Everton boss Sean Dyche says the use of the video assistant referee pitchside monitor is “testing my patience” after striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent off at Crystal Palace.
He had his studs up in a challenge with Nathaniel Clyne and clipped the Palace defender’s shin with minimal contact.
“The slow motion shows a different picture,” said Dyche.
“If you want to slow-mo everything, you have to slow-mo everything. There’s minor contact and in live time he [referee Chris Kavanagh] doesn’t give anything, then they slow it down and everything looks worse.”
Kavanagh originally took no action but reviewed the incident on the monitor following an intervention from VAR Michael Salisbury before showing Calvert-Lewin the red card in the 79th minute.
A replay will take place at Goodison Park later this month, but Calvert-Lewin is now facing a three-game ban.
“I have no clue what that [monitor] is there for,” added Dyche. “Every fan must be going ‘what is the point?’ We all know the outcome, they are going to agree with everything they’re being told.
“The chance of having something turned over is miniscule so why even bother?
“I’m a fan [of VAR] but we’re all aware it needs tidying up. I thought it was getting tidied up but it seems to have stepped back a little bit. I remain a fan, but it is beginning to test my patience.”
Everton captain Seamus Coleman agreed with his manager and, speaking to ITV, said: “When you slow it down it is obviously going to look bad. From where I was it was a good tackle.
“As soon as the ref goes over there [to the screen] you know he’s going to give a red card. For me that’s not a red card and is another decision that goes against us.”
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson felt the red card was a “modern-day situation” and would not have led to a dismissal in the past.
“I don’t know if I can understand those things these days,” Hodgson told ITV.
“Lots of people who played in the past watching that will say that’s not a red card, but people playing recently will probably say it is a red card because of the way the studs were up and he [Calvert-Lewin] was leading with a straight leg.”
Leicester City defender Conor Coady, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, also thought the officials had made the wrong decision.
“Being a player, a current player, it is not a red card for me,” said the former Everton player.
“I can understand people saying his foot is high and studs are showing, but they’re giving red cards for anything nowadays.
“I would be gutted if myself or one of my team-mates were sent off for that.
“Referees need to be stronger. It is as though when you are sent over to the screen you have to change your decision. Why not stick to the initial decision you made?”
Former Crystal Palace midfielder Jobi McAnuff, speaking on ITV, added “It wasn’t even a foul, let alone a red card. There’s nothing in that for me.
“You can slow something down and it looks a lot worse. The contact is minimal. It’s like VAR are trying to find ways to issue a red card or disallow a goal.
“The referee has made his decision on the pitch and someone sitting in a sanitised room somewhere has decided it’s worse than it was.”
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