Traore compares getting used to VAR to wearing new shoes

Wolves winger Adama Traore has refused to put the boot into VAR and compared it to wearing new shoes.

The former Barcelona youngster believes the technology and officials need to be given time.

Wolves have lost four points due to VAR decisions – the most in the Premier League – and, without it, would sit sixth.

They face Aston Villa on Sunday and Traore has called for patience from the doubters.

“If you have new things coming in in football, it’s the same if you have new shoes,” he said.

“When you have new shoes, they don’t adapt to your feet straight away, you need time.

“It’s the same with VAR, it can’t be perfect when it comes into the league the first time. It takes time, I’m sure they will watch the errors and I hope it will improve.”

Villa travel to Molineux on Sunday with boss Dean Smith having been critical of the use of VAR.

Smith feels it is taking the authority away from referees and wants to seem them use their pitchside monitors to decide for themselves.

The Premier League were forced to clarify a decision last week when Roberto Firmino’s strike against Villa was disallowed.

He was initially flagged offside, with VAR backing up the call, but the decision was so tight the Premier League issued a statement at half-time of Liverpool’s 2-1 win saying Firmino’s armpit was ahead of the last defender.

But Wolves chief Nuno Espirito Santo worries checking monitors would leave the referees open to even more criticism.

He said: “No, they will be exposed. They must trust those things back in the offices. It’s teamwork.

“We have to trust them if they see and judge and decide, what can we do?

“It’s here, we have to get used to it. There’s no other way.”

FourFourTwo Staff

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