05 October 2023 , 15:28
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Arsenal Women manager Jonas Eidevall has warned that the women's game cannot cut corners if it is to implement VAR and goal-line technology, citing the recent Liverpool fiasco as evidence.
The Women's Super League returned to action last weekend but not without its fair share of technological controversy, most notably a disallowed goal from Chelsea's Guro Reiten against Tottenham in which the match official failed to give the goal despite the ball clearly crossing over the line.
England's Lauren James found the back of the net with a close-range volley moments later to right the ostensible wrong. But the goal did little to appease Blues boss Emma Hayes, who bemoaned the "embarrassing" lack of goal-line technology and VAR in the top-flight of the women's game and the erratic nature with which they are implemented.
"I want to know why are we not investing in it [technology]?" Hayes told Sky Sports after the game. "That has to be put to the board who make the decisions. It's embarrassing.
"Everyone knew in the stadium it had gone in. Fair enough there could be a human error but that's what VAR is for, but I probably shouldn't say that after Tottenham vs Liverpool yesterday!"
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Eidevall, who just penned a new long-term deal with the club, knows the frustration of goal-line technology well, having levied similar criticisms after his side's dramatic penalty shoot-out loss to Paris FC in the first round of Champions League qualification.
And the Gunners boss echoed Hayes' censure ahead of his side's WSL clash against Manchester United on Friday, adding that any conversation regarding the use of the technology must prioritise the quality of the technology, as any low-budget operation will only incur "more mistakes".
"What I don’t like is when we’re inconsistent with it," Eidevall said. "I spoke last week in the Champions League about goal-line technology, that it’s used in some games and in some games it’s not.
"We should have done much better in the qualifier in the Champions League but I still don’t know if Paris’ goal was in or not. No one can know without goal-line technology. No one can know that.
"Those differences they mean a lot for us so I think when we are implementing things, it has to be consistent." He added: "And also it has to be with the right quality."
"If we are talking about VAR, it can’t be operated with a low-budget camera system that will only see a limited number of angles or is used with a limited number of referees with a limited number of training.
"Because we’ve seen in the men’s game, even when it’s operated on a high level, still mistakes happen. Then we can understand that a low-budget system will operate even more mistakes.
"So the quality of the implementation is really important. So let’s take the time and make sure we have consistency on the competitions."
The Gunners have struggled to find early rhythm this season, with an early crashing out of the Champions League compounded by a shock loss to Liverpool on the league's opening weekend.
Eidevall insisted this his side are keen on showing "a new version" of themselves against fellow WSL heavyweights Man Utd on Friday.
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"We're aware that we are something else compared to what we showed last Sunday," he said. "But we’re also aware that words are cheap and action is what counts. That’s what training has been about and that’s what Friday is about."