Alan Shearer Blasts 'Ridiculous' Officiating in Brentford vs Manchester United

In a heated Manchester United vs Brentford match at the Gtech Community Stadium, former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer launched a fierce critique against referee Craig Pawson and VAR officials for a controversial penalty decision that spared Brentford defender Nathan Collins from a red card.

The incident unfolded in the closing stages as United chased an equalizer. Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo broke through on goal, only to be hauled back by ex-United player Collins inside the penalty area. Pawson awarded United a spot-kick and showed Collins a yellow card, but VAR upheld the penalty without upgrading it to a sending-off.[1]

Shearer, appearing on Match of the Day, expressed disbelief at the officials' reasoning. "They get it right in terms of the referee’s call: he gives the penalty for the pull-back. But what they didn’t get right was the yellow card check for Collins," he fumed. "They deemed that Mbeumo wasn’t in control of the ball, I mean honestly, it’s just a terrible decision. He can’t be in control of the ball because someone is pulling him back, he’s a yard from the ball, clearly."[1]

Shearer insisted Collins should have been sent off: "Yes, [Bruno Fernandes] had to wait four-and-a-half minutes before getting to that decision but that’s a mistake from him. [Collins] should have been sent off – absolutely no doubt about it."[1] He predicted PGMOL chief Howard Webb would soon admit the error, telling The Rest Is Football panel: "I’m pretty certain... you will see Howard Webb coming out to say, ‘That’s another one we got wrong.’"[1]

United converted the penalty via Fernandes after a lengthy delay, but Shearer's rant highlighted ongoing officiating frustrations in the Premier League, calling the incident "ridiculous" and "nonsense." Fans and pundits echoed his sentiments, questioning VAR's consistency in denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.[1]

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