Coventry City manager Frank Lampard has called for VAR to be introduced in the Championship after a series of controversial incidents involving his side in recent weeks.
It looked as though Coventry were on course to secure a play-off spot after a stunning run of 10 wins in 12 games under Lampard between January and March, but their place in the top six has come under threat after just three wins in their past nine matches.
However, there have been some questionable decisions going against the Sky Blues during that run, and after being sent off for confronting referee James Bell following the 2-1 defeat to Burnley last month, Lampard was fined £2,000 and was forced to serve a one-game touchline ban.
Another flashpoint took place when Coventry were reduced to 10 men in the 13th minute of their 1-0 defeat at Luton Town on Saturday when Jay Dasilva was adjudged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity after tripping Millenic Alli, although while Lampard said it was “debatable” whether the Hatters forward was clean through on goal, he admitted that he couldn’t “argue too much” with the referee’s call.
Luton then had a player sent off themselves in the second half when Liam Walsh was dismissed for a shove on Luis Binks, but Matt Bloomfield’s side still managed to score a 90th-minute winner through Shandon Baptiste, leaving the Sky Blues’ play-off hopes hanging in the balance ahead of Saturday’s crucial game against Middlesbrough at the CBS Arena.
| Championship table (as it stands 2nd May) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leeds United (P) | 45 | 64 | 97 |
| 2 | Burnley (P) | 45 | 51 | 97 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 45 | 27 | 89 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 45 | 15 | 76 |
| 5 | Bristol City | 45 | 4 | 67 |
| 6 | Coventry City | 45 | 4 | 66 |
| 7 | Millwall | 45 | 0 | 66 |
| 8 | Blackburn Rovers | 45 | 5 | 65 |
Frank Lampard calls for VAR in the Championship
While Lampard acknowledged that it is refreshing being able to celebrate goals in the Championship without having to wait for the approval of VAR, he insisted that with promotion and relegation on the line, technology should be introduced to the second tier.
“I respect referees,” he says. “It’s a really tough job. VAR is very controversial, some people love it, some hate it,” Lampard told The i Paper.
“There is something beautiful about not having to check when you celebrate a goal. But the support system of VAR, if used right, is a great help. The game is too fast and in my opinion too many decisions are being missed.
“We should push for VAR in the Championship. It’s one of the best leagues in the world to watch – it’s absolutely one of the best in the world to be involved in. And the prizes are too great for promotion and relegation.”
Frank Lampard may live to regret VAR comments
The standard of officiating in the EFL does leave a lot to be desired at times, and Lampard is right that the introduction of VAR would help to improve the accuracy of decisions.
However, as shown by events in the Premier League in recent years, there is still a chance that human error could occur, even with the use of VAR, and refereeing calls still dominate the headlines every weekend after top flight games.
VAR will be in action for the Championship play-off final, which is understandable given that it is the biggest game of the season, but bringing it in for all matches would risk damaging the emotion and passion that makes the second tier so special.
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