Man United’s Carrick slams Webb’s VAR apology after Haaland’s winner
Michael Carrick criticised the apology from referee chief Howard Webb after VAR allowed Erling Haaland’s late winner in the Manchester derby, despite Enzo Fernandez being offside at Old Trafford. The decision sparked fury among Man United supporters and added to a poor start for the club.
VAR error and official response
Howard Webb, the head of Pro Ref, admitted the mistake after Haaland’s winner for Manchester City at Old Trafford last weekend was allowed to stand, even though his teammate Enzo Fernandez was in an off‑side position and clearly interfering with play. Webb blamed ‘tunnel vision’ for the error and temporarily stood down VAR officials Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus until after the international break.
The admission came as the Premier League season entered its early stages, with United having lost half of their six games in all competitions. Webb’s statement was reported by CHRIS WHEELER, NORTHERN SPORTS writer, on 19 September, highlighting the seriousness with which the governing body is treating the incident.
Carrick’s reaction and United’s outlook
Despite the controversy, Carrick insisted he still has faith in the system, saying, ‘Listen, one‑off things can happen… Yes, I’ve got faith in it, of course. It’s the system that we work towards and that we use, so the apology doesn’t mean an awful lot.’ He added that the apology ‘doesn’t mean an awful lot’ for United’s season.
Carrick urged his players to put the incident behind them, noting that United have ‘lost half of their six games in all competitions’. He warned that while the decision ‘had a huge impact on that game’, the team must not let it affect the rest of the season.
Looking ahead, United prepare to return to Premier League action at Fulham on Sunday, hoping the marginal decisions will even themselves out over the course of the campaign. Carrick reflected that ‘moving forward, we just have to deal with what’s thrown in front of us. Maybe we get one or two decisions on the back of how it balances out; percentages or law of averages or whatever that may be.’