VAR expectations 'way off the mark' as Premier League referee hits out at scrutiny and calls for 'logical thinking'

VAR technology was first introduced in the Premier League in 2019 - and ever since then it has been under the microscope and a hot topic of debate.

Clubs, managers and officials have at times hit out over decisions - and whether the technology is being used too much or not enough.

Aston Villa are one club who have been on the end of controversial calls since its introduction - as have Wolves, who took a vote to the Premier League back in the summer of 2024 - in a bid to have the use of the technology scrapped.

At the time they said it was 'undermining the value of the Premier League brand', - having been on the end of several controversial decisions in the previous season.

The controversies have continued - and it was ruled last month that Wolves were wrongly not awarded a penalty in their defeat by Everton in August.

Premier League referee Anthony Taylor has opened up on the VAR debate in a wide ranging interview with the BBC - where he has discussed referee's abuse and mental health.

On VAR, the official believes it has created unrealistic expectations and people who expected it to create a 'decision making utopia', are off the mark.

He explained: "The amount of scrutiny and the amount of analysis and chat around Premier League football means everybody has a quest for perfection.

"In reality, perfection doesn't exist. We're expecting referees to get every decision right. It is really important that we actually start to talk about people being fearful of failure or mistakes.

"We have to accept that if we don't create the right environment for people to thrive, then people will be fearful, and that will have a negative impact on individuals and performance in the long term. Everybody's an expert."

Taylor also believes the level of scrutiny has shifted - and those in football need to decide 'what they want'.

He added: "It brought this expectation of perfection that it would solve absolutely everybody's problems and it would be a utopia.

"In reality, those people were way off the mark. One week, people will say: 'We don't want VAR to be too forensic.' The next week they'll be going: 'How has VAR not intervened in this?'

"People really need to decide what they want. You can't one week say, 'we don't want to get involved because it ruins the flow of the game' and the next week turn round and say, 'this is a disgrace that VAR's not intervened here'.

"We need to bring our heads out of the clouds sometimes to really think a little bit more logically about what the technology's there for."