August 26th 2023.
Martin Keown was not happy with the penalty awarded to Manchester United in their win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The former Arsenal legend couldn't believe his eyes as referee Stuart Attwell awarded the penalty, which Bruno Fernandes put away to seal the win.
Keown was quick to question the officials' capabilities, referring to Mike Dean's shocking admission that he once chose not to send referee Anthony Taylor to the VAR monitor ‘because he is a mate’. "I wondered whether it is a moment where you think: ‘Did they [the VAR officials] actually see it?’" he told BBC Sport.
"I cannot believe that the officials have come to that decision and awarded a penalty. I look forward to the day where the officials can communicate their decisions to us, and explain their workings out in the VAR room."
Forest manager Steve Cooper was equally unimpressed with the penalty decision, though he chose not express his full opinion. "The modern referees are top ones – they really take their time over things," he told BBC Match of the Day. "It was the opposite today. I’d love to talk more and say what I really think, but I can’t do that. I’m not going to talk too much about the decisions because I don’t want to get myself into trouble, but the only thing I was surprised about was how quickly the decisions were made at that moment in time."
It's clear that Martin Keown and Steve Cooper are both unhappy with the penalty decision, and it's understandable why. Fans and pundits are still divided over the decision, and it's clear that more needs to be done to ensure that referees and VAR officials can make the right decisions. Until that happens, there will continue to be controversy and confusion over these types of decisions.
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