Lee Johnson wants showdown talks with the SFA over VAR – claiming he might have to sign an on-field bouncer if glaring inconsistencies aren’t cleared up.
The Hibs boss is still fuming Ross County’s equaliser in Tuesday’s draw in Dingwall was allowed to stand after David Marshall was bundled into the net challenging for Yan Dhanda’s corner. Johnson is adamant it was a foul on his goalkeeper and was similar to other incidents this season that have been awarded as a free-kick.
The bristling manager insists he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to teach his players any more due to the inconsistency from officials. And he reckons his next dip into the transfer window could be to sign some muscle to protect his keeper at one end and a Beckham-style set-piece specialist to put the opposition goalie under pressure at the other. He said: “There’s a grey area here. Referees are potentially making fewer decisions based on knowing they’ve got the VAR as the back-up. But VAR then has to be completely convinced to go against the referee. I’d like more conversations with the SFA. Has it cost us points? Yes, absolutely.
"But the bigger picture is what am I coaching my players? What am I teaching them?
"Am I signing a bouncer to protect my goalkeeper at corners or will rules and officials protect the goalkeeper? Because if you’re abroad anywhere other than Scotland and you touch the goalkeeper on the shoulder it’s a foul.
“The Rangers-Hearts game earlier this season, Rangers scored a goal with minimal contact on the goalkeeper and it was given as a foul. I’m after consistency to be able to coach my players and I have to adapt on the back of that.
“I want to protect my keeper and stop opposition players invading the space. But am I allowed to bundle an opposition keeper straight into the goal?
"In which case I need to recruit someone who can swing the ball Beckham-style right on top of the keeper. It’s the lack of consistency that frustrates me and the explanations on the back of it that frustrate me even more.”
Johnson is delighted with his January window work after US international Matthew Hoppe was announced at half-time of Tuesday’s draw arriving on loan from Middlesbrough. Burnley defender CJ Egan-Riley signed on loan a day earlier despite interest from top sides on the continent.
Johnson reckons the wisdom of his boss at Turf Moor, Vincent Kompany, played a massive part. He said: “That’s a manager and ex-player who understands the importance of learning your trade.
“You can only do that by playing games. I believe every player needs 25 games a year minimum in a competitive standard to go and develop.
“I know for a fact there were top European teams bidding for CJ last week on a permanent. And Matthew gives us the attributes we haven’t got.
"He will either take hold and take the challenge and perform well or it could be difficult because this is a tough league. This is a brilliant league for young players.
"We had a couple who turned us down. I couldn’t believe it.
"They probably didn’t have respect for Scottish football to advance their career. I think, ‘you’re mad, you’re going to play academy football until the end of the season and you could’ve had 14 games and six or seven of those are against top teams in top stadiums’.
"It’s crackers. Sometimes it’s agents stopping it or academy directors.”
