Adrian Durham and Alan Smith clash over VAR after Balbuena red card
Adrian Durham called for VAR to be scrapped after Fabian Balbuena was sent off for West Ham against Chelsea, but Alan Smith disagrees.
Sky Sports pundit Smith blamed the referees for getting decisions wrong rather than VAR itself, but Durham argues VAR is making things more difficult.
The talkSPORT host argues that it causes referees to overthink and suggests it is not worth having because it has not improved refs performances, and therefore has to go.
Durham tweeted, “A West Ham player was sent off for kicking a ball. That actually happened. VAR must go.”
Smith then replied, “This isn’t VAR’s fault Adrian. It’s refs with a poor understanding of the game.”
Durham hit back, “I know what you’re saying but the repeat watching, being told to go to a screen, slow-mo, angles – it all makes a ref overthink it and abandon common sense.
“VAR clouding everything, not eliminating mistakes, frustrating fans and players and coaches – so is it worth it? Really? Has it made refs better? No. Get rid.”
Awful decision
It is difficult to disagree with either Durham or Smith here, as they are both correct at the end of the day.
Balbuena’s challenge, if we can even call it that, was never a red card or even a foul – if every football fan, pundit and player can see that then surely the ref can too.
Chris Kavanagh had ample time to watch and replay the incident but then lost all common sense in dismissing the defender.
He simply failed to understand there was no intent involved and that is simply a massive failure on his behalf.
VAR is clearly not helping things though, and time after time officials are still getting things wrong.
If things do not improve quickly surely there is no future for it in the game, or at least in the Premier League.
In other West Ham news, Dan Walker has mocked a major West Ham incident on Twitter in VAR swipe v Chelsea.
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