David Tanner issues ‘insane’ reaction to Connor Goldson incident as Rangers beat Livingston
Connor Goldson’s disallowed Rangers goal at Livingston showed that scrapping VAR “would be insane”, according to David Tanner.
The presented reacted on Twitter during the first half of the Gers victory on 12 November, after the defender’s opener had been ruled out following a video assistant review due to Cyriel Dessers being offside when he stretched for the ball to distract home keeper Shamal George in the build up.
Tanner felt it was an obvious example of the technology being used successfully after the goal had been given on the pitch inside the opening quarter-hour.
Tanner wrote: “Connor Goldson’s goal: a correct decision by VAR. Another one.
“How can the ‘scrap VAR’-lobby look at incidents like that – where officials are helped by video technology – and still insist the game is better-off without it?
“It needs tweaked for sure – scrapping would be insane.”
Under the radar
It is undoubtedly true that VAR has complicated the issue since its introduction, whether it be via officials using it to reach bizarre decisions or simply because it highlights the subjectiveness of many incidents that will never please everyone.
When the video assistant gets involved and causes a negative impact it is almost always highlighted, but rarely gets the same praise when it does what it was brought in for.
In the case of Goldson’s goal it was probably used correctly, but Rangers could also justifiably point to its involvement in disallowing Ross McCausland’s first for the club as a needless intervention.
The 20-year-old winger had fired a rebound high into the net in the first half on his full Light Blues debut, only to have it ruled out for a perceived foul in the build-up by Abdallah Sima.
That decision was far more questionable than the Dessers one, and highlighted how VAR is only really as good as those using it and the regulations around the circumstances they can do so.
At the same time others were furious about the “disgrace” that saw VAR not get involved to overturn the first penalty award on the day, so it seems unlikely that there will ever be a consensus.
While some will forever wish it had never been introduced it is true that whenever contentious refereeing decisions occur in games where there is no video technology there are complaints over its absence.
The win at Livi showed that VAR does sometimes get it right but even in the game at the Tony Macaroni Arena that success was undercut on other occasions.
In other Rangers news, a positive development at Ibrox has “perversely” damaged the club’s transfer hopes.