Carrick Expresses Confidence in VAR Despite Derby Incident

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick stated he still has faith in the video assistant referee (VAR) system, even after an error in the Manchester derby led to a defeat against Manchester City. The referee's body, Pro Ref, issued a formal apology to United within hours of City's 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, acknowledging that neither VAR Matt Donohue nor his assistant Blake Antrobus correctly identified an offside position for City midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who interfered with play before Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal.

Carrick, who was critical of the decision immediately after the game, calling it a "worrying" interpretation of the rules, addressed the media ahead of United's Premier League match against Fulham. "One-off things can happen," Carrick said when asked about his confidence in VAR. "At the time it was a pretty big one, we know that. I don't think I need to go over that. But yes, I've got faith in it. It's the system we work towards and that we use."

Referee's chief Howard Webb, who has faced criticism regarding general officiating standards, analyzed the incident on 'Match Officials Mic'd Up.' Webb expressed disappointment, stating the officials were too focused on a potential offside against Haaland and overlooked Fernandez's position. Webb has since spoken with United to increase accountability.

"The apology doesn't mean an awful lot," Carrick commented on the formal acknowledgment of the error. "I can appreciate and respect them putting their hands up and saying we got that wrong - it does happen. We just have to deal with it. Maybe we get one or two decisions on the law of averages or whatever but that one had a huge impact on the game and that's why it was particularly tough."

In separate comments, Carrick also backed central defender Leny Yoro, who has faced scrutiny following a disappointing performance in the Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton. Yoro, who joined United from Lille in July 2024 for a reported £52.2 million and was a target for several major European clubs, has had an inconsistent start to his tenure.

"I've got no worries for Leny," Carrick asserted. "He's got a fantastic future ahead of him. There's no cut off point. Some players find when they're 18 that they are at a level where they can really perform. Sometimes it's 22, 23, 24 when you see players start developing. What we've got to be careful of, and I certainly won't do, is making knee-jerk decisions on certain players just because of one game or one half or one moment in a game. We've got a lot of belief in Leny."