Albion fans have been told the Video Assistant Referees system is “great for football”.

But it has to be used correctly and the technology must be in perfect working order.

That is the view of ex-Seagulls favourite Andrea Orlandi after seeing first-hand how the system works in Italy.

Several Serie A matches have been affected by the video refereeing set-up this season with incorrect decisions being overturned.

Orlandi, who plays for Novara in Serie B, has been impressed by the development but he reckons it can still be improved.

The Argus:

Andrea Orlandi

Albion stage a VAR test when Crystal Palace visit in the FA Cup next month.

Fittingly, the match involves two clubs served by Glenn Murray, the man in the middle of an incident which cried out for VAR at the Amex this season when he was fouled by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross and no penalty was given.

Albion playmaker Pascal Gross was asked by The Argus about VAR after that match and seemed less than enthusiastic.

He said: “We have it in Germany but there have been some problems.”

However, Orlandi has become used to seeing such incorrect calls successfully overturned in Serie A fixtures, although the system does not yet extend to his own team’s division.

He told The Argus: “VAR is working well but it can be used better.

“When something happens there are people looking at cameras that inform the referee. He goes to have a look at the action on camera and it takes ages.

“For me there should be a video referee looking at everything and taking responsibility for the decision.

“Then inform the referee on the pitch about something that has happened and that’s it.

“But, to be fair, it has changed some results in the Italian league this year, like with Daniele De Rossi’s penalty and sending-off last week against Genoa. Used properly it’s great for football.”

De Rossi slapped Gianluca Lapadula in the face to earn a red card and concede a penalty as his Roma side were held to a 1-1 draw.

The incident, in a packed goalmouth at a set-piece, was missed by the officials on the pitch.

One of the higher profile VAR decisions came when Juventus dropped their first points of the campaign in a 2-2 draw at Atalanta.

Juve thought they had gone 3-1 up, only for an elbow by Stephen Lichsteiner in the build-up to the goal to be spotted on screen.

Khouma Babacar, a striker linked with both Albion and Palace last summer, converted a penalty deep in added time recently to secure Fiorentina a 1-1 draw at Lazio and silence the Stadio Olimpico. The spot kick was awarded thanks to a VAR ruling.

Orlandi added: “It is really good but sometimes – it has happened twice - when the referee went to see the images on the screen, the screen got stuck.

“The referee couldn’t see it properly and it took two or three minutes. Then everyone gets crazy, the players and the managers get nervous.

“I think it will get better with time and it is a really good thing.

“Above all, it’s fair. With the technology there is nowadays you need to use it in football.”