Howard Webb: VAR made Everton vs Man Utd error – but decision to overturn penalty was right
Referees' chief Howard Webb has admitted officials made a mistake in not showing the correct replays of Everton's controversially overturned penalty in their 2-2 draw with Manchester United, yet insisted the correct decision was made.
Everton players were left incensed after a foul on Ashley Young was overturned following a VAR review, which recommended referee Andy Madley overturn his decision to award them an injury-time penalty in last month's draw at Goodison Park.
Webb has since conceded that Madley was not shown the correct angles of the incident as he did not get a clear look at the shirt pull committed by United defender Matthijs de Ligt, only angles that focused on his team-mate Harry Maguire, who had originally been penalised for the foul.
Yet despite widespread opinion that De Ligt had committed a foul on Young – including former referee Dermot Gallagher claiming the Dutch international 'has got hold of his shirt for long enough to give the penalty' – Webb has insisted Everton should not have been awarded a penalty.
'When checking the sequence, the VAR and the AVAR, you'll see them looking at this wide angle to give the view on Maguire. You'll hear the AVAR talk about De Ligt and asking a question. Does De Ligt commit an offence or not,' said Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited technical director, to Michael Owen on Match Officials Mic'd Up.
'So they're aware of De Ligt having potentially done something. They form the opinion that Maguire is not committing an offence, but then they go on to ask the referee at the screen to consider the actions of De Ligt. But I absolutely acknowledge and accept the angles that are presented to the referee at that point don't show clearly enough what De Ligt does. Not penalise on the field, of course, but they want to show it.
'But they need to show him some of these angles earlier when he gets to the screen, instead of staying on the wide angle, which doesn't really show as clearly as is, needs to be shown De Ligt's actions.
'I'm not saying De Ligt's actions are a foul. They need to show this angle to be able to make that determination at the screen. And of course these angles were shown on broadcast. So the world is seeing these, and I guess that's where some of the criticism came from in terms of how this process played out.'
Fresh footage of the discussion revealed that the VAR Matt Donohue recommended a closer look at De Ligt, highlighting: 'Before you leave the screen, just consider the actions of De Ligt as well. Again, I don't believe there to be a foul there but I'd like you to consider them for your viewing.'
However, Madley was not shown a crucial angle from behind the goal that clearly displayed De Ligt twice pulling at Young's shirt as he ran towards the ball before the VAR review was completed.
Webb: 'Not all contacts are a foul'
Despite this admission, Webb doubled down that Everton should not have received a penalty.
'We've spoken during pre-season and during the season many times on this show about not all contacts are a foul. Just because you have a small tug it doesn't necessarily mean it's something you're going to penalise,' Webb added.
'We're trying to look for impact of that action and the way that Young falls forward. He spreads his legs. He kind of like throws himself forward somewhat in my opinion and it isn't commensurate with the amount of hold that you see from De Ligt.
'So we don't think this meets the threshold of a penalty in its own right. And that was certainly the view of the referee when he went to the screen and was shown momentarily the view from the angle behind the goal.
'But I accept that we should have shown not only that angle, but this angle that we can see here as well, so that he's able to make that full evaluation. And people at home watching this can see that he's had a full view of everything coming to the decision. I'm pretty certain he would come to the same decision anyway, but at least people would know that he's seen the full information.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Sarina Wiegman hits back at England crisis claim amid Lauren James injury update
Sarina Wiegman says decision for Mary Earps, Fran Kirby and Millie Bright to step aside before next month's defence of their Euros title is already in the past Sarina Wiegman insists England have already "moved on" from the surprise withdrawals of three stars before next month's defence of their European title. And the Dutch coach is convinced that the 23-player group named on Thursday has the perfect balance of youth and experience despite goalkeeper Mary Earps, midfielder Fran Kirby and defender Mille Bright all pulling out of contention. Those high-profile absences have prompted talk of a camp in crisis ahead of the trip to Switzerland but upbeat Wiegman says she has quickly consigned the bombshell announcements to the past. 'My experience before [at major tournaments] is that there is always noise,' said Wiegman. 'We expect noise until we go into the tournament. 'The difference now is that the visibility of the women's game has increased so it seems like there is more noise but there's just more journalists here which is right. 'We're not in crisis. It's not an unhappy group. You see parts of it. You're not in our environment all the time. I'm really happy with where we are now.' Earps, who was set to be second-choice goalkeeper behind Chelsea 's Hannah Hampton, quit 10 days ago with Kirby and Bright both pulling out earlier this week. The latter said her decision was to focus on both her mental and physical wellbeing. And Wiegman, defending her straight-shooter style, said: 'It's sad they are not in the team but at the same time it gives the opportunity for other players to be in the team. 'I'll always cherish what we have had, it's been a long period of time. It's been an incredible journey, lots of highs, and a couple of lows, it's part of football and part of life. I'll never forget that. At this moment, this situation, we've moved on and this is the squad we have now. I'm very happy with the squad.' Lauren James, sidelined by a hamstring injury since early April, has been named in the squad along with midfielder Georgia Stanway, the Bayern Munich star who has just returned from knee surgery. Wiegman said it was 'not a risk' to select James, who has already returned to training at Chelsea and will link up with the squad on June 16. She could be fit enough to feature in the send-off friendly against Jamaica in Leicester on June 29. Teenage Arsenal forward Michelle Agyemang, who scored on debut against Belgium in April, is included too, with Wiegman adding: "She brings something different. We're really strong up front. What she's shown is so much physicality.' England begin their title defence against France on July 5, take on the Netherlands on July 9 and finish Group D against Wales on July 13. England squad Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton, Khiara Keating, Anna Moorhouse
