Petr Cech has posted an angry reaction to VAR causing penalties to be retaken due to goalkeepers being fractionally off their line - and suggested a new way of doing things.
The latest Premier League VAR controversy came in West Ham's 2-1 win over Leeds. After Lukasz Fabianski appeared to save Mateusz Klich's penalty, a VAR review forced a retake. Klich scored to give Leeds an early lead.
Cech posted a screenshot on Instagram showing Fabianski's left heel almost on the goalline as the ball is struck. The goalkeeping great - now a coach at Chelsea - argued that given the size of a goal and the speed of an average shot, keepers were being given an impossible task.
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"How is any goalkeeper supposed to cover an area of 7m 32cm by 2m 44cm without any foot movement," Cech began, "while the players shoot from 12 yards with average speed of 70mph, which takes the ball 0.35 seconds to cross the goal line is beyond my understanding."
Impressive calculations from Cech, who boasts the most clean sheets in Premier League history: 202 for Arsenal and Chelsea.
However he also has a suggested update to the laws of the game to give keepers a fighting chance.
"It is easy to criticise without giving any solution so here it is: Can the referee just make a second line four feet from the goalline using the spray and the penalty has to be saved in between?"
It's an interesting idea. Officially, a goalkeeper must have one foot on the line when the ball is struck for a penalty. But in reality, before the advent of VAR, keepers would often move slightly before a shot is struck and - unless it was a blatant leap forward - they were not regularly punished by officials.
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Now, with technology analysing a goalkeeper's exact foot placing after each unsuccessful penalty, Cech argues that keepers aren't being given a fair chance of making a save.
His idea would be to give goalkeepers some leeway by allowing them to leap forward to within four feet of the goalline. It's certainly a new one.
West Ham manager David Moyes didn't even believe Fabianski had transgressed on Friday night.
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"I think his heel is on the line," Moyes said to Sky Sports post-match. "You need to have a microscope to see it. Surely the benefit should go to the goalkeeper, he has made the save."
Would Cech's new rule solve the VAR penalty controversy? Let us know in the comments.
All imagery: PA Images/Instagram/Sky Sports
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Petr Cech, Football News, Chelsea, Football, Premier League, West Ham United, West Ham, Penalty, Video Assistant Referee, VAR
