VAR hit a low point this past weekend with a major error in Tottenham’s win over Liverpool, which has created a week of debate.
The upshot is, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is demanding a replay. Dead-serious, he told Sky Sports: “As a football person, the only outcome should be a replay. That’s how it is.”
It won’t happen, but if we are going down this rabbit-hole, there are a few Manchester United games with even bigger, more costly errors through the years more deserving of being replayed.
Here is a look at three results that should be wiped from history, for a do-over…
Manchester United v Porto, 2004
An outrageous decision from a linesman ruled out a perfectly good goal from Paul Scholes, which would have given Manchester United an unassailable lead.
I was there at Old Trafford, in line with Scholes as he struck his shot. It was clear as day he was onside, and the replays backed it up.
United went on to lose on away goals after conceding a late equaliser. Jose Mourinho ran up the touchline to celebrate, and the ‘Special One’ was born.
A home win could have changed all that, and Mourinho’s Chelsea success which followed. Porto went on to win the Champions League that season, in a relatively soft field which Sir Alex Ferguson’s side would have been clear favourites to go on and win.
Klopp thinks the weekend decision was costly? This one offside call might have cost Manchester United the Champions League title.
Manchester United v Chelsea, 2010
This one cost Manchester United the Premier League title. An outrageous offside decision was allowed to stand for a Chelsea goal which saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side clinch a smash-and-grab raid at Old Trafford.
Didier Drogba was more than a yard offside, and it was a decision which should not have been awarded. Chelsea won the game 2-1.
The goal was the difference-maker late in the season which gave Chelsea the points needed to narrowly tip United to the title.
If not for this decision, Manchester United would have won five Premier League titles in a row, with this the only title between 2007 and 2011 which the Red Devils fell short in.
Let’s replay it now, with VAR. Not even last week’s officials could have missed this one.
Manchester United v Real Madrid, 2013
The crazy decision to send Nani off still enrages Manchester United supporters, and rightly so.
The Portuguese winger received a straight red card for a high-boot, which warranted a yellow card at the most.
It was a decision that turned the game, with Manchester United leading 1-0 at the time.
United’s players and Sir Alex Ferguson were furious, and Real Madrid took advantage of the extra man, going on to win 2-1.
This was Sir Alex Ferguson‘s last ever Champions League game. Let’s replay this one, purely so we can get the great man back in the dugout once again.
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