Dramatic scenes unfolded at Old Trafford on Friday night, as Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United team continued their lackluster showings against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester City in the FA Cup. It took an injury time header thundered in by Harry Maguire for the holding champions to avoid extra-time and keep their defence of the trophy alive — but it wasn’t without its controversy, as replays showed Maguire to be in an offside position as Bruno Fernandes took a late freekick.
With no VAR being used in the early stages of the FA Cup, there was no rescue at hand for a hard-done Leicester, who had earlier taken a first-half lead thanks to Bobby Reid, before Joshua Zirkzee equalised for United within 5 minutes of his introduction in the second half.
With United escaping narrowly after another stolid display in the wake of last week’s 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace, social media was quick to react to their stroke of luck.
Van Nistelrooy rages after late heartbreak
In particular, van Nistelrooy, who represented United as a player and was their interim manager earlier this season ahead of his permanent role in Leicester, deemed the magnitude of the refereeing mistake ‘unacceptable’.
“We are gutted,” explained the Foxes manager following the match. “When you prepare for the whole week for this game and reacting after the Everton loss and put in a performance like that, but it is decided on a clear and obvious mistake, that is unacceptable and unthinkable at this level.”
“We have nothing else to do but pick ourselves up. It is not what the team deserved.” Leicester are currently third from bottom in the Premier League table, with only two wins in 14 games since the Dutchman’s appointment in late November, one of those coming against Championship team QPR in the previous round of the Cup.
“We were not defeated in Fergie time, we were defeated in offside time,” also quipped an angry van Nistelrooy, referencing Man United’s famed ability to score late in matches, named so after legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
On the United front, the struggles continue for a team that is struggling to put it all together under new manager Amorim’s fresh system, overshadowing the debut of new signing Patrick Dorgu. The team languishes in the Premier League table, with any hope of silverware or positives from this season lying in repeating the FA Cup triumph of last year, or lifting the Europa League trophy to try and take a back-route to next year’s UEFA Champions League.
