Liverpool VAR rage justified is 'financial cost' revealed

By Kieran Maguire

8th Oct, 2023 | 6:00pm

Kieran Maguire: Liverpool 'feel let down by Stockley Park' as 'financial cost' of VAR revealed

Liverpool are right to feel ‘let down’ by VAR because the technology comes at a ‘financial cost’ to top-flight clubs.

That is the view of finance expert Kieran Maguire, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about Liverpool’s reaction to the VAR controversy against Tottenham last week.

Jurgen Klopp’s side saw a goal incorrectly ruled offside during their 2-1 loss against Spurs last Saturday because of an error made by the video assistant referees.

Audio released from the incident shows VAR officials wrongly advising on-pitch referee Simon Hooper to disallow the goal despite footage showing the Colombian winger was onside.

Liverpool subsequently released a statement after the match suggesting there was a ‘clear need for escalation and resolution’.

Reds manager Klopp also called for the match to be replayed following the crucial mistake.

Maguire believes Liverpool’s frustration is justified because VAR technology costs clubs financially but has failed to live up to the promise of reducing errors.

I think any club on the receiving end of that VAR decision would rightfully feel aggrieved,” Maguire told Football Insider’s Sean Fisher.

VAR comes at a financial cost to all clubs in the Premier League, and it’s justification was that it would reduce the number of errors.

While that has been achieved, it has to be assured that clear and obvious errors such as an offside decision, should be corrected and appropriate 100 per cent of the time.

Liverpool are right to feel let down by Stockley Park.

“It’s exactly the same as Brighton at Crystal Palace last year where VAR drew the lines against the wrong defender.

In other news, Liverpool fans are all saying the same thing as they react to Bissouma red card for Tottenham today