Ruud van Nistelrooy voiced his anger following Leicester City’s exit from the FA Cup, claiming they were defeated not in “Fergie time,” but in “offside time” due to Harry Maguire’s 93rd-minute goal for Manchester United. The goal, which eliminated Leicester, was allowed to stand despite the assistant referee being in position to spot the offside infringement, as there was no video assistant referee (VAR) in use during this round of the competition.
“We are not defeated in Fergie time; we are defeated in offside time,” said Van Nistelrooy, referencing the reputation Sir Alex Ferguson built for Manchester United’s late-game heroics. “It’s difficult to accept because the game was decided on a mistake, that is clear. This isn’t about VAR making millimetric calls; it’s about clear offside by half a meter. The team didn’t deserve to lose in this manner. They fought hard, played well, and dominated the game for long stretches.”
When asked about the potential for implementing VAR from the third round onward, Van Nistelrooy paused to consider the question.
His responses turned terse when queried about the emotional impact of the knockout. “That’s not for me to discuss,” he replied. “We wanted to give our all on the pitch today, to progress to the next round and show our competitive spirit at Old Trafford.”
Coach Ruben Amorim also expressed disappointment in United’s performance. “We had to believe until the end, but this game is unrelated to Fergie’s time,” he said. After Joshua Zirkzee’s 67th-minute equalizer leveled the match following Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s first-half goal, Amorim acknowledged that luck played a part in Maguire’s late winner. “I think so,” he admitted, emphasizing that improvement required more than just luck—it needed quality work and attention to every detail.
His assessment of the team’s display was candid. “My work with the team needs to improve significantly,” Amorim stated. “However, sometimes, a bit of luck is necessary, and today we had it. Losing a game in the final minute due to an offside play is hard to take. Our performance must improve both on and off the ball.”
He pointed out the lack of energy, particularly in the first half, but noted slight improvements in the second half with increased pace and an ability to win second balls. “While we managed to turn things around for a good result, the overall performance was not satisfactory,” he concluded.
Credit: The Guardian
