Ferdinand: 'Man Utd were rightfully denied a goal'

Despite Scott McTominay's goal against Fulham being controversially disallowed, former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand still believes the referee was correct.

In the 8th minute, midfielder Christian Eriksen lofted the ball into the penalty area for Alejandro Garnacho to cross it in, and McTominay tapped it in from close range to score against hosts Fulham.

Referee John Brooks initially awarded the goal, but VAR intervened, ruling that Harry Maguire was offside, attempting to participate in the play and obstruct the opposing defender. Brooks then decided to disallow McTominay's goal, leaving the score at 0-0.

The situation where Maguire was ruled offside resulted in Manchester United's goal being disallowed at Craven Cottage, London, in the 11th round of the Premier League on November 4, 2023. (Image: Screenshot)

According to TNT Sports , the Manchester United coaching staff were unhappy with the referee's decision. Coach Erik ten Hag also complained to the assistant referee, saying: "This has happened too many times already."

But on ITV Football , Ferdinand and former midfielder Joe Cole both supported Brooks' decision. "Manchester United fans may be angry, but Maguire was blocking the defender's path, influencing the defender's decision, and thus impacting the play," Ferdinand said at half-time.

Former England international Cole also agreed with Ferdinand and praised the referee for his quick decision. "We have about 40 minutes to analyze the situation before making a decision, while the referee only had four minutes," Cole said.

Manchester United fans also reacted on social media, arguing that such situations, even if legal, are rarely penalized. Their anger was further fueled by the fact that in last week's Manchester derby, Man Utd were awarded a penalty after Rasmus Hojlund pulled Rodri down, even though the City midfielder was unlikely to have been involved in the incident.

Also in last season's Manchester derby, Bruno Fernandes equalized for Man Utd in the 78th minute, when Marcus Rashford, in an offside position, chased the ball without touching it. Seeing Fernandes approaching from behind, Rashford then yielded the ball to his teammate, who shot it into the net. The goal was allowed, but it was controversial.

Despite McTominay's goal being disallowed, Man Utd still left Craven Cottage with three points, thanks to Fernandes's solitary goal in injury time of the second half. Ten Hag's side climbed to sixth place, although they have played one more game than the teams around them.

Hoang An

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