Jeff Stelling cannot believe Soccer Saturday pundit’s admission and brands it ‘remarkable’

Sky Sports icon Jeff Stelling has slammed current pundit Mike Dean for his admission that he misused VAR to shield fellow referee Anthony Taylor from scrutiny. Stelling, who left his long-standing position as host of Soccer Saturday last year after nearly three decades, now hosts for talkSPORT.

Following Stelling’s exit, the renowned show underwent significant changes. One of which was ex-official Dean joining the panel to offer insights into referees’ decisions.

However, one particular revelation from him has sparked outrage from Stelling. Dean acknowledged that during a contentious incident in a match between Chelsea and Tottenham in August 2022, he chose to “protect” colleague Taylor, a move Stelling deems “shameful.”

In his memoir ‘Saturday Afternoon Fever’, Stelling criticises the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), stating: “I am not totally against the use of it [VAR], but the PGMOL really got it terribly wrong in the first couple of years of its implementation.

“Talk of ‘high bars’ is simply an excuse when they get it wrong. A foul is a foul. And their insistence that they stick with the on-field referee’s decision wherever possible is simply nonsensical.

“All they should be concerned about is coming to the correct decision, not protecting the man in black. It is a tough job, performed in a harsh spotlight. Sticking with an obviously wrong decision actually undermines not just the referee but the whole system.”

One such instance when the system was “misused” has particularly upset Stelling, who continued to specifically call out Dean for his declaration.

“Worse still, we get the situation where the VAR is intentionally protecting his mate in the middle, as Mike Dean admitted after he had resigned as an official,” he added.

“He claimed he had not sent Anthony Taylor to the screen at Stamford Bridge when Tottenham’s car crash centre-half Christian Romero pulled the hair of Marc Cucurella inside the box because his pal had suffered a difficult day, and he didn’t want to add to his grief.”

When Antonio Conte’s Tottenham locked horns with Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 2022 there were multiple flashpoints. Kalidou Koulibaly’s sensational volley broke the deadlock before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s equaliser sparked a touchline confrontation as Tuchel took issue with a potential foul in the lead-up.

Reece James’ powerful strike seemed to secure victory for Tuchel, who was seen jubilantly racing along the sidelines with just 13 minutes left on the clock. But in a game marred by tension, Dean and the VAR team failed to act on a late tussle involving Romero and Cucurella, leading to Harry Kane’s equaliser from the resulting corner in the dying moments.

The post-match scene was just as heated, with Conte and Tuchel’s infamous handshake quickly turning into a clash. A year later, Dean, making his Soccer Saturday debut, confessed that he had avoided sending Taylor to review the incident for a potential red card, not wishing to compound the referee’s challenging day.

“What a shameful admission from someone who had been one of England’s top officials,” Stelling contended. “Remarkably, Mike gives his views on refereeing decisions now on Soccer Saturday. After that, how many fans could trust his opinion, do you think?”

Stelling also admitted he bears no grudge against Dean joining the Soccer Saturday team, but indicated that having an ex-official conclusively settle disputes over refereeing decisions detracts from the often conflicting points of view in the studio.

“No one mentioned that ref Mike Dean would also be incorporated into the panel they must have feared I would give that the red card too,” he added. “I have no problems with Mike – I thought he was one of our very best referees. But one of the most engaging parts of the show was arguing over debatable decisions. Having an expert in the studio would kill that straightaway.”