With his “casino” VAR complaint, Vincent Kompany exposes Liverpool’s duplicity.

Liverpool fans are unlikely to sympathize with Vincent Kompany after comparing VAR rulings to “going to the casino.”

Following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon, the Burnley manager slammed referees’ use of technology. The result left the Clarets in the relegation zone.

Following a five-minute VAR check, Kompany remarked in his post-match press conference that he didn’t “understand” the decision that resulted in a late Jay Rodriguez equalizer being ruled out for offside.

However, he was considerably more understanding with the officials just a month before, when Luis Diaz’s goal against Tottenham was incorrectly ruled out for offside owing to an unprecedented communication error.

When asked about the situation at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Belgian was significantly more philosophical than usual.

“Mistakes happen. “I like that there’s transparency and that people come forward, own their mistakes, and that we get access to the footage,” the Belgian said of the Diaz incident, according to the Daily Mail.

“There may be a trend here where we get young referees who need Premier League game time or guys who are just coming back and easing their way in, but I’m sure that will change with time and better results.”

Saturday, September 30, 2023: Liverpool’s Luis Daz during the FA Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Liverpool FC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Image courtesy of David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“For him personally, we all make mistakes.”

It appears that it is lot easier to be sympathetic about choices when they do not directly affect your team, with Kompany hardly the only Premier League manager to advise Liverpool to simply accept the verdict.

When confronted about the shortcomings of the technology, Man United head Erik ten Hag simply answered, “I trust them,” whereas Liverpool were striving to promote change in a system that has been shown unfit for purpose.

The controversy surrounding Liverpool’s visit to North London became a national news story, presenting an opportunity to shine a light on referees and effect constructive change.

Unfortunately, the tribal aspect of football means that sympathy and good faith can only go so far. Vincent, more consistency would have been beneficial!