‘Doing my head in’: Troy Deeney wades in on Leeds & Aston Villa drama

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Troy Deeney has told TalkSport (09/11/20 at 6:40 am) that recent VAR incidents involving Leeds and Aston Villa are ‘doing my head in’.

On Saturday, Leeds had a crucial goal chalked off by VAR when Patrick Bamford’s arm was judged to be offside – the away team should have equalised, at the moment, but instead, Crystal Palace went down the other end to make it 2-0 and win the contest 4-1 at full-time.

As for Villa, their opening goal against Arsenal was also ruled out because VAR felt that Ross Barkley was interfering with play when John McGinn powered home inside the first minute. But the officials took five minutes to come up with the decision.

Watford striker Deeney, who would have witnessed first hand how the technology is being used in England’s top-flight, shared his brutally honest thoughts on the above matters.

“When you are a striker, you are always taught, you have got to let the midfielder or the person passing you the ball know where you go,” said Deeney. “Make eye contact or little signal with your hand as to where you are going.

“Now, you are going to have to do with a bent arm. Pull your sleeve back. It does get a little bit strange. You see the goal [Bamford’s]. It’s a perfectly well-worked goal. Leeds will be fuming. From their coaching perspective, it’s everything you would work on all week.

“Great finish and then to have it ruled off by his arm being offside, it’s like getting to the point, and I have said this privately, you are just going to stop watching. I am getting to the point where VAR is doing my head in.

“You look at the Villa and Arsenal game. Was it 53 seconds they scored in? And they didn’t start the game till five minutes afterwards – if fans were there could you imagine how fans would be kicking off. It would be stupid.”

The problem with VAR isn’t the technology itself but who is behind the wheel and the instructions that are given out to the driver.

It’s quite clear that the referees are displaying a lack of common sense when making on-field calls and there doesn’t seem to be any consistency with what they are saying either.

Plus, goals aren’t either being given or chalked off for the most ridiculous things, and from the perspective of the fans, it’s ruining their enjoyment of the game.