Former Referee Critiques West Ham's Penalty Decision Against Manchester United

Ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett has sharply criticized the controversial penalty awarded to West Ham during their match against Manchester United, calling it "one of the worst" decisions he has ever encountered. The incident occurred in the dying moments of the match at the London Stadium on Sunday, leading to a crucial penalty that ultimately determined the game's outcome.

The Incident

Referee David Coote initially did not call for a penalty following a collision between Matthijs de Ligt and Danny Ings. However, after being advised to check the VAR monitor, he changed his decision and awarded a penalty, which Jarrod Bowen successfully converted. This result marked Manchester United's fourth defeat in just nine league matches, raising concerns about manager Erik ten Hag's future.

Hackett, who retired from officiating in 1994 and now offers his insights through a column for The Telegraph, expressed his disbelief at the decision. He stated, “Crikey me, this is horrendous. The decision to give West Ham a penalty that they won the game from – and could cost Erik ten Hag his job – is one of the worst I have ever seen.” He went on to say, “I cannot see how Matthijs de Ligt was adjudged to have fouled Danny Ings. I am struggling to even put this into words. It is bizarre – I am stunned. Actually, it is worse than bizarre. A park referee would not even give this as a penalty. Ten Hag has every right to be furious.”

Hackett further criticized the role of VAR, questioning what Michael Oliver, the VAR official, had seen to justify the review. He expressed concern over the hierarchy among referees, implying that Coote may have been overly influenced by Oliver's reputation, stating, “Everyone says Oliver is the No 1 referee in the country, and Coote is probably eight, nine, or 10 in the list. I am not saying he is subservient, but is Coote essentially just taking Oliver’s word for it?”

Official Response

The Premier League later issued a statement regarding the decision, explaining that the VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’s lower leg to warrant an on-field review. The statement noted, “The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.” However, Hackett remarked that the lack of clarity in the thought process behind the decision was troubling.

Reactions from Managers

West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui, despite not having seen a replay of the incident, expressed confidence in the penalty decision, saying, “The players say it's a penalty and the referee says it is a penalty, so I am sure they are right.” He emphasized the importance of maintaining positive momentum after the goal.

Conversely, Erik ten Hag voiced his frustration during the post-match interview. He stated, “Before the season, there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes. That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on-field referee.” He continued, expressing disappointment in his team's inability to capitalize on their chances despite a strong performance, lamenting, “More frustrations but I can do nothing with that. They don’t collect points and that’s what we have to do. We have to look in the mirror; we don’t score in a good game from our side.”

In summary, the contentious penalty decision has sparked significant debate, highlighting ongoing frustrations surrounding officiating standards and the use of VAR in the Premier League.