Graeme Souness insists 'perfection' with VAR is impossible but was still left flabbergasted by the decision to rule out a goal for Newcastle United. The former Magpies boss can not fathom how referee Michael Salisbury missed the push on Joe Willock in the build-up to Tyrick Mitchell's own goal.
Eddie Howe feels the hosts were denied a 'perfectly good' goal in their frustrating goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday. Newcastle spurned a number of good chances to break the deadlock, but temporarily took the lead in unusual circumstances when Mitchell deflected the ball into his own net.
The goal was initially allowed to stand, but Salisbury was then advised to review the decision on the pitchside monitor by VAR Lee Mason. Following a lengthy pause to proceedings, the referee overturned the call and penalised Willock for the collision with Vincente Guiata.
READ MORE: Amanda Staveley admits 'sleepless night' as she delivers VAR verdict on disallowed Newcastle goal
Souness believes fouls in football will always be 'subjective' which means contentious refereeing calls will always be a part of the sport. However, the Liverpool legend believes the push on Willock was a foul which should have resulted in the goal being allowed to stand.
He told talkSPORT: "You're not going to get perfection. It's not that kind of sport, no sport is. This is a sport where it's subjective a lot of the time.
"I could get it right by putting the lines up for offside, fouls are subjective. The one at Newcastle, how could a referee not see that as a push on Willock? It's a goal."
Souness was joined in the lengthy VAR debate by fellow pundit Simon Jordan and presenter Jim White. The former Crystal Palace owner is adamant the current issues lie with the officials themselves, rather than the technology itself.
Jordan said: "Look, we are in the territory of looking at VAR as the culprit. Managers and players have moaned and groaned and bitched and whined about refereeing decisions, so you reap what you sow.
"You've now got VAR and because of the increased scrutiny of 24-hour, 360 degrees, seven day a week television which analyses everything, referees were getting death threats for decisions made on the pitch. They brought in a technology to try and advance it.
"Graeme is right about the implementation. There is nothing wrong with the technology, there is everything wrong with the implementation of it. We talk about the things that are wrong rather than the things that are right to advance an argument, to advance a perspective that people like Gary Lineker sit on Match of the Day endlessly scrutinise refereeing decisions.
"There was a necessity to help referees, an absolute necessity. Now whether these incarnations are the right ones, it still goes down to subjectivity of informed decision-making.
"Unless you're going to get people who played at the highest level of football, sacrificing their £10 million per year when they finished their career to go and referee for two and six, you're never going to bridge that argument. You're never going to square that circle, there's always going to be that margin."
READ NEXT
VAR admission gives Newcastle United little comfort as Eddie Howe and Amanda Staveley blast decision
Gary Neville defends 'very good' referee standards after being asked Newcastle VAR question
Dermot Gallagher on the 'very narrow path' of Newcastle's disallowed VAR goal
Chris Sutton hits out at VAR decision that 'robbed' Newcastle United
Garth Crooks hits out at Ruben Neves over Newcastle United incident
