Manchester derby VAR error caused by ‘tunnel vision’: Pro Ref chief Webb

Howard Webb says the referees’ body is disappointed with the decision to allow Haaland’s goal against Manchester United.Pro Ref chief Howard Webb said “tunnel vision” led video assistant referee (VAR) officials to wrongly award Erling Haaland’s goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.Haaland’s second-half strike was initially ruled out for offside before being allowed to stand following a VAR review that concluded the Manchester City forward was onside.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Manchester derby VAR officials stood down from weekend Premier League gameslist 2 of 4VAR error admitted in Haaland goal, but will referees be held accountable?list 3 of 4Real Madrid’s Mbappe: AI dictator memes show lack of political awarenesslist 4 of 4FIFA rebukes Morocco’s claim it will host 2030 World Cup finalend of listPro Ref, the body responsible for refereeing in English professional football, later acknowledged the goal should not have been awarded because VAR failed to properly assess the involvement of teammate Enzo Fernandez, who attempted to play the ball from an offside position.“I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves,” Webb, Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer, said on Match Officials Mic’d Up on Sky Sports and TNT Sports.“They take a lot of personal pride in what they do, and they’re obviously hurting now having fallen short in this situation.”VAR is a refereeing support tool designed to enable the checking, reviewing and correction of clear and obvious errors during a match, according to FIFA. It was intended to be a combination of human expertise and technological accuracy, but has instead become a sour topic in football circles.Current and former United players, including club legend Wayne Rooney, labelled the use of VAR “horrendous”, while football experts told Al Jazeera the technology has become “far too dominant” in decision-making.Webb confirmed that VAR officials Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus would not officiate again until after the international break.