Everton boss David Moyes doubts whether VAR will be applied consistently
Moyes felt his side were denied a perfectly-good effort after referee Stuart Attwell was advised Brennan Johnson was offside.
Everton manager David Moyes doubts whether the decision to rule out a second goal for Thierno Barry for interference with Ipswich’s goalkeeper will be applied consistently this season.
A week after the VAR controversy over Manchester City’s winner in the derby, Moyes felt his side were denied a perfectly-good effort after referee Stuart Attwell was advised Brennan Johnson was offside in front of Christian Walton despite the pair being in the opposite half of the goal to where the ball went in.
Fortunately it did not affect the overall result, with Barry’s first-half deflection enough for a 1-0 victory, but it made the closing stages more uncomfortable than they should have been.
“On the VAR decision, I think they said it affected his ability to save it – which I didn’t think was the case,” said Moyes.
“It’s really difficult for referees, we understand that. Do I think we will get consistency from that decision through all the season on the same thing? I’ll be doubtful of that.
“The goalkeeper wouldn’t have saved the header; he got taken a little bit to the front post by the run of Brennan Johnson but it was nothing like last year.
“Last year they were blocking the goalkeepers and doing all sorts of things. It was nothing like that at all.
“There is no doubt Brennan was in an offside position but did he interfere really, was the goalkeeper ever going to save it? That was the bit I’d be looking at.
“Ultimately it didn’t make any difference to the result so thankfully that was OK.”
The disallowed goal was not the only contentious decision Attwell made, with Ipswich’s Ghanaian winger Abdul Fatawu sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving midway through the second half.
Manager Gary O’Neil felt the official did not need to show a yellow card but admitted Fatawu needed to be more aware of giving him a decision to make.
“I’ve seen them given, I’ve seen them not given. I didn’t think it was a blatant one,” he said.
“There was some contact, Abdul was anticipating contact and, in truth, moves his leg towards it a bit but I felt there didn’t need to be a desperate need for the referee to get involved.
“If we had just played on I don’t think there would have been too many complaints.
“I’ve spoken to him about being a bit more experienced, a bit more wise in those situations when he is on a yellow card – even giving the ref a decision to make comes with risk.”