The Hearts head coach has reacted to a point on the road
Wouter Vrancken was left unhappy after Hearts had a goal chopped off against Kilmarnock during their 1-1 Premiership draw.
The Belgian head coach watched his side dig out a point following Stephen Kingsley’s late leveller that cancelled out Joe Hugill’s Killie opener. VAR had chopped a deflected Laurent Mendy opener off because of handball, but by the end, clear chances to win the game were passed up. JJ Williams had two moments go abegging and a Sabah Kerjota strike whistled by the post.
Vrancken’s ire came after Mendy’s effort came off Cathal McCarthy on its way into the net, following the handball claim against the Hearts midfielder. He referenced a similar incident in Manchester United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich Town in the Premier League last month where a Harry Maguire effort was going wide before Jacob Greaves deflected it into his own. It was ruled an own goal, therefore, Maguire’s handball in the build-up meant did not merit VAR cutting out the crucial second United goal in that encounter.
Why did Hearts have a goal denied vs Kilmarnock?
He explained: “The rules are clear about it, I think. We saw it also in the Manchester United-Ipswich game. We just took the image in the dressing room also. It's clear about the rules. For me, when it's such a clear situation, it's strange that VAR comes in between and rules wrong. It's simple. I get the rules, because we had a meeting last week about the laws of the game, and the refs did their explanation.
“I like to see those things, because you take it with you, but when you don't see them applied in the game, then I'm thinking this is strange. Of course there are some situations, grey zones, and then it's difficult also for the refs. But this was a really clear situation and they ruled it wrong. For me, it's also decisive in the game.
“Otherwise, you are 1-0 ahead, we were good in the game, we could control the game. It was also a decisive moment. It's strange, because when it's not an intentional handball, even if it's not intentional, and the goalscorer scores. I don't blame the ref, that's clear. It's just a VAR decision here. He gets in his ear that the goalscorer touched the ball with his hand, and then it's goal denied, 100%.
Hearts' Stephen Kingsley scores to make it 1-1 during a William Hill Premiership match between Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothianplaceholder image
Hearts' Stephen Kingsley scores to make it 1-1 during a William Hill Premiership match between Kilmarnock and Heart of Midlothian | SNS Group
Wouter Vrancken on Kilmarnock 1-1 Hearts
“I fully agree, because that's the rule, but here it's clear that the defender with the head scores the goal. We saw it in the Manchester United game, that the goal has to stand at the moment. It was so clear because we saw it on the images we had on the bench and it's far from the goal. We saw it clear that the defender scores the goal. When you have images in the VAR, I think it's even more clear. It's a strange decision for me.”
On the game, Vrancken added: “It's a shame that we drew, because we had to win this game. It's simple. Chances against and chances for us. It's simple mathematics, I think. We had to score more goals, for sure. Obviously, a disallowed goal makes a big difference, because it was not a good decision.
“Then we gave it away. Too easy. It's not possible because we showed the exact image before the game. You have to just pick up the run and nothing happens. It's a pity because after that goal you saw not so much responsibility anymore and too much loss of quality after the goal. In the second half, we played a good second half with dominance and good chances. The efficiency was not high enough because we had to score more goals.”
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