Leeds United Chief Executive Angus Kinnear has claimed productive talks have taken place between clubs and the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) regarding the use of VAR. VAR had arguably its worst weekend to date since its introduction in the Premier League in 2019 the last time Leeds were in action.
Jesse Marsch was incensed by a number of decisions that went against his side during the 5-2 defeat to Brentford, none more so than the refusal to award Crysencio Summerville a penalty. There were also controversial decisions at both St. James’ Park and Stamford Bridge, with Newcastle United denied a winning goal against Crystal Palace, and a late equaliser by Maxwel Cornet chalked off for West Ham at Chelsea.
Speaking in his pre-match programme notes ahead of Leeds’ game against Aston Villa, Kinnear detailed how clubs are now hopeful of ‘meaningful improvement’ after ‘progressive dialogue’ with the PGMOL and Premier League.
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He said: “The focus this afternoon will be on bouncing back from an error strewn performance at Brentford that ultimately meant, while the vagaries of VAR were hugely frustrating, those vagaries were not decisive.
“Attempting to influence the process or quality of decision making in the heat of the match is virtually futile, but there has been much more progressive subsequent dialogue with the PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and the Premier League subsequently, with all clubs hoping that such a calamitous weekend of VAR decisions will act as a catalyst for a meaningful improvement.”
Kinnear also spoke of the need to address ‘systematic game management’ in the Premier League, with the Whites chief claiming the average ball in play time is at its lowest in 10 years. Leeds were particularly frustrated with Everton’s tactics in their last outing at Elland Road in August, that ended in a 1-1 draw.
Leeds felt that referee Simon Hooper did little to prevent Everton from slowing the game down, and Kinnear is hopeful that aforementioned statistic will prove to be an eye-opener for the Premier League.
He said: “Similarly, the fact that “ball in play time” has reached a decade-low average of 55 minutes (with a remarkable spread of over 20 minutes between the highest and the lowest fixtures) will hopefully create an impetus to address the systematic “game management” that appears to be both increasingly pervasive and troublingly tolerated while antithetical to everything that has made Premier League football loved across the globe.”
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