Anthony Gordon tells VAR: Get rid of it or get better

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Anthony Gordon admitted he “doesn’t understand the point” of having video assistant referees in the game after he was denied a first-half penalty during Newcastle’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United.

At the time of the incident, the Magpies trailed Manchester United 1-0, and Gordon appeared to be caught on the Achilles by Sofyan Amrabat, but on-field referee Rob Jones did not award a penalty, and was not not to review the decision, in a surprisingly quick VAR call by official Jarred Gillett.

“I have watched the incident back, it’s a clear penalty,” Gordon told Sky Sports.

“I honestly don’t see the point in it [VAR]. I knew straight away [it was a foul], that’s why I didn’t appeal. Because I thought ‘I don’t mind the referee not giving it’.

“It’s fast. But I will wait for the VAR to check. You can see me telling my teammates ‘don’t worry, it’s a clear penalty’. Then we carry on. I have got no sock left so how is it possible? I don’t understand the point of it. I really don’t.”

He added: “I don’t mind the referee getting it wrong on the pitch, but I don’t understand the point of VAR. Either get rid of it or get better. It’s that simple, there’s too many mistakes.”

Premier League clubs will vote on whether to keep VAR from next season at their annual general meeting next month after Wolves formally submitted a resolution which will trigger the vote.

VAR was introduced in 2019 to ideally help support on-field referees with match decisions, but the technology has regularly been criticised this season.

On the incident at Old Trafford, Eddie Howe said: “I thought it was a penalty. I thought that’s what VAR was good at.

“I have always been in an era where the referee makes a decision and I back it. I would possibly keep it [VAR] with offsides, but I want more power with referees.”