Lee H

🚨Wayne Rooney on Matheus Fernandes’ controversial handball against Leeds: 🗣️ Wayne Rooney: “I have to be honest, that is an absurd decision from the referee and a disgusting decision from the player. Fernandes is inside the 18-yard box, he goes for the ball and his arms come out. I can clearly see his hands impacting the ball. So how is that not a penalty and a red card? I genuinely don’t understand it. If I can see it as a pundit sitting in the studio, then I don’t understand how the officials have missed it. We have three VAR officials and referees looking at the incident, and somehow they’ve decided it’s neither a penalty nor a red card. I just don’t understand that decision. You saw it, Danny. I saw you open your mouth wide. We all saw it. So how have the referee and VAR not seen what we have just seen? Fernandes is inside the box, the ball is coming towards him and his arm clearly makes contact with it. That’s exactly what you have the officials there for. You cannot look at that and tell me there was nothing wrong with it. Daniel Farke will feel absolutely robbed. Leeds are playing really good football here. They’ve created opportunities, they’re competing and they’re causing problems. Then one decision that should have gone in their favour is simply ruled out. And I can understand someone saying, ‘It’s too early in the game to give a red card.’ But that cannot be the argument. It doesn’t matter whether it happens in the first minute or the 90th minute. If it’s a deliberate handball that denies a clear opportunity, you have to make the decision. You cannot change the rules because there’s still 80 minutes left to play. And that’s why I’m struggling with this one. How is it not a penalty? How is it not a red card? What exactly did the officials see that we didn’t see? Because sitting here, it looks incredibly obvious. Farke and Leeds will feel like they’ve been cheated out of a huge decision. They’ve done the hard work, they’ve played good football, and then one moment completely changes the game. That’s what VAR is supposed to prevent. Instead, we’re sitting here debating a decision that should have been straightforward. I’m sorry, but I don’t understand it. If the officials can watch that incident and still say there is no penalty and no red card, then someone needs to explain exactly what they saw. Because from where I’m sitting, that is a really questionable decision.”