Graeme Souness has slammed VAR after Jordan Pickford’s horror challenge on Virgil van Dijk in Saturday’s Merseyside derby went unpunished.
With less than 10 minutes on the clock, the Everton stopper clattered into the Liverpool defender, forcing him off with an ACL injury that could now see him miss the remainder of the season.
However, the incident went unpunished as VAR focused on the marginal offside when the ball was played in – seemingly ignoring the tackle.
That has led to debate on whether Pickford should have faced action despite it occurring after the phase in the play had finished, particularly given the injury to Van Dijk.
Now, Souness has waded in to provide his thoughts on the matter and has slammed VAR – stating that it is impossible to make a mistake of this manner, having visited Stockley Park last year.
He told Sky Sports: “That amazes me.
“If you’re a football person, I guarantee you every single professional who has ever played the game, semi-professional, maybe the guys in Hackney Marshes, when you look at that – their focus is not on the offside, their focus is on one thing.
“It’s outrageous. For me, as an ex-player, wow.
“I’m not even thinking about offside, but these people who make these decisions can sit in Stockley Park and think that’s offside and just don’t get it.
“They don’t know what they’re talking about. I went to Stockley Park, maybe a year ago.
“It is impossible to make a mistake with the technology they have, the time they give themselves. It’s impossible and they can still get it wrong.”
Liverpool are back in action in midweek against Ajax in the Champions League, before their Premier League tie against Sheffield United.
