Liverpool VAR stance revealed ahead of crunch Premier League vote

Premier League clubs will vote whether to scrap the use of video assistant referees (VAR) from next  season at the organisation’s annual general meeting on June 6 after Wolverhampton Wanderers formally tabled the resolution earlier this week. 

VAR was introduced ahead of the 2019-20 season and if the motion passes and clubs vote to scrap VAR entirely then officiating in the Premier League will return to its pre-VAR days. 

The Premier League continues to support the use of VAR with the organisation pointing to an improvement in accurate decision making from 82 percent - before it was introduced - to 96 percent. 

The vote means that the use semi-automated offsides, which clubs agreed to introduce only last month, would also be thrown into early doubt. 

However it is not a foregone conclusion as 14 of the 20 clubs must vote in favour of the proposed rule change. 

Wolves are the only club to so far confirm their intentions to vote to scrap VAR following a season of debate, dubiousness and acrimony. 

And Liverpool, despite calling for a ‘review with full transparency’ of VAR usage back in October, appear certain to vote AGAINST scrapping its usage, according to the BBC. 

The Reds are among the teams most hard done by with VAR this season, with that call for transparency following two erroneous calls in the September match at Tottenham Hotspur. 

First, Curtis Jones’ yellow card was upgraded to a red one and then Luis Diaz’s perfectly legitimate goal was chalked off even after a VAR check. 

There was Martin Odegaard’s handball not given during Arsenal’s trip to Merseyside which should have resulted in a penalty. 

Similarly, Jeremy Doku’s last-minute foul on Alexis Mac Allister inside the box during the closing stages of Manchester City’s visit to Anfield could and should have had a profound effect on the title race. 

Liverpool’s game against West Ham at the London Stadium last month was also marred by a VAR error, with Anthony Taylor and his team of assistants neglecting to send off Lucas Paqueta for a foul on Alexis Mac Allister. 

The Reds are understood to want VAR to continue and to improve. On the evidence of this season’s decisions, improvement can’t come quick enough.