'Embarrassing' VAR is going kill football, warns Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino after players and fans are left baffled by FA Cup debacle

Daily Mail | February 28, 2018

Mauricio Pochettino warned that the video referee could 'kill' football as Spurs' FA Cup win over Rochdale descended into chaos.

Fans jeered referee Paul Tierney's constant first-half stoppages to use the system in a fifth-round replay made even more difficult by a blizzard at Wembley.

Tottenham boss Pochettino said: 'Football is about emotion. It is a contest of emotion and if we are going to kill emotion in football, the fans, the people who love football, are not happy about what they saw.'

Tottenhamu00a0Mauricio Pochettino could not hide his frustartion on the sidelines — Tottenham Mauricio Pochettino could not hide his frustartion on the sidelines

Paul Tierney was at the centre of bizarre events on Wednesday as he relied heavily on VAR

Tierney took 90 seconds to rule out Erik Lamela's strike for a foul inside the Rochdale box

Fernando Llorente was penalised by the VAR for the slightest of tugs inside the penalty area

Spurs ran out easy winners with a Fernando Llorente hat-trick but only after Erik Lamela's first-half goal was disallowed on a mystifying call before Tierney ruled out a Son Heung-min penalty due to 'illegal feinting'.