Calls for VAR to be axed in the Premier League.as Antonio Conte urges referees to go to school

Premier League stars want to see VAR ditched for good after yet another day of controversy that saw Tottenham boss Antonio Conte accuse English top-flight referees of lacking consistency.

Conte expressed his dismay at the standard of refereeing after seeing Emerson Royal sent off in Saturday’ss 3-1 defeat at Premier League leaders Arsenal.

And the Italian believes referees need to go back to school or they will continue to lag behind their continental peers.

Tottenham’s defeat to Arsenal was one of a number of games which included a controversial VAR call

There have been calls across the Premier League for VAR to be binned altogether

Conte believes English referees could have a thing or two to learn from their European counterparts

Conte’s grim assessment was matched by Fulham manager Marco Silva, who also lashed out at what he saw as inconsistency when Nathaniel Chalobah was sent off in the eighth minute in Newcastle’s 4-1 romp at Craven Cottage. And they were not the only contentious incidents on Saturday.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish asked ‘what is the point of VAR’ after Thiago Silva escaped a red card for a handball offence in Chelsea’s 2-1 win at Selhurst Park.

And Parish’s fury echoes the anger of players who have reached breaking point with VAR and believe the technology simply is not fit for purpose, according to Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw. 

In an exclusive interview with Mail on Sunday columnist Danny Murphy, Forshaw believes the decisions involving VAR are infuriating everyone and the system needs to be binned.

‘I’d get rid of VAR,’ said Forshaw. ‘Most of the lads would. It gets you more infuriated because there’s something there that is meant to be black and white for you, and it’s not. You are still getting decisions wrong when there is the technology. It’s embarrassing.’

Conte bemoaned the decision to send off Emerson Royal during their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal

 Royal was sent off in the North London derby for a challenge on Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch is banned from the touchline for Sunday’s home game against Aston Villa after venting his anger at decisions during the 5-2 drubbing at Brentford on September 3.

Conte, meanwhile, has demanded action over the standard of refereeing after seeing Emerson Royal given a straight red for a high challenge on Gabriel Martinelli in the north London derby, complaining it is hard to adjust while interpretations of the law seem to vary.

Conte said: ‘In England, it is very difficult. Sometimes you see situations that could be a red card, instead they are yellow card or no yellow card.

‘Sometimes you see situations that are a yellow card but instead it’s a red card.

‘They [referees] have to work a lot on this. In Italy for example, our referees go away on Thursday to stay together for three days to work together, to look at videos, to try to improve.

Thiago Silva got away with a yellow card for a handball during Chelsea’s clash with Crystal Palace

‘I don’t know if this happens in England but it would be a good idea because the level [of the Premier League] is so high, we need to have the referees, the VAR, at the same level.’

Fulham boss Silva also blasted VAR’s ‘lack of consistency’ after Chalobah’s red card for a reckless tackle on Sean Longstaff.

Chalobah was initially shown a yellow card by referee Darren England but VAR Mike Dean advised he change it to red.

Fulham boss Marco Silva was unhappy over the lack of ‘consistency’ from VAR calls

‘The referee was clear, for him [it was] a yellow card, he told me,’ said Silva. ‘It was a harsh tackle but I’m 100 per cent sure I haven’t seen consistency in these types of situations.

‘I’m 100 per cent sure that, in the next few weeks, we will see more tackles like that one and they’ll be a yellow card. That is tough for us to understand.

‘Where is the consistency in these decisions? I can accept the red card if the next 10 weeks, 20 weeks, I would see the same, but I’m sure that will not be.’

Palace chairman Parish and manager Patrick Vieira were enraged when Chelsea skipper Silva was shown a yellow card rather than a red for deliberate handball when Jordan Ayew was away.

To make the Palace chiefs feel even worse, Silva had a hand in the visitors’ equaliser and Chelsea went on to snatch a 2-1 win.

‘Honestly what is the point of VAR,’ Parish posted on Twitter. ‘We chop and change every week. VAR must surely think that’s a red but not a ‘clear’ error!’

An equally upset Vieira said: ‘It’s difficult for me to understand it, to accept it, so it’s better sometimes to be really quiet and not talk about it.

‘I don’t want to talk about it because I believe the referee got it wrong and if I really say what I think then I would be in trouble, so it’s better for me not to talk about it.’