Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell 'not interested' in offering VAR feedback any more

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell has given up on offering feedback over Scotland’s use of VAR after previous frustration.

Kettlewell was one of the few cinch Premiership managers to attend the first briefing session with the Scottish Football Association’s referees department earlier this season.

But his calls for more protection for players in aerial challenges were not acted upon, a situation which flared up again at the weekend with Dundee complaining about the lack of action taken when striker Michael Mellon suffered a head injury that saw him taken to hospital.

Motherwell were not represented at the SFA’s latest meeting with top-flight clubs on Thursday, where it emerged that an independent review panel spotted 13 errors in the use of VAR in the second round of fixtures, more than four times the amount reported in the opening set of games.

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Independent panel judges VAR to be incorrect on 13 ‘key incidents’

Incidents reviewed included a ‘handball’ decision in the Celtic v Rangers derby.

Kettlewell said: “I think I was one of only two managers that attended the last meeting at Hampden.

“There have been so many questions I have asked and I feel as if we go round the houses talking about the same things continually. Us providing video evidence, other clubs asking questions regarding aerial challenges, which I have been banging on about for ages.

“So what I do at this moment is put full focus on my team, on the bits I can control, because one thing that really starts to annoy me is when you continually make cases for logic and you don’t feel as if there is any return on that.

“With regards to these meetings and sitting talking about things and no change is made, and no influence is made, then I think I take a step back and let everyone else get on with it. I’m not interested in speaking about it any more.”

Kettlewell had a fresh complaint over VAR after Harry Paton had a late goal disallowed against Aberdeen on Wednesday with the score tied at 3-3, because Calum Butcher was ruled to have pushed Jamie McGrath.

The Motherwell manager felt the incident was soft and did not amount to a clear and obvious error and his feeling of injustice was exacerbated when a later incident emerged where Aberdeen defender Nicky Devlin challenged Paul McGinn in the Dons box.

“The exact same incident happens when Paul McGinn gets pushed over with two hands in his back from a free-kick into the box,” Kettlewell said.

“If we don’t get that goal, then surely we must get the penalty? It’s a carbon copy of two hands in the back.

“Are we checking those instances? Well, if someone doesn’t hurl themself to the ground and collide with the goalkeeper, I don’t know if we are checking them.

“It’s consistency and clarity we probably need to be looking for.”