Oliver Glasner questions VAR intervention in Neco Williams’ disallowed goal: ‘He is guessing’ | OneFootball

Oliver Glasner said VAR should not have stepped in to disallow Neco Williams’ potential winner as Nottingham Forest drew 0-0 with Tottenham at the City Ground.

Williams forced the ball over the line from close range after Morgan Gibbs-White’s effort, tussling with Micky van de Ven and Sandro Tonali. Referee Craig Pawson awarded the goal, then VAR Peter Bankes ruled Williams had handled and advised it be overturned.

Glasner argued multiple replays did not prove a handball, saying only one angle hinted at contact because Williams’ shirt moved. He said VAR should not intervene if it is guessing and pointed to pre-season guidance that the threshold must be very high.

He stressed the demands on officials and said no one had acted deliberately against Forest, but felt such calls weaken referees rather than support them.

The head coach also believed Forest should have had a clear penalty when Mohammed Kudos bundled over Williams challenging for a header. He said he told Pawson calmly that the goal should have stood, while accepting the referee must trust VAR.

“It’s a goal. VAR is there for when there’s a clear and obvious error, and for me, that’s not clear and obvious,” Williams said, speaking to Sky Sports. “I headed it in between my arms. If you pause it, it’s going to look like it hit my arm, but it didn’t hit my arm.”

Forest host Aston Villa on Saturday, with Spurs meeting Everton.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”