Manchester United to Escalate VAR Grievances with Formal PGMOL Complaint
Manchester United are preparing to submit a formal complaint to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following a highly contentious 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Friday evening. The club's fury centres on referee Stuart Attwell's decision not to award a penalty when winger Amad was allegedly fouled inside the box by Adrien Truffert.
Inconsistent Penalty Decisions Spark Outrage
United officials were left baffled and incensed by what they perceive as glaring inconsistencies in the application of VAR during the match. The controversy began when United were awarded a penalty for a shirt-pull by Alex Jimenez on Matheus Cunha, which they viewed as directly comparable to the incident involving Amad and Truffert that was dismissed by Attwell.
To compound matters, Bournemouth immediately capitalised on the non-call by equalising through Ryan Christie. Later in the match, Bournemouth were themselves awarded a penalty for a challenge by Harry Maguire on Evanilson that United argue was virtually identical to the earlier incident that went unpunished. Maguire was subsequently shown a red card for the challenge, leaving United to play with ten men.
Manager Carrick Labels Decisions "Astonishing"
United manager Michael Carrick did not mince words in his post-match assessment, describing the failure to award Amad a penalty as "astonishing". Carrick pointed out the logical inconsistency in the officiating, stating: "He's given one penalty for the same thing that he's not given one... For me, it's two penalties."
The manager questioned which decision the officials would acknowledge as incorrect, highlighting how the non-call fundamentally altered the match dynamics as Bournemouth scored immediately afterward.
Additional Grievances Over Stoppage Time
United's complaint will extend beyond the penalty controversies to question the addition of nine minutes of stoppage time as their depleted side fought to preserve a draw. Club officials were puzzled by how this amount was determined and believe excessive added time has become a recurring pattern throughout the season.
Pattern of Officiating Frustrations
This incident represents the latest in a series of grievances United have harboured against match officials this campaign. Previous points of contention include:
- The failure to send off Brentford defender Nathan Collins for preventing a clear goalscoring opportunity
- Not being awarded a penalty against Wolves
- The disallowance of Lisandro Martinez's goal in January's 2-2 draw at Burnley
Notably, Stuart Attwell was also the referee in that Burnley match, adding to United's frustration with his decision-making.
Consequences and Escalation
The red card shown to Harry Maguire means the 33-year-old centre-back will be unavailable for United's upcoming fixture against Leeds, further compounding the team's difficulties. United officials have confirmed they will direct their formal complaint to PGMOL chief Howard Webb, seeking clarification on what they regard as another damaging VAR error that has directly impacted match outcomes.
Carrick acknowledged his team's resilience in securing a point despite the controversies, praising his players for defending well with ten men. However, the manager emphasised that the penalty decisions remained inexplicable, stating: "The penalty one's just astonishing, I have to say, one of them must be wrong."
As United prepare their formal submission to PGMOL, this incident highlights growing tensions between clubs and match officials over the consistency of VAR implementation in critical match situations.