Daily Mirror
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Chelsea hold Mohammed Kudus swap deal talks as separate winger bid considered
There have been loose discussions in the past few days between West Ham and Chelsea over Ghana international attacker Mohammed Kudus West Ham have rebuffed the chance to sign multiple Chelsea players as part of a potential swap deal for Mohammed Kudus. The 24-year-old Hammers attacker has three separate release clauses written into his current contract at the London Stadium but they're only active for the first 10 days of July. The buy-out clauses are set at £80million for European clubs, £85m for fellow Premier League sides and a whopping £120m for Saudi Pro League teams. Beyond that, West Ham are thought to be open to offers for the Ghana international, who is under contract until 2028 but the Irons do also have a 12-month extension option. In the past few days, Graham Potter's side are understood to have snubbed the chance to trade Kudus in a multi-player package deal with Chelsea. It's believed the West Ham hierarchy would, however, consider straight-cash proposals even though internally, Kudus is regarded as one of the club's best players. West Ham have previously held an interest in the likes of defender Trevoh Chalobah, Borussia Dortmund loanee Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Armando Broja but on this occasion, they were reluctant to negotiate. Discussions did not go very far, though separate sources have claimed that Kudus has also been floated to other Premier League clubs in recent weeks. Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr have the player on their radar, though Liverpool's Luis Diaz is still considered their top target. West Ham are not under any immediate pressure to sell in relation to Premier League PSR rules but they're keen to raise funds through player sales to bolster Potter's summer transfer budget. Kudus, a £38m capture from Ajax in 2023, hit just five goals in 35 appearances in all competitions last season. Chelsea have historic interest and made contact with the Dutch giants to sign the versatile attacker in July 2023 before he eventually moved to east London. But at this stage, the Blues are thought to be prioritising the arrival of a right-footed left-winger after paying a £5m penalty fee to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United. Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens is a name of strong interest and Chelsea are ready to test the water with an opening bid, though they do not feel an agreement is essential before the Club World Cup. Chelsea have also considered moves for Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams and Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho, who is attracting interest from Bayer Leverkusen.
Times
44 minutes ago
- Times
Why have footballers' shin-pads become so incredibly small?
What's the best parallel to draw. A bank card? A prawn cracker? A Nokia 8210? There have been times this season when I've pondered what a referee — or the game's lawmakers, Ifab, for that matter — would do if footballer actually decided to stuff one of the above down their socks instead of the micro shin-pads many are choosing to wear these days. You must have noticed. The trend of players wearing mini shinnies beneath socks rolled down beneath their calves. The outline of a pair no bigger than, as Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin once described his, a custard cream. A couple of the alternatives above would probably offer more protection — and, as it turns out, providing they were covered by the player's socks and stayed put throughout, there's nothing much a referee can do about a player's choice of lower-limb protection. Shin-pads have been mandatory since 1990, but there's nothing in Ifab's laws beyond hazy definitions like 'suitable' and 'appropriate' that states what size or material they should be. As the trend for smaller and smaller versions grows, Ifab maintains that it is the responsibility of players, not the referee, to decide what constitutes reasonable protection. Jack Grealish's penchant for low slung socks and children's shin-pads is no secret — a look born during his youth-team days with Aston Villa, when the socks kept shrinking in the wash. He performed well and a superstition took root that has never left him. Grealish is by no means the first maverick to eschew shin-pads, of course, but when England's best centre half and Real Madrid's newest defensive recruit are shunning them it is clear that this is a trend that has moved beyond flair players and fashionistas. The uber-confident Dean Huijsen, who will swap Bournemouth for the Bernabeu in a £50million deal this summer, has spent the season nonchalantly marshalling the south coast club's defence wearing a pair no bigger than a Mars bar. So too Illia Zabarnyi, 22, with whom Huijsen, 20, formed the Premier League's youngest central defensive pairing, but they are by no means alone. Marc Guéhi, Crystal Palace's FA Cup-winning captain, bossed England's defence at last summer's Euros wearing a pair that looked as substantial as a piece of cardboard — and, these days, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise if that's what they were made of. A few years back, the right back, Aleix Vidal, suffered a nasty gash to his right shin while playing for Espanyol against Real Betis, which left him requiring 15 stitches. Turned out his