Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston has stated that the use of VAR is making games feel very ‘stop start’ as Scottish Football acclimatises to the technology.
On Saturday, the Parkhead support were given their first glimpse at the new technology in Scottish Football as they faced Dundee United.
And it certainly didn’t go without any controversy, with the travelling Tannadice side being awarded a first-half penalty that many did not agree with.
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou and pundits such as Michael Stewart delivered their thoughts on the call and the technology, venting their frustration at a very inconsistent start for VAR in Scotland.
Of course, those most affected by the introduction of the technology are the players, who are continuing to acclimatise themselves to the newest Scottish Premiership arrival.
After a host of stoppages during the Hoops’ 4-2 victory over United on Saturday, right back Anthony Ralston has shared his honest view on how it is affecting games.
The 23-year-old took a level-headed approach, insisting that Postecoglou’s side must simply ignore the outside noise that VAR is bringing to the game.
However, the defender can’t help but feel it is somewhat impacting on the Bhoys’ game as he opened up on the ‘stop start’ nature of the technology.
He said [Daily Record]: “This is the game we are in now. It has been implemented, and we need to deal with it. We focus on ourselves, and we don’t try to let the outside noise affect us. The referees are going to make their decisions, and that will be that. We just need to deal with it, and again, the boys did that.
“It was hard. Stop start. Especially the way we want to play. It’s quick, and it’s intense. But this is what we are going to have to deal with.
“You need to stay focused at all times, no matter what happens. Whether it is VAR or a bad decision has gone your way, or whether it is the opposition slowing the game down. These are all factors in the game that we need to control mentally ourselves, which we all do, and we are used to now.”
Signs beginning to show of VAR’s stop-start nature, which could affect Celtic’s game.
Although Ralston is spot-on in that the Celtic squad must ignore all the outside noise and continue to play their game, there were signs of how it could affect the Hoops’ flow on Saturday.
Particularly in the first half, there were plenty of stoppages, including two lengthy periods utilised to have a closer look at incidents involving either side.
Teething issues were expected from the offset. However, these calls are simply taking too long, and it is now beginning to affect the game in a negative manner for Celtic.
The ‘stop-start’ nature will suit travelling teams, who will be looking to do all they can to slow Celtic’s progress down and end any possibility of a fast start by Ange Postecoglou’s side.
So, Scottish Football officials must act fast to make sure these lengthy checks don’t become a regular occurrence, which continues to affect the team in the ascendancy.
Overall though, Ralston is right in his statement. Ultimately, VAR is outwith of the control of Ange Postecoglou and his players. So, the focus should remain on their football and not the outside nose that is bound to arrive from the technology.
In other news, Australian international goalkeeper delivers ‘lost for words’ Celtic verdict.
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