Everton’s loss to Southampton will be dominated by the offside call made towards the end of the game, and Mike Dean had something interesting to say about it prior to VAR’s decision.
Just as it looked like Sean Dyche was turning things around at Everton, it’s now gone back downhill, with two disappointing performances on the bounce.
To let Southampton have 66% possession is simply not good enough when you consider the fact that they sat bottom of the table, low on confidence prior to the game.
The worrying stat for Everton this season has been their average possession in the Premier League, as they currently sit rock bottom for that stat.
VAR was also a topic of conversation in this one, as Beto’s late equaliser was ruled out due to the tightest of offside calls.
Interestingly, Mike Dean said something about the call prior to VAR making their decision that speaks volumes.
READ MORE: Everton fans all saying the same thing about VAR as Beto’s goal is chalked off
Mike Dean makes claim on Everton’s offside decision
Mike Dean has taken up many different roles since giving up refereeing, with one of them being on Sky Sports where he gives his verdict on certain decisions.
Normally an offside decision wouldn’t get so much controversy, but the fact that it was so tight raised a few questions and eyebrows.
In the 90th minute during the VAR check Mike Dean was speaking on Sky Sports, and he stated that he thought it looked onside.
“I think he is just onside, me. I think he will just be on.”
Mike Dean’s assessment of the decision speaks volumes
The fact that Mike Dean couldn’t even tell after seeing replays shows how forced VAR is at this moment in time, with strikers punished for calls that the naked eye can’t even see.
There was a time where strikers were given the benefit of the doubt, but nowadays you can be flagged offside for a toe nail creeping over the line.
It does look like a tight call and we’re not saying it’s onside, but for Mike Dean, a former official, to still see replays and think it’s onside does speak volumes.
We don’t have the luxury of drawing the lines, but these marginal calls certainly are the most frustrating.
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