Stuart Kettlewell believes Scottish football would be better without VAR

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell argued Scottish football would be “a heck of a lot better” without VAR after claiming he would need to change the way he coaches in light of recent decisions.

Kettlewell was speaking after losing an appeal against Jack Vale’s red card against Aberdeen and following the latest results from the Independent Review Panel set up to monitor the success of VAR.

The panel identified 10 errors in the third round of cinch Premiership fixtures – including Motherwell being denied a penalty against Aberdeen – to take the total to 26.

When asked if he was a supporter the continued use of VAR, Kettlewell said: “No, I’m not. Do I believe it is creating a better spectacle? Do I believe it is there for fan enjoyment? Do I believe it is there for even that raw emotion for players and managers and coaches when your team scores a goal?

“I have to say, on day one, I did. I felt we were going to get to the sharp end of the right outcome, being punctual with decisions, finding our way as well, I knew it wasn’t going to be perfect from day one.

“I’m not sure there has been a dramatic improvement. I think we would all enjoy it a heck of a lot better without it.”

Vale begins a two-match ban when Motherwell host Livingston on Saturday after being sent off for catching Jack MacKenzie with his boot after he brought down a high ball.

Kettlewell had argued the collision came about because the Aberdeen defender ran into Vale at speed.

“When you have a player intercepting the ball and hooking it over his shoulder, I am going to have to think about trying to coach my players a different way,” he said.

“I thought Jack Vale did fantastically well to read the flight of the ball and hook a clearance over his shoulder. At that point when the Aberdeen player is running full steam and runs into you, there’s going to be a contact.

“Sometimes as a consequence of playing football, I myself held my hands up and said: ‘I’m going to get kicked, I’m going to get hurt, there are going to be collisions out on that pitch’.

“We can’t referee games based on someone is going to get hurt. Every contact and collision isn’t a foul, isn’t a red card.

“If that’s how we are saying we are going to officiate games from now on, then quite clearly I need to coach my players in a different way.

“But I need to go way back at the start (of VAR) when I sat in rooms and the question was asked if we are going down the realms of making players play the game in a different way: ‘Absolutely not, we will not be making players play a different way, you won’t be coaching the game a different way’.

“I’m saying that we are now because when we are asking players to go into the penalty box and wrap their arms behind their back, and if I’m now telling players if there’s an interception to be had and there’s an opposition player round about you, don’t go for it.”

Motherwell were disappointed that, despite raising concerns, there was no “ex-professional player, coach or manager” on the Scottish Football Association appeal panel.

Kettlewell said: “There was an argument that there was nobody available from that field.

“If we are going into a panel that is going to make a judgement on a decision that has been made in the top flight of Scottish football, I would hazard a guess there should be an ex-football professional.”