Alan Shearer scathing attack on VAR exposes football pundits as part of the Premier League problem

Attwell, positioned close to the challenge, waved play on rather than pointing to the spot, leading to Christie finding the net to level the scores at 1-1 just moments later and sending the home crowd into a frenzy of celebration.

VAR officials reviewed the incident but upheld the referee's original decision.

It was just one of a series of disputed calls, as earlier in the fixture Cunha was pulled back by Jimenez inside the penalty area, with the referee pointing to the spot instantly and the Bournemouth defender receiving a booking for the infringement.

A third incident involved England star Harry Maguire, who was dismissed for hauling down Evanilson as the Brazilian forward attempted to advance past him.

Again, the referee instantly pointed to the spot and made a decision.

As always, ex-players and football pundits were quick to comment, including Alan Shearer, who launched a scathing attack on Premier League officiating, declaring that standards have deteriorated to levels not witnessed in years.

The former Newcastle United and England striker attributes this decline directly to referees becoming overly dependent on video technology.

Shearer said: "They [referees] are too reliant on it and it's affecting the standard of refereeing now, and it's not a good look."

The ex-striker believes the situation continues to worsen rather than improve, with VAR creating a crutch that has fundamentally undermined the quality of on-pitch decision-making across England's top flight.

The Red Devils have announced their intention to lodge an official complaint with Professional Game Match Officials Limited regarding what they perceive as glaring inconsistency throughout the Vitality Stadium fixture.

Carrick expressed bewilderment at the officiating's contradictory nature, questioning how identical situations could yield opposite outcomes.

"You should have given a penalty when you gave two like that. How on earth do you not give another one," Shearer remarked in agreement.

Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock offered an even harsher assessment, describing VAR as "the worst thing that has been introduced to the game".

"I think it has ruined it. It's ruined the enjoyment in stadiums. I think it's ruined it for referees to officiate. I think that it's a little bit of a safety blanket every time they referee," he told Radio 5 Live, adding that the technology remains flawed and subjective.

While Michael Carrick is justified in feeling aggrieved by the decision, it was the referee's subjective call, not VAR's.

One of the leading criticisms of the new technology is its constant interference in the game on every decision, and while VAR has improved accuracy, it shouldn’t override every refereeing mistake.

Football relies on flow, spontaneity, and human judgement, and this is what fans are crying out for; constant intervention risks turning it into a stop-start, overly technical process.

Not every error is “clear and obvious,” and re-refereeing subjective calls undermines the authority of the on-field official.

It also slows the game, frustrates players and fans, and can create new controversies rather than resolving them.

Pundits who jump on these calls only add to the problem, and Friday's game only highlighted the hypocrisy within the industry.

VAR should act as a safety net for major errors, not a tool to micro-manage every decision or reinterpret marginal moments and in a four-goal thriller, it was refreshing not to see the official heading to the monitor.

The referee might have got it wrong, but he officiated an entertaining game and showed how VAR can stay within the game and work at its best.

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