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Mike Riley, referee chief, won't allow increased use of VAR touchline monitors despite Pep plea

A furious Pep Guardiola remonstrated with the match officials - REUTERS
A furious Pep Guardiola remonstrated with the match officials - REUTERS

Mike Riley, the referees' chief, will attempt to resist the growing pressure from Premier League clubs to increase the use of VAR pitchside monitors for controversial decisions.

Discussions surrounding the technology will dominate a meeting of the top-tier clubs on Thursday after another weekend of criticism, most notably from Pep Guardiola, who remonstrated with Riley on the touchline during his side's 3-1 defeat at Liverpool.

Telegraph Sport disclosed last week how clubs will debate fresh reforms, including whether managers should be allowed to appeal against a refereeing decision during a game like in cricket.

However, Riley, the general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, is now understood to be determined to oppose calls from clubs to use pitchside monitors more liberally after controversial moments.

He is set to tell clubs that he stands by the current policy: that the monitors must be used sparingly, after either "not seen" incidents or when information from the VAR is "outside the expectation range of the referee".

Guardiola's anger, initially sparked over the failure to award Manchester City a penalty in the fifth minute following a hand ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold, came 24 hours after the Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder also expressed dismay after having a goal ruled offside against Tottenham.

The Telegraph had previously canvassed the opinions of several chairmen, with one suggesting VAR should be suspended immediately, until it could be perfected, for all decisions except offside. "It is working for offside. I'm not sure it is working for anything else," he said.

Another chairman said there would be a "robust" discussion, with questions being asked of Riley.

Mike Riley - Credit: The FA/REX
Referee top banana: Mike Riley Credit: The FA/REX

A third chairman said that he would ask whether the Premier League was employing enough competent personnel to operate VAR effectively. "We want to know why it is being implemented better in other leagues. Is it a personnel issue?" he said.

On Saturday, Wilder admitted he was sick of VAR after David McGoldrick had a goal ruled out for offside against John Lundstram during United’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

The video assistant referee had taken 3 min 47 sec to check, prompting Wilder, who had been to a meeting of Premier League managers on VAR ahead of the Spurs game, to say: "They are going into that much time, depth and detail. It’s changed the game."

Gary Lineker, the Match of the Day host and former Spurs striker, was quick to criticise the decision by video referee Jon Moss, posting a message on Twitter that read: “VAR at its absurd worst. WTF are they doing to our game?”

Current guidance was agreed with the clubs at the beginning of the season to use the monitors "sparingly" to try to minimise delays.