Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has slammed the use of VAR during Newcastle United's 2-1 victory over Brentford after he claimed that PGMOL chief Howard Webb told him that he does not want officials to be forced to "re-referee" matches.
Newcastle claimed all three points on Saturday afternoon in a game shrouded by controversy. Ivan Toney scored a penalty at the second-time of asking for the Bees to put them 1-0 up before a David Raya own goal and a sumptuous Alexander Isak strike completed the comeback for Eddie Howe's side.
Despite the victory, Shearer was left fuming over the VAR's use to award Brentford their second penalty of the game after Toney had initially seen an earlier spot-kick saved by Nick Pope. Isak and Rico Henry collided in the box moments before half-time and despite referee Chris Kavanagh failing to award a penalty at the time, VAR Darren England summoned the official to the monitor with the decision eventually overturned.
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“I don’t mean to get angry but there’s no other option but to do that,” Shearer told BBC’s Match of the Day. “I just think this is a terrible, terrible decision. Henry goes for it, Isak goes for it and Chris Kavanagh the referee sees that himself and doesn’t give that [as a penalty] at all. He’s got a great view of it.
“VAR, Darren England, they look at that for 20 replays. Three minutes it takes them to say “No, I think you have made an absolute howler. You have to go to the screen and do that [reverse the decision]’.
“What I would say to Chris Kavanagh is show some courage and back yourself. Say to VAR Darren England ‘No, you’ve got it completely wrong. I watched that for myself, I had a good view of it and I am sticking with my decision’.
“But no, he backs down and he gives the penalty, it was a terrible decision. Once again I’m sure Howard Webb will be ringing Eddie Howe up for the second time in a month to apologise and say ‘We got that one wrong’.
“And I know Howard Webb’s got a tough job and he wants to have a high bar. But for them to re-referee like that, it’s not right. He [Webb] doesn’t want that, I know – he’s told me.”
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