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Kieran McKenna on VAR/corner confusion
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna left puzzled by Brentford winner and VAR delays
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna admitted he was left baffled by the sequence of events that led to Brentford’s winning goal at Portman Road this afternoon.
The decisive moment came in the 18th minute when Kevin Schade headed home from a corner—the third attempt after two previous interruptions.
The initial corner sparked a lengthy VAR delay to assess an incident involving Jacob Greaves and Sepp Van Den Berg. After review, it was ruled that any contact between them had occurred before the ball was in play. On the second attempt, Jack Taylor and Christian Norgaard were both shown yellow cards for grappling in the box, leading to another stoppage and a third corner.
“The first time, Jacob gets blocked, then he blocks the next man and they both go down,” McKenna explained. “I thought the corner had been taken, but apparently it hadn’t. The referee was in a good position to judge whether it was a penalty or not.”
He continued, “Then there’s this long pause—three minutes or so—for a VAR check. The next corner attempt, Jack and Norgaard are jostling, Damsgaard ends up falling, and we go again. I understand if the ball wasn’t in play, then it’s right to retake the corner.”
McKenna was most frustrated with the extended delays caused by VAR reviews. “When something takes three minutes to review from multiple angles, how can it be ‘clear and obvious’?” he asked.
Physicality during set-pieces was a recurring theme, with VAR examining several incidents. “Both teams were physical in the box, working blocks. It was a shared pattern,” he said.
Looking ahead to next season, McKenna reflected on the broader issue of VAR. “We won’t have VAR next season. I’ve said before—I don’t think it’s helping the game in its current form. Sure, there are benefits, but we’ve had too many games this year where play’s been stopped for minutes over marginal calls.”
He added, “Supporters sit in silence, players stand around, staff wait—it kills the momentum. If it’s truly ‘clear and obvious,’ it shouldn’t take that long.”
Despite multiple appeals from both sides during the match, no penalties were awarded, with McKenna suggesting the referee judged none of them worthy.
“These interruptions hurt the flow and spectacle of the game for fans in the stadium,” he said.
“I don’t want to sound like the losing manager just moaning about VAR or someone trying to deflect from relegation—this is just my honest view. I get the intention behind it, and yes, in big moments—like in the playoffs—when a glaring error needs correcting, there’s a place for it.”
“But the constant micro-analysis and drawn-out reviews? That’s a problem. Teams are learning to manipulate the system by demanding reviews and holding up play. In its current form, VAR is taking more away from the game than it’s adding.”
