MAURICIO POCHETTINO will not rush to answer his phone if he gets another call from apologetic referees’ chiefs this week.
The Spurs boss was again left fuming over the performance of the match officials after conceding defeat in the title race.
Mauricio Pochettino admitted it will be hard for Spurs to win the leagueGetty Images
Last week he was adamant that both Arsenal goals should have been disallowed in his team’s defeat in the North London derby.
This time he was stewing over ref Mike Jones’ failure to get to grips with West Brom’s delaying tactics which left Wembley infuriated.
Pochettino revealed: “I spoke last week with the referees’ people that called us to explain that, yes it was offside against Arsenal, yes, it was a foul, blah, blah, blah.
“But in the end it changed nothing and after that I promised that I would never again speak in public about the referee. He needs to do his job and I will do mine.”
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Mauricio Pochettino’s side were frustrated by West Brom at WembleyGetty Images
Mauricio Pochettino has warned Spurs not to get carried away after recently beating Real MadridPA:Press Association
Harry Kane’s 40th club goal of the year saved the Spurs from a home loss against West BromGetty - Contributor
Yet if Pochettino was keeping his thoughts to himself, Spurs defender Eric Dier was happy to share his frustration with the world. He received a 58th-minute caution for complaining to Jones about Albion keeper Ben Foster’s time-wasting.
And it was another 25 minutes before Foster finally followed him into Jones’ notebook after pushing his luck a little too far.
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“But if you watch the game from the first minute and add up the amount of time wasted by their keeper, it would be a big number.
“He was holding the ball for a lot longer than six seconds and it makes no sense for the referee to wait until the final few minutes to show him a yellow card.”
Salomon Rondon plants the ball past Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris early onPA:Press Association
Ben Foster denied any wrongdoing with a smilePA:Press Association
Spurs skipper Hugo Lloris knew exactly what Foster was up to and said: “It’s a part of the game for a keeper to slow things down, but not after ten minutes.
“It’s up to the referee to make the players understand you cannot do that all game and if you give a yellow card after 35 minutes he won’t do it again in the second half.
“But if the referee says nothing, then the keeper will keep doing it. That is what happened.”
A grinning Foster joked with Spurs players as he left Wembley and told them: “What time-wasting? I wasn’t doing anything wrong. Well, maybe a little bit . . . ”
Ben Foster was eventually booked for time wastingPA:Press Association
Mauricio Pochettino was not happy with referee Mike JonesHANNAH MCKAY
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Yet Albion’s go- slow was not the reason Spurs have taken just four points from their last four Premier League games.
Break the news gently to Spurs fans, but there is a real danger that their team are turning into Arsenal as they struggle to cling on to their place in the top four.
Just as in previous home games against Burnley and Swansea, they totally dominated possession against opponents with no interest in taking them on.
Yet despite being camped on the edge of West Brom’s penalty area all afternoon, they conceded a soft early goal and were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net until Harry Kane finally got on the end of Dele Alli’s 74th-minute cross to level from close range.
Dier insisted: “Drawing a game is never positive, especially at home.
“Certain teams come to Wembley just to make it difficult and pretty much play in their own penalty area.
“But we have to entertain the fans and we are really disappointed that we couldn’t win.”
Asked whether he had a grudging admiration for Albion’s approach, an appalled Pochettino snapped: “No.
“I’m not in charge of the way the other team decides to play but if we had scored a second goal today I think the question about their tactics would be very different.”
Yet Lloris knows that Spurs must find an immediate solution to their Wembley problem if they are going to remain in the hunt to finish runners-up to runaway leaders Manchester City.
He said: “It’s completely different to White Hart Lane so we have to deal with the stadium and find a solution to increase the level of the atmosphere.
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“But I do not want to find fake excuses for disappointing results.
“We need to stay positive and find a solution together.
“When you play against a team who stays very deep, you need to pin them in the box and try to get free-kicks or penalties to put more pressure on them.
“You have to respect the game and not cheat. But if you are more aggressive in the box it’s more difficult for the opponent.
“It’s about intensity and energy. That’s what we need a little bit.”
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