only protection was a floppy piece of material inside his sweaty socks. Some players are now slipping a piece of foam padding down there to comply with regulations. Back in November, Michael Olise went a step further, refusing to wear shin-pads altogether. As the former Crystal Palace winger prepared to come off the bench for Bayern Munich in their Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain, the fourth official noticed he wasn't wearing any protection at all. After a curt exchange, and begrudgingly slipping a pair down his socks, Olise surreptitiously removed them and tossed them back towards the dugout before running on to the pitch. Now, does any of this really matter? Are micro shin-guards dangerous? Or are shin-pads really as important in the modern game? And have they ever done much to protect you from the most serious injuries anyway? In one sense, none of this is new. Before 1990, players could wear what they wanted under their socks and many preferred wearing nothing at all. Believe it or not, though, shin-pads have been around in football for about 150 years. Sam Weller Widdowson, a cricketer for Nottinghamshire and footballer for Nottingham Forest, is credited for introducing the concept after cutting down a pair of cricket pads and strapping them to his stockings for a game of football in 1874. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, he's said to have copped a bit of stick that day. But they soon caught on and Widdowson — who was also capped once by England and became chairman of Forest — went on to produce and market them with the Nottinghamshire batsman and Notts County co-founder, Richard Daft. The shin-pad's ultimate origin is arguably the greave (from the Old French greve 'shin, shin armour'), which was used to protect the tibia from attack from as far back the Bronze Age. My first shin-pads certainly bore closer resemblance to heavy battle armour than today's microscopic wee things. There are pictures (in my loft) of me playing for junior teams with my skinny legs guarded with contraptions that wouldn't have looked out of place in the film 300. But I was playing left back for Celtic Boys' Club's under-11s, not slashing my way through enemy hordes alongside Gerard Butler's Spartans. That was back in the mid-90s, when giant plastic and foam knee-high protectors, with ankle guards and wrap-around velcro straps at the top and bottom, were very much in vogue. I was still playing in them until I turned professional with Forest in 2002, aged 17. That's when I noticed all my team-mates slipping far more ergonomic, slim-line versions down their socks, while I spent ten minutes wedging each leg into its sheathing. Needless to say, those didn't last much longer. And, if you asked players back then, the primary reason they'd give for shedding those cumbersome things would be the same as today's players: comfort. Players want to feel light and agile on the pitch, even if only in their own minds. When you train all week without wearing any, you can perhaps see why looking down at legs with chunks of plastic (or carbon fibre) strapped to them might have the opposite effect on match day. Yet there's no doubting that the modern-day fashion for socks below the calves has a lot to answer for. Footballers are a funny bunch. Every detail matters; appearance too. And as the game has evolved — with more protection from referees, and tactical developments that mean defenders make far more passes than tackles — so too have priorities for this generation. But what about younger ones? Where Premier League idols walk, wide-eyed children tend to follow, and micro shin-pads have become a familiar sight in the grassroots game. Some clubs have enforced bans. One of them, Penistone Church from Barnsley, made headlines in August when their 15-year-old player, Alfie, suffered a double leg break while wearing a pair measuring 3x9cm. 'They are the most pathetic shin-pads you've ever seen,' Alfie rued afterwards, telling the BBC: 'It's not worth the extra bit of speed to have you knocked out of football for months and months.' Studies have shown that shin-pads offer some measure of protection against tibia fracture, but the force of a challenge alone is rarely the only factor in such traumas. More often than not, the foot is planted, or trapped in an unfortunate position at the point of impact, which often arrives from the side as opposed to head on. I speak from experience, having suffered a compound fracture of my left leg in a tackle during a game in 2009. The only thing my shin-pads did that day was hide the bone piercing out of my skin. Vidal's nasty gash, cited earlier, could easily have been inflicted on an unprotected part of the leg even if he had been wearing a more substantial pair of shin-guards. But young Alfie was right about one thing: there are some truly 'pathetic' examples on show nowadays. Jack Hinshelwood caused a stir last season when one of his micro-pads fell out against Arsenal. When the referee handed it back, it looked like he was sharing a Pringle crisp with the Brighton & Hove Albion defender. The trend has spawned a cottage industry. As well as micro shin-pads by specialised brands, customised versions adorned with pictures of family, sporting triumphs or, in the case of the former Real Madrid and Spain striker Joselu, his beloved dog, are now commonplace in changing rooms. The Manchester City defender, Josko Gvardiol, has been known to rock a small pair of Godfather-themed numbers, with the message, 'Keep your friends close but your enemies closer,' above an image of Marlon Brando's character, Don Corleone. Gvardiol must really like The Godfather. If you're willing to part with £195, your shin-pads can now gather reams of performance data too. XSEED, created by the Italian analytics company Soccerment, collates everything from passing, shooting and expected goals metrics, to distance, speed and geo-location data. All the information is collated on an app on your phone, to be harnessed by coaches or uploaded to scouting platforms. Inter Milan's Federico Dimarco swears by them, even if you have to charge them up every few games. However, unless Ifab steps in, the humble shin-pads' days could be numbered. Widdowson would be turning in his greve.
