VAR horror show on wintry Wembley Tottenham evening

Any advocates of Video Assisted Replay (VAR) may jump ship after watching the atrocities transpire in the first half of Tottenham’s 6-1 FA Cup win against Rochdale last night. 

Players, managers and supporters from both sides sat idly by, observing in disbelief as VAR ruined an otherwise lively, vivid 45 minutes of football.

As the snow accumulated on an abnormally glacial Wembley evening, players were forced to twiddle their thumbs and stand still repeatedly while referee Paul Tierney, mounted like a statue whose finger is permanently fixed on its ear, waited for a decision from an invisible man about unidentified matters.

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The first and most outrageous decision of the lot overruled a perfectly legal Erik Lamela goal.

To overturn the referee’s on-field decision, the impetus on VAR is to provide indisputable evidence of obvious human error, which the phantom Fernando Llorente infraction clearly was not.

Admittedly, the Spaniard tugged slightly on Harrison McGahey’s shirt, but only after being assaulted himself.  The first pull was instigated by McGahey. Llorente merely returned the favour in what was rightfully adjudged in the heat of the moment by Tierney as a legal bit of argy-bargy between battling adversaries.

VAR, or the invisible, all-seeing authority inexplicably thought otherwise.

Elation quickly turned to bewilderment. Supporters celebrate goals with raw emotion, pouring their heart and soul into a moment, often with unfettered intensity. Ripping those special moments away from supporters, unless an indisputable incorrect decision was made, ruins the very essence of what makes football so special.

Can you imagine the backlash had that goal been disallowed against Arsenal in a North London Derby? I shudder to think.

Another controversial VAR moment reared its invisible head. Worn like a wet wool blanket, Kieran Trippier was dragged to ground by Matt Done in Rochdale’s penalty area. While the infraction initially occurred outside the box, VAR, after what seemed like an eternity, escalated Tierney’s original free-kick decision.

The all-seeing eye, using Tierney as a conduit, pointed to the spot. The adjudication process, even though this particular decision favoured Spurs, is downright absurd.

The constant stoppages, forced breaks and uncomfortable interjections made it feel like I was watching an NFL game. VAR drained the match of all flow, fluidity and continuity, akin to the effect of aspiration on a swollen, fluid-filled knee.

A bemused Mauricio Pochettino gave his uncurbed opinion about VAR after his team’s 6-1 win.

"“The first half was a bit of an embarrassment for everyone‚“ he said. “In my opinion there is a lot of work to do. Football is a game of emotions and we have to be careful not to kill it. If I can’t shout when we score, because we have to wait two minutes for a decision, will I buy a ticket?”"

You’ll be hard-pressed to express more accurately and poignantly how the lion’s share of football fans feel about this disgraceful VAR showing.

Next: Tottenham dominate Rochdale in second half of bizarre FA Cup replay

Technology is supposed to improve the overall on-field product, eradicating completely human error. But human error, in my opinion, is part of the game, a far-cry better than having inaccurate, unpolished technology do exactly the opposite of what it’s supposed to.

VAR is a buzzkill, continually showing up to the party uninvited. And it’s here to stay so the powers that be better get it right before it causes irreparable damage on a hotly contested match of unrivalled importance.

It’s no wonder the Champions League has decided to opt out of having VAR at least until the 2019-2020 campaign.