Ex-Fifa official slams Man United as controversial Watmore footage analysed
Middlesbrough’s equaliser in their penalty shootout victory over Man United on Friday (4 February) would have been ruled out last season, according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee insisted Man United have a responsibility to educate their players on the law change around handball.
The ball struck Duncan Watmore’s hand before he crossed for Matt Crooks to score.
The United players seemed to stop when the ball hit Watmore‘s hand leaving Crooks unmarked to prod home from close range.
“The first scenario has to decide here is, was it an accidental handball?” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“The pressure that came on him was the fact the arm was outstretched.
“I think I agree with his decision that it was accidental handball. I don’t think the player could have avoided it, it was ball to hand.
“Within the law it fulfilled the fact it was an accidental handball.
“He then crosses it to the player who scores and last season that would have been ruled out. At the beginning of the season, they brought in this caveat that where an accidental handball takes place by an attacking player who then plays the ball to a colleague who scores, that’s now acceptable in law.
“What you’re actually looking at as a referee is, has the person who scores accidentally handballed it? If it’s a no, then the goal can stand.
“There was confusion when people are locked into the old law and question the outcome. Fortunately, the referee, Anthony Taylor, was bang up on law.
“The players stopped and this is a problem. I faced this many years ago with Tony Gale at West Ham with denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
“Players and spectators don’t know that a law change has happened and therefore the match official becomes exposed.
“That’s incumbent on the club, in this case Man United, to educate the players right from academy level upwards.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has revealed Man United have done ‘incredibly well’ after a £20million deal ia agreed.