A former PGMOL chief has strongly criticised VAR after a re-examined Manchester United decision
The Premier League has been thrown into fresh turmoil after a former head of the PGMOL launched a blistering attack on VAR over a re-examined Manchester United incident that has ignited fierce debate across the football world. His reaction was explosive, describing the decision as nothing less than “diabolical” and questioning how the system can still be trusted when it repeatedly fails to deliver justice.
What should have passed as a normal league match has instead become one of the most hotly contested officiating controversies of the season. The incident, which has since gone viral, has reopened deep frustrations about VAR, with fans and pundits alike accusing the technology of doing more harm than good. Trust, already fragile, now appears to be on the brink of collapse.
After reviewing the footage again, the former refereeing chief did not mince his words. He suggested that the standard of decision-making continues to decline and openly questioned the integrity of the process. His frustration centred on the idea that VAR, designed to reduce errors, is now compounding them. Coming from someone who once oversaw England’s refereeing structure, the criticism has carried serious weight and intensified scrutiny on those currently in charge.
According to him, the call was not simply a marginal mistake but a clear failure on multiple levels. He argued that the officials involved showed a lack of consistency, poor understanding of the laws, and an alarming detachment from what the replays clearly showed. More worrying was his warning that the Premier League is drifting into a credibility crisis, where confidence in officiating is being eroded week by week.
The reaction from supporters was immediate and furious. Polls conducted online showed that close to 90 percent of fans viewed the decision as outright robbery. Social media was flooded with slowed-down clips, detailed breakdowns, and angry reactions from across the football spectrum. Many supporters complained that similar decisions are not applied evenly across matches, while Manchester United fans in particular feel their team continues to suffer from pivotal calls going against them.
The bigger concern, however, goes beyond one controversial moment. The former PGMOL chief suggested that VAR officials are increasingly overthinking straightforward situations, failing to communicate effectively with referees on the pitch, and applying rules inconsistently from one game to the next. In his view, this pattern is pushing fans away from the sport and damaging the integrity of results.
He warned that once supporters lose faith in the fairness of competition, the damage becomes extremely difficult to reverse. Football, he argued, should be decided by quality, tactics, and moments of brilliance, not by repeated officiating errors that dominate headlines and overshadow performances.
What makes this situation even more alarming is the language now being used by former insiders. When words like “corruption” and “embarrassing” enter the conversation, it signals a deeper problem that can no longer be brushed aside with apologies or brief statements. Fans are demanding accountability, transparency, and above all, consistency.
Instead of being remembered for footballing drama on the pitch, this match will live on as another example of VAR controversy gone wrong. With overwhelming fan backlash and a former PGMOL chief sounding the alarm, the message is clear: the Premier League cannot afford to ignore these concerns any longer. If decisive action is not taken, trust in the system may disappear entirely, and the consequences for the league could be far-reaching.
