Carragher gets support after demand to scrap VAR following Man Utd controversy

10 November 2023 , 19:29

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Jamie Carragher called for VAR to be scrapped after Manchester United were awarded a penalty against Copenhagen on Wednesday (Image: Getty Images)

Brendan Rodgers has admitted he would get rid of VAR and go back to "pure football" - two days after Jamie Carragher called for the technology to be scrapped.

Carragher's comments came after Manchester United were awarded a penalty during their Champions League defeat against Copenhagen. Following a VAR review, referee Donatas Rumsas went over to the pitch-side monitor and pointed to the spot as Lukas Lerager was adjudged to have handled the ball from Harry Maguire's header.

However, it's safe to say Carragher was not impressed with the decision. He wrote on Twitter: "The game has gone! Get rid of VAR, that's a disgrace." That wasn't the only controversial decision from United's 4-3 defeat, meanwhile, after Marcus Rashford was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Elias Jelert and Copenhagen were given a first-half penalty for a handball on Maguire.

Adding on Rashford's sending off, Carragher said: "No way is that a red card for Rashford! Hate these slow-motion replays and still images that make everything look 10 times worse."

Now, Celtic boss Rodgers shared a similar opinion to Carragher and revealed if it was up to him, he would scrap and get rid of VAR. "I have spoken to people down in England working in the Championship where there's no VAR and they tend to quite enjoy it," Rodgers explained ahead of his side's game against Aberdeen.

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"They understand there's going to be some mistakes but the fluency and fluidity of the game feels a bit removed from constantly looking at screens. There's a lot that is good but the bad in it is very bad. That's something that would have to be looked at – whether it's worth it or not.

"I think I'm quite a patient guy so I know when it's starting to grate on me that it's gone quite a way. Other managers in fairness to them have been like this a few years ago.

Brendan Rodgers has admitted he would get rid of VAR (Getty Images)

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"I tend to want to give things time and see how it pans out because everything deserves a chance. But if it's spoiling the game, that's when we would have to look at it. Listen, if you ask me right now, I would get rid of it. Absolutely.

"But if there's money been invested in it, for the greater good of the game, that is supposedly to make it better, then you have to give it every chance.

"But if you're asking me now, I would go back to just pure football, and we know where there are humans involved there will be mistakes. I would rather accept that than what we see at the minute."

Kieran King