Wayne Rooney has said he is "sick of" VAR after the technology overruled the on-field decision to allow Erling Haaland's controversial Manchester derby winner. The system confirmed the Manchester City forward was onside but judged that Enzo Fernandez was not interfering with play, despite his attempt to head the ball.
The Argentine was clearly beyond the last defender, sparking outrage over the officials' U-turn. Rooney is the latest to question their interpretation of the incident.
Rooney's Verdict on VAR
Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Rooney said: "I'm just so sick of this VAR. I think it's horrendous. All the emotion of the game, the energy which the game's played with.
"And to not see that and recognise that Enzo Fernandez is in an offside position is... anyone who's played the game at any level understands that and knows that he's in an offside position. So to get it so wrong, it's just baffling."
Pro Ref's Apology
Hours before Rooney's comments, Pro Ref, formerly the PGMOL, released a statement confirming they had contacted United to "acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement".
Their statement read: "The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position.
"In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective, however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review."
Wider Reaction
Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Lisandro Martinez are among those associated with United who have been angered by the decision. Danny Murphy also explained why the goal should not have stood.
He said: "Haaland is proven to be onside, but Enzo Fernandez, he's the one we all think is offside. And the reason is, Martinez has got Haaland - that's his player, you can see him focused on him.
"If Enzo Fernandez doesn't make this run, [Martinez] sticks with Haaland. But of course, as a defender, he gets back centrally to try and stop him scoring, which then means Haaland is free.
"The second person it affects with this goal is the goalkeeper. You can see him ready for the header because Enzo Fernandez is trying to score, he doesn't get a touch but then [Lammens'] arms are down [not] ready for the Haaland finish.
"It makes it so simple, and so obvious. But somehow, and we don't really know how, they've missed the impact Enzo Fernandez has on the players around him which therefore means it should have been disallowed.
"It's a bad one, it is a really bad one. Generally we try here to see them given the benefit of the doubt, but you can't on this one, I'm afraid."
