VAR calls must be perfect, says United manager
Jose Mourinho called on the football authorities to start making video calls ‘‘perfect’' after his Manchester United were denied a goal while beating Huddersfield 2-0 in the FA Cup yesterday.
Juan Mata’s effort late in the first half was disallowed by the video assistant referee for his knee being offside.
But it took the VAR, who is based in an offsite studio for English matches, several minutes to rule the goal out.
‘‘It’s an experimental period,’' Mourinho said. ‘‘They have to get rid of the bad and make it perfect.
‘‘It should be the referee’s decision. Why? Because the referee wants to perform well. I don’t think they’re happy to make mistakes and if they have the VAR to help them make the right decision, I think the referees are probably happy with that.
‘‘But if the VAR changes their good decisions for bad decisions, I think they’re not happy with that. It was a bit frustrating because the moment I saw [referee] Kevin Friend touch his earpiece, I knew something was going to happen.
‘‘That doubt is not the best feeling. If the decision is right, I am super happy with that because I want the truth. Sometimes it goes against me and sometimes in my team’s favour.
‘‘But I heard comments that maybe the linesman was right and not the studio.’'
Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner said he was against the VAR. ‘‘The decision went in our favour but this VAR for me kills the emotion of the game,’' he said.
Romelu Lukaku scored both goals as United set up a home game with Brighton, a repeat of the 1983 final, in next month’s quarterfinals.
Misfortune comes in threes, so the saying goes, and West Bromwich Albion know it well. Capping a miserable week, West Brom were dumped from the FA Cup with Southampton winning 2-1.
The latest defeat for the English Premier League’s bottom club came after four West Brom players faced a Spanish judge following the alleged theft of a taxi during a training camp in Barcelona.
Also, the club terminated the contracts of chairman John Williams and chief executive Martin Goodman last week.
Wesley Hoedt was unmarked when he gave Southampton an 11th-minute lead, and Dusan Tadic made it 2-0 with a clever chip over West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster early in the second half.
Salomon Rondon pulled a goal back with a spectacular first-time volley with half an hour left but it wasn’t enough to save West Brom.
Sheffield Wednesday held Premier League side Swansea as visiting manager Carlos Carvalhal made his first return to Hillsbo- rough since being released by the second-tier team on Dec. 24.
Carvalhal has had a positive effect since joining Swansea four days after his departure from Wednesday, with the Welsh club losing only once in 12 games in all competitions on his watch.
The teams will meet again in a replay on February 27 at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium.
The last time Brighton were in the top division, it reached the FA Cup final in 1983 losing to Manchester United. Chris Hughton’s team joined Man United and Southampton in the last eight with a 3-1 win against fourth-tier Coventry.
Jurgen Locadia, a club record 14 million pounds ($19.6m) signing from PSV Eindhoven in the midseason transfer window, scored on his debut.
Connor Goldson added a second goal in the first half, and Leonardo Ulloa headed the third in the second half. Jonson Clarke-Harris gave Coventry’s fans something to cheer late in the second.
On Saturday, premier league teams Leicester City and Chelsea advanced to the last eight.