Graeme Souness launches scathing VAR rant as Rangers icon urges radical fix for 'embarrassing' problem

Graeme Souness has suggested a major VAR change to save referees from being left red-faced.

The Rangers icon and Liverpool legend has been left head in hands at some decisions south of the border in the early stages of the Premier League season. Major controversy has been mostly avoided in the early part of the Scottish Premiership season but incidents like Alexis Mac Allister's Liverpool sending off - which was successfully appealed - has put the spotlight on whistlers again.

And the former Rangers boss insists it's time to get former pros in the VAR control centre. Souness wrote in his Daily Mail column: "Just as I see not much has changed at Manchester United, it's the same with Premier League referees. They just don't understand the game and two games in we've already seen some awful decisions. Alexis Mac Allister's sending-off against Bournemouth was never a red card. Both yellow cards for Takehiro Tomiyasu at Crystal Palace were ridiculous.

"Before that, United keeper Andre Onana comes out and smashes into an opponent and they've taken three or four minutes to decide it's not a penalty. If that challenge happens on the halfway line it's a red card!

"We've got a new head of refereeing in Howard Webb but we've still got the same poor referees in charge of our biggest games. They know the rule book from the very first line to the very last, but don't understand the difference between intent and an accidental coming together.

"I'm an advocate for VAR but all it is is doing is embarrassing these referees, showing their lack of understanding of certain situations. I'd like to see ex-players involved in VAR.

"I'm not suggesting that every one of them could do the job but the guys in charge now are making too many errors