VAR: Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl wary of Arsene Wenger's VAR offside idea

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According to Arsene Wenger's proposals, Olivier Giroud's disallowed goal for Chelsea in their 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League would have stood

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has said offside may as well be scrapped entirely if Arsene Wenger's proposed changes are introduced.

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Wenger, now chief of global football development for Fifa, wants to alter marginal VAR offside decisions.

The ex-Arsenal manager's idea is that "you will not be offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender".

"The only rule that really works in VAR is the offside," said Hasenhuttl.

"And we want to change this? I don't know why. It's the only black-and-white decision which is always right or wrong. The rest is subjective."

Wenger's role means he will sit on the technical panel of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the body which sets football's laws, and has its general meeting on 29 February in Belfast.

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At present, a player is offside if any part of their body with which they can score is ahead of the second-last opponent. Typically, this is the last opposing outfield player, because of the goalkeeper's positioning.

Saints boss Hasenhuttl is against the Frenchman's suggestion and believes that doing away with the offside law altogether would be more preferable to more potential VAR controversy.

"If we change it the way he wants to do it we can stop playing offside because it won't work any more," said the Austrian.

"It will change the game massively in my opinion. The only thing that really works well at the moment is the decision about offside. And everything else we must discuss more."

Source: bbc.com