‘VAR needs to go’; ‘Crazy substitutions killed the wonderful work done’

We asked for your opinions on Aberdeen’s disappointing 3-2 loss to PAOK in the Europa Conference League.

Here’s a selection of your comments:

David: I’m all for technology, but when it fails to meet the required standard, it should either be fixed or abandoned. Even the Greek fans in the hospitality box behind us believed we should have been awarded a penalty. They had the chance to see a replay of the foul, which apparently VAR didn’t.

Mark: I understand that the high-pressure style of play can leave players exhausted. However, making three substitutions at once disrupts the team’s momentum as they try to adapt to the changes. Barry Robson is a young manager with a promising future, and we must accept that he’ll make some right decisions and some wrong ones. The lack of depth remains a weakness for Aberdeen.

William: It’s disheartening to lose from a 2-0 lead, but we only have ourselves to blame. The defending for POAK’s first two goals was amateurish at best, and it allowed them to get back in the game. This is a steep learning curve at a level where every mistake is punished. We keep finding ourselves on the wrong side of narrow margins.

James: Perhaps, similar to tennis and cricket, managers should have the ability to request VAR. They could have their own screen during the game.

Ian: Once again, VAR has shown massive inconsistencies. I can’t understand how someone looking at the challenge on Jack MacKenzie through a replay couldn’t see that it was a clear penalty. Aberdeen has been cheated by poor officiating.

Dick: The first half was dull, but things picked up later. Aberdeen scored two fantastic goals and had complete control of the game. However, the new formation wasn’t able to adapt quickly after the three substitutions, and POAK took advantage. The Greeks were a slick team but didn’t trouble the Aberdeen defense much. The penalty we conceded was unbelievable.

Callum: We were outstanding for 70 minutes. Why does Robson continue to make the same mistakes with substitutions? It doesn’t make sense to bring on players who aren’t performing well. We should have won that game, and we should have been awarded a penalty. VAR needs to be eliminated.

David: Robson completely mishandled the three substitutions that were unnecessary when the team was performing well. Some of his decisions this season have been entirely wrong.

Paul: Robson took off the best player on the pitch and our two goal-scorers. He is to blame.

Niall: The final quarter for the Dons was reckless and needless. After establishing a strong position, the three-man substitution inexplicably affected the team’s formation, and our collapse was a bitter outcome for the Red Army. At this level, Slobodan Rubezic needs to show more composure in his approach, as this wasn’t his first crucial foul conceded.

Jupiter: We need a proper manager. Robson is a caretaker who has been promoted beyond his capabilities. His foolish substitutions cost us the game.

Fred: Three foolish substitutions ruined the excellent work done by the team. I’m extremely disappointed in the manager. Why replace the three best players of the night? Duk should have stayed on the bench as he is completely off the pace. Now, we have to hope for a series of positive results domestically.