- Manchester United lost to West Ham because of a controversial spot-kick
- The defeat was the last straw for United chiefs, who sacked Ten Hag on Monday
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! , available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
It’s All Kicking Off! co-host Ian Ladyman believes the decision of VAR Michael Oliver to controversially award West Ham a penalty against Manchester United ‘contravenes the principles’ of the system.
The Red Devils were left outraged when David Coote pointed to the spot deep into injury time after being advised to review an incident at the pitch-side monitor by VAR.
Contact on Danny Ings by Matthijs de Ligt was ruled to be enough to give the Hammers the chance to secure three vital points. And skipper Jarrod Bowen confidently stepped and accepted the invitation.
But Mail Sport’s Ladyman and Chris Sutton strongly disagreed with the decision, which ultimately cost Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag his job.
‘We should remind ourselves here of the principles of VAR intervention this season,’ Ladyman said. ‘Essentially they said that the system should be similar to umpire’s call in cricket and tennis. In other words, the referee’s decision should stand unless VAR can identify a clear mistake.’
‘There is absolutely no way in the world that that was a clear mistake on Sunday at the London Stadium.
‘It was a coming together. If you showed that footage to hundred people, two of them might decide, and they both were West Ham fans, that it was a penalty. So that is the first thing I want to say is it’s a clear contravention of VAR principles.’
