Goal Line Technology: A manager’s perspective

To complete our Goal Line Technology series, in part 4 we look at the opinions of some of the countries leading manager’s on the introduction of video technology:

This article on Goal Line Technology is part 4 of the series of 4.

Part 1 – Goal Line Technology – The Technology

Part 2 – Goal Line Technology – Testing the Technology

Part 3 – Goal Line Technology – Alternatives

Arsene Wenger:
“I’m in favour of it big time. I love football and when you love football you like justice to be respected. You should use what is available in order to be right in decision-making. Why should a team be allowed a goal that wasn’t in? You will never get 100 percent of decisions right but surely you have to give yourself every chance? Those who oppose video technology point to the time consumed by its introduction but I think they are wrong. Do you know how much of a 90-minute match is effectively played? About 55-60 minutes. You lose 30 minutes in a game anyway, much of it due to referees explaining decisions to players. All this would be cut out and you would actually gain time if technology was used. It wouldn’t take power away from the ref but it would be at his disposal if he wants to use.”

Mark Hughes:
“It’s inevitable at some point that video technology will be introduced because of the vast sums on offer and at stake, and everything that’s involved at Premiership level. What mustn’t happen though is for the continuity of the game to be affected, and the game as we know it mustn’t be changed in any way. If they can overcome that and make sure that when videos are reviewed it’s done at the right time with the natural breaks in the game, then I think it will be introduced.”

Rafa Benitez:
“Maybe [use it] for disciplinary situations but we have a referee, two linesmen and a fourth official and that should be enough. If we use the four as referees sometimes they don’t talk to each other but it is enough to control the game. I would be happy with video for disciplinary situations. For me, if you change anything else you will lose something from the game. Sometimes even the video cannot prove anything, different angles produce different opinions.”

Mmm!may Rafa’s opinions have been swayed by the referees’s decision to allow the controversial Luis Garcia goal to stand in the 2005 Champions League Semi Final against Chelsea?!”

Martin Jol (after Pedro Mendes clear goal was disallowed against Manchester United in 2005):
“You have to say that technology needs to be introduced because we feel robbed – and rightly so. The referee is already wearing an earpiece so why can’t we just stop the game and get the decision right. We talk about new technology all the time but nothing seems to happen, yet it would be so easy to put something there on the line to help the game.

And finally, former top flight referee, Keith Hackett’s opinion:
“I’d love to see some technology to assist us with goal line decisions. The general feeling in football is that technology, if it was available, would assist. The governing body [FIFA] is reluctant to introduce any form of video technology and is concentrating more on goal line technology with a chip inserted into the ball which sends out a signal. I am in the hands – like all of football – of FIFA who are spending a great amount of time and effort in terms of this chip in the ball to try to introduce it as quickly as possible to the top-level game.”

Part 1 – Goal Line Technology – The Technology
Part 2 – Goal Line Technology – Testing the Technology

Part 3 – Goal Line Technology – Alternatives