MX23RW : Friday, January 3 06:04:17| >> :600:308880:308880:
Jan 1, 2020 at 12.30pm UK at ​Falmer Stadium
Attendance: 30,559
BrightonBrighton & Hove Albion
1-1
Chelsea
FT(HT: 0-1)

Brighton boss Graham Potter: 'I'm not sure there is a need for VAR'

Brighton boss Graham Potter: 'I'm not sure there is a need for VAR'
© Reuters
The Seagulls were one of several sides to have goals ruled out for marginal offside decisions at the weekend.

Brighton head coach Graham Potter has waded into the current debate surrounding VAR and questioned whether decision needs to be right following a controversial weekend for technology in the Premier League.

The Seagulls were one of several sides to have goals ruled out for marginal offside decisions along with Wolves, Crystal Palace, Norwich and Sheffield United.

While managers of Championship clubs and in the Scottish Premiership have urged VAR to be implemented in their respective divisions, Potter does not feel it is needed.

Ahead of hosting Chelsea on January 1, the Brighton boss said: "I don't think my position has changed at all. I think we are talking about offside because that is the most recent thing.

"When it was clear and obvious, it was clear and obvious and if you go back to two years ago before VAR we were probably talking about a referee or linesman decision and saying 'we need the technology because it's the 21st century'.

"But I just think it is football culture and football mentality in a way. I want to support it because it's here, but we are looking at the problem in the wrong way."

Potter saw VAR rule out Harry Kane's effort against Brighton on Boxing Day because the Tottenham forward was marginally offside, but he believes everyone in football would much rather see that type of decision be a goal.

He added: "We bring it in because we want correct decisions and everything to be consistent and to be right, but football is a game of mistakes played by human beings and they will get things wrong.

"If you accept that I am not sure there is a real need for technology, but in the culture of blaming somebody – before it was the referee and the linesmen for losing and now it is VAR – it is the same.

"The next thing we will do is get rid of the referees and linesmen because we want everything to be correct, but I don't understand why we want that?

"If we want everything correct in the end do away with linesmen and referees and put drones up, use computers and artificial intelligence and I am sure we will get all decisions correct, but I don't think anyone will like football anymore.

"Football at times is really unfair and that is what is so good about it. It is like life. Sometimes you're on the wrong end of a bad decision, but you have to get on with it and if we take that away from the game we are changing the game."

Potter will hope VAR is not required too prominently against Chelsea and also recognises Brighton need to perform at their best to get a result against Frank Lampard's side.

"I think away from home they have been really good. At home they have had a couple problems, but it shows how tight and competitive the Premier League is," he said.

"We need to try and play well and understand Chelsea will come with a good team and try to win because they are a top team, so we know it will be tough."

body check tags ::

VAR - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Graham Potter

Click here for more stories about Chelsea

Share this article now:
Instagram - Follow Sports Mole
Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring for Manchester City on December 29, 2019
Read Next:
PL Team of the Week - De Bruyne, Rashford, Deeney
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.

Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool20191049143558
2Leicester CityLeicester21143446192745
3Manchester CityMan City21142556243244
4Chelsea2111373629736
5Manchester UnitedMan Utd218763225731
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs218673630630
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves217953027330
8Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd217862321229
9Crystal Palace217771923-428
10Arsenal216962830-227
11Everton2174102432-825
12Southampton2174102538-1325
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2174102033-1325
14Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton216692529-424
15Burnley2173112434-1024
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2064102532-722
17Aston Villa2163122737-1021
18Bournemouth2155112032-1220
19Watford2147101734-1719
20Norwich CityNorwich2135132241-1914

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!