Arsenal legend slams Mike Dean over ‘f***ing disturbing arrogance’ in VAR spat with Merson

Arsenal hero Ian Wright is aghast at the “f***ing disturbing arrogance” Mike Dean displayed in his VAR spat with Paul Merson.

Dean clashed with Merson on Soccer Saturday as they debated whether ex-pros should be involved in the officiating process.

Merson called for the common sense he believes they could provide but Dean dismissed the idea, insisting “half of former players don’t know the laws of the game full stop”.

Merson then accused officials of being “scared” to make decisions for fear “they might get in trouble”.

Dean repeatedly told Merson “you don’t know the law,” ending his argument by saying: “I’m staying nice and calm here because I know you can’t change the law. If he [Merson] wants to blow like a bottle of pop that’s fine by me.”

Wright, discussing the exchange on ‘Wrighty’s House’, wasn’t at all impressed with Dean’s arrogance.

The former striker said: “Listening to Mike Dean with that rant with Merse, listening to him saying ‘the rules are the rules so just abide by the rules’.

“Then you see Michael Oliver today [after opting not to send off Mateo Kovacic against Arsenal], we saw two bookable offences, you’re booked for the first one and you leave the second one because… you don’t want to upset [people]?

“This is why, the arrogance of Mike Dean in that little confrontation with Merse, really made me feel like this is why we are having so much problems, because they won’t listen to people.

“I can hear what Merse is saying, about the common sense aspect. And he [Dean] is saying ‘this is why, judging on what you just said there, you can’t have footballers in there.’ His arrogance is f*****g disturbing for me.”

Dean repeatedly told the former England international ‘you don’t know the law,’ ending his argument by saying: ‘I’m staying nice and calm here because I know you can’t change the law, If he [Merson] wants to blow like a bottle of pop that’s fine by me.’

VAR was again a talking point after Mateo Kovacic avoided a sending off in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester City.

PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitted on Monday night the Croatian was “extremely fortunate” to stay on the pitch.

“He [Oliver] doesn’t want to have a negative impact on the game by overreacting to something and sometimes players will be on a yellow card and they’ll be pressure to show a second one. Pressure will come from the players from the field.

“But it’s also true if you under react it can have a negative impact on the game, so I think when he reflects on it he’ll realise the second one should have been a yellow card as well. It should have been Kovacic sent off for two yellow cards.”

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