Norwich manager Johannes Hoff Thorup supported calls for the introduction of VAR in the Championship, even though he benefited from two major errors in his team’s 3-2 win at Derby.
A hat-trick from Borja Sainz featured two goals in which the ball clearly went out of play in the build-up, although losing manager Paul Warne insisted he is still against the unpopular video replay system.
But Thorup was honest enough to concede that he thinks the second tier of English football should use it.
“I think we need VAR,” said Hoff Thorup. “The best league over here has it, and I know there is a lot of discussion every week over here over decisions.
“But there will always be mistakes and I will not sit here and blame the referees, Saturday after Saturday.
“We just have to make sure we support them, whether video systems or other ideas, that’s the way to support these guys.
“Their second goal was clearly offside, which is not important, but that will happen if we don’t support these guys.
“There will be ongoing discussions but we have to give them all the support they need. I come from a league in Denmark where there is VAR, I played in Europe last season and they also have VAR.
“There will always be mistakes and I will not sit here and blame the referees for their performance – just imagine if we were out there refereeing such a game; I was glad I was managing!
“But I like the idea that we get as many decisions right as possible. That should be the aim going forward.”
Sainz’s first and last goals were the contentious ones although, as Thorup pointed out, Derby’s second goal could have been judged offside.
The opener came in the third minute of stoppage time after Josh Sargent had seen an effort blocked but hooked the ball back across goal for Sainz to score with a brilliant backheel.
TV replays showed the ball a good foot over the line but Derby’s furious protests were ignored by referee Oliver Langford, with the error compounded three minutes from time, with Norwich leading 2-1 and Derby pushing for an equaliser.
Again, TV showed the ball had gone out of play for a Derby corner but Norwich sub Jack Stacey cleared upfield and the Canaries broke furiously, three-on-one with Sargent crossing for Sainz to score from six yards.
But Warne sportingly admitted that while he would have liked VAR on this occasion, he is generally against its employment.
“Would I like to see it after today? Of course,” he joked. “But I don’t know. I just think the game is getting more and more complicated.
“We are talking about inches here and there but even though I would have liked it today, you could argue our second goal was offside. If you do have VAR, it is still someone’s opinion.”
They were the first goals Derby had conceded after seven straight cleans sheets at home, dating back to the League One visit of Reading in mid-March.
But they made a strong attempt to at least claim a point, with Craig Forsyth’s shot from a corner on the hour equalising at 1-1. And substitute Corey Blackett-Taylor made it 3-2 in the first minute of added time.
“I thought ‘here we go,’ it was like a game from the 1980s,” said Warne. “I was going to send the goalkeeper up and I thought we were going to score a third but when it’s not your day, it’s not your day.”
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