Premier League stars are being encouraged to TONE DOWN goal celebrations because VAR could intervene seconds later… amid fears jubilant players will ruin their concentration if the strike is ruled out
- Top-flight bosses have urged their players not to be too jubilant after scoring
- It’s feared it’ll ruin their concentration in the minutes after goal is chalked off
- This campaign, 37 goals have been ruled out by VAR after originally being given
Premier League stars are being encouraged to tone down their goal celebrations because of the risk VAR will render them meaningless moments later.
During the current campaign, 37 goals have been ruled out by video technology – an average of nearly 1.4 per matchday – after originally being given by the on-field referee.
To make matters trickier, players and supporters often learn that the goal is being checked only when they have returned to the half-way line, followed by a further delay while the decision is made.
Sportsmail understands that has led top-flight bosses to urge their players not to be too jubilant after scoring, for fear it will ruin their concentration in the minutes after goal is chalked off.
Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui has been an outspoken critic of refereeing standards this term and earlier in the season highlighted the impact the VAR delays can have on players.
Premier League stars are being encouraged to tone down their goal celebrations because of the risk VAR will rule it out moments later – as seen with Elliot Anderson’s header at Forest
The goal, one of 37 to have been ruled out by VAR after originally being given by the referee, was overturned because of a highly questionable offside call against Sean Longstaff
Premier League bosses have urged players not to be too jubilant after scoring, for fear it will ruin their concentration after goal is chalked off – as seen with Anderson’s disallowed header
‘I defend VAR’s work because it’s a good help for referees,’ he said last month. ‘It’s not easy to celebrate a goal – that is why we start knowing we don’t have to celebrate the goals.
‘Sometimes you celebrate a lot and after you have to adapt to the match again. The sooner the decisions are made, the better. We can try but it’s not easy.’
It was another controversial weekend for VAR in the Premier League, with Newcastle particularly aggrieved last Friday when Elliot Anderson’s header at Nottingham Forest was overturned because of a highly questionable offside call against Sean Longstaff in the build-up.
Newcastle still won the game 2-1 but boss Eddie Howe said: ‘I was surprised to see the referee (Paul Tierney) go over to the screen and make that decision.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk