Amad was at the centre of a hugely controversial incident against Bournemouth with his Manchester United teammates and pundits discussing the penalty call
Manchester United players and former footballers have had plenty to say on the Amad penalty drama from the 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. With United a goal in front, Amad appeared to be fouled by Adrien Truffert in the penalty box, but Stuart Atwell waved appeals away, with Bournemouth going on to equalise moments later.
It was later revealed that the club would be filing a complaint to the PGMOL, with several players angered by the decision. Former Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna was in agreement with those opinions but stressed that lodging an official complaint is pointless.
He said: “Man United should’ve been awarded a penalty. If this foul is committed in the middle of the pitch, there are no doubts about the right decision.
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“There isn’t much point in filing a complaint – the game has been played and there’s no reversing the decision. VAR is good, but the problem lies in how it is used and who uses it.
“If a former player is managing VAR and the replays, they would’ve given that penalty, because they would’ve identified the defender is in an unnatural position and commits a foul. But instead, the referees don’t give the foul.”
United did get a form of response from the Premier League with their official Match Centre account on X explaining why VAR did not intervene.
Their post read: “#BOUMUN – 67’ The referee’s call of no penalty for a challenge by Truffert was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed the contact was not sufficient for a foul.”
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Coming out of the clash, the anger largely stemmed from Harry Maguire conceding a penalty and being sent off for a challenge not too dissimilar. The United defender took to Instagram to make his feelings clear about the two decisions.
He said: “So soft but that’s where football is at atm and I should know better. You would think both decisions would reach the same outcome. We will be back after the break. Safe travel home reds , your support has been unbelievable.”
United captain Bruno Fernandes spoke to Sky Sports after the game and was unsurprisingly asked about the penalty incidents.
He said: “I know it’s difficult for the referee to give two penalties to the same team in one game but I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t get involved in that situation or with Harry [Maguire] because either one is a penalty and so is the other or none of them are,” the Portuguese said after the game.
“I think the other situation is a penalty but I also think the one on Amad is a penalty and that could’ve changed the game.”
Those two big decisions from Atwell also dominated Michael Carrick’s press conference with the 44-year-old left stunned that only one penalty was given.
United’s interim head coach said: “He’s definitely got one of them wrong because he’s given one penalty for us for the same thing that he’s not given one. There’s a two-arm grab. The Matheus one he gives, the second one on Amad he doesn’t, which I think is almost identical, really.
“If you have two hands on someone in the box and they go over and they’re in control of the ball, for me it’s two penalties. It will be interesting to see which one they acknowledge is wrong: the one we got or the one we didn’t get.
“It’s a huge moment. They don’t give it, they go down the other end and score and then it becomes all of a sudden, ‘oh, it needs to be a bigger penalty to overturn,’ just because they scored, when actually it’s a penalty and it should be a penalty if you’ve already given one.
“It’s baffling really to make sense of that. And because they score, the game flips a little bit and changes. We defended with the 10 men after all that very well. But the penalty one is just astonishing, I have to say. One of them must be wrong.”
The man opposite him in the dugout from Friday evening, Andoni Iraola, revealed his very different opinion after the stalemate.
Speaking on Match of the Day, the Cherries boss said: “Now we have the advantage we can see replays quickly and I didn’t think there was anything in that one [Amad]. I think the Evanilson one and the Matheus Cunha one are both penalties because defenders lose the position and then the Amad one is never a penalty.
“We asked for one in the first half – Harry Maguire with two hands behind his back – but I don’t think that was enough for a penalty either. I don’t think there is much to discuss.”
He also stated in his post-match press conference: “I would add another incident, I think there are four incidents. The two penalties they’ve called are clear penalties, the defenders involved in both situations lose their position and have to commit a foul.
“The Amad penalty I don’t think is a penalty, there is no contact and he goes to the floor very light. We complained also about the first half, two hands behind the back, Maguire on Evanilson, but I don’t think it’s enough in the same way to call a penalty.
“I think the decisions in the four cases are correct. I’ve had time to review them and I think the big decision they have got it right.”
Plenty of ex pros and now pundits were also on hand to share verdicts with United receiving one immediately from their former striker Andy Cole.
“I think the difference he is denying a goal scoring, just cause of the momentum Harry puts his arm out,” he said on Sky Sports. “I think it’s harsh. It’s a great touch, so I’m not going down, but in today’s game, for me it is a penalty. When we were playing, no chance.
“It’s [a] very physical [challenge] in today’s game. We’ll see with the another penalty in a minute that Harry Maguire gets sent off for, if I’m in that position I’m not going down so I don’t think it is a penalty.”
Even with the clash taking place on Friday evening, the controversial incidents have remained a big talking point over 48 hours on. Gary Lineker has become the latest pundit to disagree with Atwell’s decision.
He said on the Rest is Football podcast: “Manchester United got a point. Let’s discuss [what] came first. They got a point. They look in good shape, really, in third.
“I mean, that twist of, you know, they go one up and then there’s another penalty shout, which did really look like a penalty.
“And then for the team to go to the other end of the pitch and score, it’s like a double whammy against them. And then Maguire gets sent off for something that was quite similar to the one earlier on.”
Co-presenter Alan Shearer added: “I think the referee messed up in that. I mean, if you’re going to give one of those, then you have to give the others as well for me. I think he messed up.”
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