Ryan Giggs backs VAR to work in football

March 3, 2018
Posted by Steven Tan | Source from Super 6 Class of '92 diary', Sky Sports
In the latest Super 6 Class of ’92 Diary, Ryan Giggs discusses improvements required to make VAR work, Scott McTominay's potential and what would be a successful season for Manchester United.
 

Communication key

I'm a fan of using VAR and I think there was always going to be teething problems with rolling it out. I just think everybody is hoping those will be resolved by the time the World Cup comes around.
 
I think it will work because it has happened in other sports, but what needs to be sorted quickly is informing the fans in the ground what is happening.
 
With rugby fans, they can see what the officials are looking at and hear the referees, so it is the frustration of waiting and not knowing what is going on which is causing problems.
 
A decision is reviewed by VAR during FA Cup fifth-round replay between Tottenham and Rochdale
 
Ultimately fans want the right decisions made, but it is how they go about doing it which is key. There aren't screens in most football stadiums so it is going to be a difficult one. The other option is putting microphones on the referees but that isn't possible at the moment because of players swearing.
 
It is about making it a spectacle for the fans in the stadium. This is just the start of it and everyone needs to be patient, but at the same time fans need to be informed and entertained.
 
The key is trying to find a way of using it to enhance the spectacle. With rugby and tennis it adds to the drama and the fans have got used to it. However, when they had teething problems the fans were communicated to so they knew what was going on.
 

More to come from McTominay

I remember Scott McTominay well from when I was assistant manager at Manchester United because he had a massive growth spurt. He was always quite small then suddenly grew a lot, so there were a few injury problems with getting used to the physical changes.
 
He was a player who you could trust. You give him a job to do and he would do it and Jose Mourinho clearly likes that about him. He's just got to concentrate on staying in the team now. Jose was spot on in saying there's a lot more to come from him.
 
Manchester United's Scott McTominay
 
With regards to whether he plays for England or Scotland, he has to go with what he feels comfortable with. With England you are obviously going to get a lot more opportunities in terms of major tournaments.
 
It's a difficult one being born in England but maybe he feels like he's Scottish, so it really is a tough decision. Only Scott will know what he and his family are comfortable with.
 

Season can still be a success

Manchester United will be relieved not to have to face Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park on Monday Night Football as he has all you need to be a top player on his day.
 
Wilf was a great lad when he was at United. He's very talented but it just didn't happen for him. He probably needs to be at a club where he is loved. He's great to watch, works hard and is extremely skilful, but he just needs to work on his final ball and scoring more goals.
 
Will United finish runners-up? I think it is the stage of the season where you just want to build momentum. Regardless of what your priority is, if you win in the league then it rolls on to the FA Cup and then the Champions League.
 
I think it is a race with Liverpool for second place. They will be hugely motivated to finish above United and the clash between the two sides next weekend could prove decisive.
 
Second place and a trophy is a brilliant season for United and a step up from last year, while providing a platform for thinking they can challenge for the title next season.
 

No Champions League favourites

After the last-16 round, whoever gets through can win it. All the English teams look strong. Liverpool with their history in the competition, Man City are flying, Chelsea have a tough position but if they overcome Barcelona in the Nou Camp then they have to be considered contenders.
 
I was at the Real Madrid v PSG first leg and PSG played really well, but the Bernabeu is a tough place to go and Real believe they can beat anyone there regardless of what is happening in the league.
 
You've also got Bayern Munich and Barca so it is really open. I don't think there is one favourite to win the competition. City are a team who defend well, are able to squeeze and then be compact, so they just look a really good team. But I wouldn't say they are stand-out favourites to win the Champions League at this stage.
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