Aberdeen vs Hibs controversy has Michael Stewart '100% convinced' over hidden impact of VAR on Scottish refs
Refereeing incidents dominated the match between Aberdeen and Hibs at Pittodrie.
Michael Stewart senses top flight referees in Scotland are waiting for VAR to back up their verdict, after watching controversy unfold in Hibs’ loss at Aberdeen.
David Gray’s side lost 2-0 in their latest Premiership clash as referee David Dickinson played a huge role in proceedings. He failed to spot a foul by Hibs defender Grant Hanley on Dons attacker Toyosi Olusanya, VAR stepping in to award a home penalty, and red card for the Scotland international.
Then he stuck to his guns and only dished out a yellow card to Aberdeen’s Emmanuel Gyamfi, after he appeared to hit striker Owen Elding in the neck area with his forearm, found not guilty by the official over possible violent conduct. Kevin Nisbet’s double against his ex-team sealed a home victory and former Hibs midfielder Stewart has reviewed the incidents on the Premier Sports Social Club. He insisted the Hanley sending off proved his hunch that whistlers are now waiting for VAR to make the call if they’re not 100% certain.
How is VAR impacting Scottish football refereeing?
Stewart said ”For the referee to go and look at that in close-up, I'm very, very surprised that he came away and brandished a yellow card. The other thing I would say is that the penalty kick and sending off is the right decision. VAR, thankfully, has done it’s job there. I definitely feel that that's one of those instances, when you look at it, that David Dickinson is in a perfectly good position.
“I am 100% convinced we are now in a position where officials are not making decisions and waiting for VAR to intervene and that was one of them. Because there's nothing in that incident that he's not seeing with regards to it being a penalty or not. There's nothing that he's going to see in a replay that shows him any different. I'm convinced that that was a situation where it was like, ‘I'm not going to make this call,’ and it's maybe just a subconscious thing.”
On the forearm blow by Gyamfi, Stewart added: “This one here, I've got to say, at the time when I looked at it I wasn't sure. I've watched it back, Gyamfi is a very lucky boy, a very lucky boy. I think that's a red card, I've got to say, I do think that's a red card and he's very lucky to get away with that.
“I had thought initially when I'd seen a replay, you know when you're looking at a screen that's like 15 feet away, you don't really get a great view at times. I thought it was maybe just a defender, where you're just giving the striker like a barge. But that one there, it doesn't even ride up Elding's back, it just goes right into the top of his neck and his head. He's a lucky boy. I mean that could easily and probably should have been a red.”
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