West Brom have had their fair share of run-ins with VAR this season. It’s been a rather punishing return to life in English football’s top table, with an added layer of technology introduced to aid officials in their day job. What went on at The Hawthorns on Saturday, though, was farcical to say the least. Ironically, it was Albion – this Albion, not ‘that’ Albion – who came up smelling of roses after a case of refereeing hokey cokey.
Sam Allardyce said: “He explained to us at the time why he’d done what he did. He blew whistle and blew it again before the ball had gone into the net. VAR sorted it out. I’m pleased to say VAR got that right. I didn’t know quick free-kicks were allowed anymore because haven’t seen one in over two years or three years. I’m glad it wasn’t allowed and we got a 1-0 victory.”
Allardyce, meanwhile, accepted that his side weren’t as at it as they had been in recent meetings with Manchester United and Burnley, but in those games they only managed to collect a point apiece. Now it’s three unbeaten, and successive clean sheets which act as a real boost to collective confidence levels ahead of meetings with his former clubs Everton and Newcastle – both of them also at The Hawthorns before next week is out.
Sam Allardyce said: “A huge slice of luck in our favour I’m glad to say,” Allardyce admitted, alluding to the missed penalties of Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck in either half. You always need a little bit of luck if you are going to succeed in life and it has come at the right time for us with Brighton missing two penalties. I didn’t think one was a penalty but certainly the other was. We scored a really good goal from a corner which gave us something to hang on to. It was an even game in the first-half but second-half we were under the cosh, but we managed to see it out and keep a clean sheet. There was a little bit of luck but we’ll take everything we can get at the moment. We should have beaten Manchester United and Burnley but only got a point from each game. We haven’t played as well today as we have in recent weeks but we’ve got three points, it’s back to the old adage says – you take three points when you can get them. Take them and move on.”
