictures I have seen, the lines look to be touching again,” said Kettlewell, whose team face Celtic on Saturday. I was led to believe that the advantage should go to the attacker and it didn’t. It went against us against Rangers and it went against us in the Dundee United game.”

Kettlewell feels Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie was unlucky to be sent off against Ross County on Friday and a decision to hand out an extra one-match ban following a failed appeal was “incredibly harsh”. “We have seen some weeks where VAR has been a major challenge,” he added. “In my opinion, there was one week in particular where I felt there were probably six or seven incorrect calls. Other people, officials, will argue I’m wrong, but just from what I am led to see.

“Towards the end of my time at Ross County I felt we just couldn’t catch a break at all, that there were some horrendous decisions going against us. I don’t think any official was trying to make that happen but people lose their jobs. Ultimately you do. Not just managers, if clubs get relegated then there are redundancies. I think we all felt that by bringing in VAR we were going to mitigate some of those decisions when human error can come into play and you get two, three, four, five more looks at the incident. I know we keep talking about objective and subjective but there are so many incidents where the general football fan and the person who has a keen eye for the game will tell you they are wrong.

“When I was a player, and I know the game has changed completely since then, I always felt there were officials you could speak to that at times held their hand up when they made mistakes because I make mistakes as a manager, players make mistakes. I felt when you hold your hands up to mistakes at times, players have an understanding and have a bit of sympathy, they know it’s a tough job. What I find hard at times, when I see decisions that are wrong, that we still argue we have got them right.

“Sometimes I think we would just like to see that bit of humility to make sure that everybody is on the same page. The weekend I am talking about when I felt there were six or seven errors, I don’t think we can ever get to that stage, not with this system in play and not with the money that the football clubs are spending.”