Ange Postecoglou has warned VAR had better be water-tight when the season reaches a critical juncture.
The Celtic boss insists there’s no excuse for teething problems with the technology and said Scottish football should have been prepared for its launch. Postecoglou was speaking after Celtic contacted the SFA for clarification over why the VAR angle used to show Jota’s goal against Motherwell was offside came from the opposite end of Fir Park.
The SFA released a statement on Friday morning confirming that the closest 18-yard line camera did not capture an appropriate view of the second half incident. Record Sport understands the QTV camera operator who failed to record the key moment has been spoken to by bosses over the incident but that reports that the lens had been trained on the dug out instead of the 18 yard line are apparently wide of the mark. Despite the image seen by the public, SFA bosses insist the right call WAS made on the offside incident as the Hawk-Eye technology is designed to give accurate offside decisions from either of the two 18-yard line camera positions.
But Postecoglou said: “VAR is not a new thing. We have had it in Australia for three or four years now. It has been about for quite a while. Our referees have used it in Europe in the past. Were we ready? They should have been prepared and ready.
“They said there might be teething problems. I don’t know why.
“As I said, it has been around for years. If they were not ready to start it then why not wait until they were ready? We won the game on Wednesday night so it was not an issue. They are saying they have evidence that Jota was offside. That’s fine.
“Look human beings are involved and you have to allow for human error. But the fact is the camera wasn’t pointing towards where it should have been.
“But when there's a decision at a critical juncture in the season do they have the evidence to support the decision? Okay, they have introduced it so let’s get on with it. But don’t make it the star of the show.
“I don’t think it helps anyone - referees, clubs, players or supporters - to have VAR as the focus of the discussion. For me, it is about the impact that it has on the game.”
Jota was flagged offside when he netted in the second half of Wednesday’s clash with Celtic already 1-0 up. Referee Willie Collum awarded a free kick after VAR confirmed the decision. But TV angles of the decision showed it from the camera located at Joe Hart’s end of the pitch.
A statement from the SFA read: "Referee operations can confirm that during a VAR review at Motherwell v Celtic, the footage from the relevant 18-yard line camera did not capture an appropriate view of the incident.
"While the broadcast footage was only able to show a wider camera angle for viewers, Hawk-Eye technology is designed to calibrate an accurate offside decision from either of the two 18-yard line camera positions, with the subsequent VAR review determining that the Celtic player had received the ball in an offside position. We have provided feedback to the host broadcaster on the incident as part of our regular review of the system operation."
Meanwhile Sead Haksabanovic won’t be joining up with Montenegro for their friendlies against Slovenia and Slovakia next week despite being included in Miodrag Radulovic’s squad. Ange Postecoglou has shut down any hope the Montenegro boss had of utilising the on-form winger and insisted he will be on the plane to Australia with his Hoops team mates.
Postecoglou said: “Everyone who isn’t going to the World Cup is going to Australia with us. It’s not an issue.
“FIFA have allowed clubs to make their own decisions because it is not an officially recognised international window and we have made our own decision as a club. Sead will be coming to Australia with us.”
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