VAR System Criticism Continues After FA Cup 5th Round Replay

The use of the controversial Video Assistant Referee system has once again raised some concerns among fans and lovers of the game of football. The system, which on trial in English cup competitions, was used during Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round replay between Tottenham Hotspur and third division Rochdale. 

Former premier league referee, Mark Halsey, believes mistakes were again made during the game. He cited Erik Lamela's "perfectly good goal" which was disallowed for a minor infringement by Fernando Llorente when the game was still goalless as one of such examples.

Halsey told BBC Radio 5 live: "For me it wasn't a clear and obvious error. I thought it was a perfectly good goal. I don't know why it was referred (to the VAR) in the first place."

He also added that he could not understand the reason the referee Paul Tierney,  did not look at the touchline monitor himself as protocol permits. He continued by disparaging Tierney for ruling out the Tottenham penalty, another decision in which the VAR used, saying "He could have handled it better".

After the game, Tottenham's manager Mauricio Pochettino also expressed his disappointment with the system. He said: "The first half was a little bit embarrassing for everyone. I'm not sure that system is going to help. We love the game we know, football is about emotion but if we are going to kill emotion then people who love football will not be happy." 

Spurs Left-back player Danny Rose also had something to say about the VAR while speaking to talkSPORT radio calling it  "shambolic" and an "absolute disgrace".

"We got the job done under shambolic circumstances through the game. An absolute disgrace, waiting around for I don't know how many minutes to get a decision.

"It's just laughable," he added.

 

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