'It's almost like you can't really celebrate a goal' - Raith Rovers boss Ian Murray assesses Scottish top flight's VAR introduction

Murray reckons the review format, which sees a current or former referee assess incidents from a video operations room at Clydesdale House in Glasgow to find clear and obvious errors and correct serious missed incidents before relaying them back to the on-field official to make the final decision after assessing a pitchside screen, might leave lower league sides envious but it also has teething problems.

“I think there will be times we’ll be jealous of the premiership having VAR,” Murray told the Fife Free Press.

“Recently at Morton, when Raith lost to a controversial last-minute spot kick for Kieran Ngwenya's challenge on Jai Quitongo, if we had VAR it was never going to be a penalty kick.

“But I think there’s a lot of frustration about the time it’s taking.

“I think it’s a very difficult situation. Once they clean it up a little bit and it gets a bit tidier, it will be a good thing, but at the moment it does seem to be a wee bit negative.

“There are still going to be contentious decisions within that because, at the end of the day, it’s still a referee that’s doing it.

“It’s still an opinion, but it’s just a second opinion.

“We saw at Tynecastle (at Celtic's recent 4-3 win over Hearts), play go on for two-and-a-half or three minutes before a decision was made. The referee has blown very early for one penalty and not for another.

“When you get to the VAR, some referees give it, some don’t.

“It’s not a robot, it’s not a computer – it’s a person’s opinion.

“I think that’s really difficult for players and I think, at times, people are forgetting the players in all of this.

“It’s very good for referees and the supporters are happy with it, but the players are affected, there’s no question.

“It’s almost like you can’t really celebrate a goal, which takes away a wee bit of the atmosphere and a wee bit of the moment.

“But if it eradicates blatant mistakes and wrong decisions, then it can only be a good thing.”