Allan: Pundit demands radical change after ‘farcical’ Everton footage analysed
Kevin Phillips has called for the Premier League to change their implementation of VAR after Everton midfielder Allan was controversially sent off against Newcastle United.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Sunderland and England striker said the current use of the pitch-side monitor is “farcical.”
As shown on Amazon Prime (17 March), Allan, 31, was shown a red after 83 minutes of Everton’s 1-0 win over the Magpies on Thursday.
On-field referee Craig Pawson, who was perfectly positioned, originally gave the Brazilian a yellow card for his challenge on Allan Saint-Maximin.
However, VAR official Stuart Attwell deemed the decision to be a clear and obvious error and instructed his colleague to consult the pitch-side monitor.
When asked for his thoughts on the incident, Phillips told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs: “You do not want to go to VAR.
“I think the referee should have the choice of whether to use VAR.
“We have clearly seen this season that when the referee goes over to the monitor that he is being told that he’s wrong. It should be the referee going for a second look.
“For me, the fans would accept it a bit more if the referee chose when to go to the monitor at the side of the pitch and then made a decision off of what he’s seen. It would be a better way of doing it.
“It is farcical when the VAR official gets involved and still gets it wrong. I believe the referee should go to the monitor if he wants a second look. That is what it should be there for.
“The referee has a sense of the game and what is going on, rather than someone in a studio 200 miles away making the call. That would be a better way to do it.”
In other news, it can be revealed the Everton board are ‘frightened to death’ of ‘severe’ punishment from Premier League.