‘Not Fergie time, offside time’ – Leicester rue lack of VAR as Man Utd progress

The Dutchman had a different way to describe such drama after his Leicester side were beaten out of the FA Cup by a contentious stoppage-time Harry Maguire header on his Friday return from Old Trafford.

After his side lost to his team in round four, the former Manchester United striker told ITV, “We are defeated in offside time, not in Fergie time.”

His frustration was that Maguire headed the winner despite appearing to be offside when Bruno Fernandes sent a free kick towards the back post with the scores level at 1-1 and the game in injury time at 30 minutes into extra time.

The officials, who believed there was no problem with the goal, had to make their own decision because there was no video assistant referee (VAR) present at this stage of the FA Cup.

When he faced the media about an hour later than usual, Van Nistelrooy was less sassy about the situation because he had had a little more time to digest the outcome.

“We are gutted”, he said.

When you prepare for this game for the entire week and reacting to the Everton defeat, the outcome is decided on a clear and obvious error, which is unacceptable and unthinkable at this level.

VAR would have most likely overturned the on-pitch decision after having time to examine replays of the goal.

The Football Association made the announcement in the middle of December, however, that the technology wouldn’t be used until the fifth round.

Due to the infrastructure, workforce, and costs involved in running VAR, the FA stated in a statement on December 16 that it had only previously used it for matches played at Wembley Stadium and Premier League grounds.

This decision makes sure that all clubs competing in the same level of competition have a uniform refereeing system.

Ruben Amorim, manager of Manchester United, acknowledged that his side were fortunate to have chosen to use VAR despite the fact that his side gained from its absence.

” With VAR it’s not a goal, “he said.

Because it’s fair for the game, I believe VAR is crucial. With an offside play, it’s difficult to lose like that. However, we do need some luck.

Roy Keane, a former Manchester United midfielder, said the officials should have recognized that the officials had made a clear enough error.

He said on ITV:” That’s a poor decision, the linesman]assistant referee] has got to see that.

You must make the right decisions, they say.

Look where the linesman is, Ian Wright, the former Arsenal striker said. That impacts him]Van Nistelrooy] that impacts his managerial career because it’s another loss.

That would have greatly boosted their sense of confidence. But they have to lift themselves, because of the officials. “

It is a difficult one to accept because the outcome was a mistake, Van Nistelrooy continued.

Amorim felt his side needed a little luck despite accepting that the winner had treated his rivals cruelly.

Since the Portuguese coach’s appointment in November, Manchester United has struggled to maintain consistency. Despite this victory, the fans of the club will still be happy about it.

In the first half, they struggled to score a single shot as they trailed to Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s opener.

Amorim gave January signing Patrick Dorgu his debut but played him at right-wing back, despite the 20-year-old being more often played at left-back.

Amorim was seen giving the former Lecce player a lot of instructions, before taking him off at half-time.

“I was trying to help Dorgu to manage the game”, he said. It was difficult for him because he had three training sessions.

If you look back on Dorgu’s history, you’ll see that he frequently played left-handed games. Sometimes you have to have your left foot on the right to enter and make a different connection.

Alejandro Garnacho replaced Dorgu, who made a change in the game for United. His deflected shot off the line was problematic due to his slow left-footed pace, which caused problems for him and gave way to Joshua Zirkzee’s cross.

Garnacho had been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the winter, but Amorim’s presence made him seem determined to stay there. His performance in this game demonstrated why.

” He made a big impact, “Maguire said.