Former Celtic striker Andy Walker has claimed that he heard VAR advising referees to "take the easy way out" of big calls while on Sky Sports duty.
Almost every manager in the Scottish Premiership has been left frustrated with the technology since its introduction back in October, with Malky Mackay the most recent boss to be left furious as Celtic were awarded a penalty for handball against his Ross County to break the deadlock. Derek McInnes claimed it has affected referees who have been leaving big decisions to those in the video room while pundit, and Walker has offered fuel to the Kilmarnock bosses claims as he offered an insight into what he picks up while on commentary headset.
The pundit is able to listen to talks in the VAR room while working for Sky, and has offered an insight into some of the chat he has picked up from the VAR room while regularly covering Rangers and Celtic clashes. Speaking to NewsSlotsKlosh , Walker said: “Working with Sky I have the option of listening to VAR. To be absolutely clear I hear the video assistant referee – not the referee on the pitch.
“I have a concern. I won’t mention any names and I won’t name the teams involved but there was an instance where a couple of things happened in the space of a second or two. And I heard the VAR say ‘the easiest way out of this, is if it’s offside’.
“That to me is really poor language. There should be no idea that we get an easy way out. You have to look at what’s happening on the pitch and apply the laws of the game – don’t look for the easy way out.
“That’s not good enough. It’s awful. I couldn’t believe what I was listening to. I’m not going to mention any names and I’m not going to mention the game. But that kind of language makes me feel that the people operating VAR are obviously not feeling the atmosphere because they are not at the ground.
“Referees now have this safety net ‘it doesn’t matter what I say or do’ someone else will tell me if I’ve got it right or I’ve got it wrong and that example I have given? That can’t be right.”
READ NEXT
