Jurgen Klopp Criticises VAR After Liverpool Draw at Manchester United

Jurgen Klopp still supports VAR, even after the replay system failed to rule out a goal for Manchester United when Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.   

Liverpool boss Klopp responded to the decision by complaining that the review system is only getting handball calls right:

Klopp was referring to Marcus Rashford's first-half goal, when the striker finished from close range to cap a move allowed to continue even though Divock Origi appeared to be fouled in the build-up. The challenge from Victor Lindelof looked like a clear infraction, but Klopp believed referee Martin Atkinson was content to wait for VAR to intervene:

Klopp's grievance points to a central contradiction within the VAR system. It's meant to be technological assistance used to correct human error, yet the second looks still rely on the views and opinions of observers at Stockley Park.

Qualified referees usually man the VAR, meaning there is still room for mistakes and different interpretations. The bar for changing a decision may also be too high in some phases of the game.

Often times, those running the machines are looking for a clear and obvious reason to contradict decisions made or not made on the pitch. In this case, beyond Lindelof's foul, questions may have been asked about its importance in the overall move that led to Rashford's goal.

Such distinctions blur the parameters of VAR and its use. It also leads to an erratic distribution of corrections from match to match, something not supposed to happen with an aid meant to ensure all calls are justified.

As Klopp pointed out, one of the phases unaffected by shades of grey are the judgements on possible handball calls. Liverpool thought they were level when Sadio Mane found the net before the break only for the review process to correctly rule the goal out.

The right call was made in this instance, but the absence of one earlier spoke to the inconsistencies many still see.

Events in Manchester capped a weekend during which the system was mired in controversy. Technology provider Hawk-Eye issued an apology after Tottenham Hotspur's equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Watford was upheld, only for "No Goal" to appear on the big screen in north London, per BBC Sport. 

Calls from Klopp and others will likely continue for the same standards of judgement to be applied to all decisions, as well as for more efficient communication throughout the review process.