Manchester United drew 2-2 with Bournemouth in the Premier League, but the game was influenced by controversial refereeing decisions
Carrick was unhappy with the refereeing.(Image: Sky Sports)
Following a puff of the cheeks, Michael Carrick said: “Mental.” Manchester United’s interim head coach could not believe the decisions he’d just seen from referee Stuart Atwell.
“A lot happened in the end,” reflected Carrick after drawing against Bournemouth. “I thought we had good chances early. Some good chances, some really good chances. I thought we had enough to be ahead and a little more comfortable in the game.
“We found the goal, should’ve had another penalty. You get one, you must get the other. It’s pretty much identical for me, two-hand grab and so either way he’s got one wrong.”
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United would have likely returned to Manchester with three points if Atwell had awarded a penalty when Amad was brought down in the box. At that stage, the Reds were 1-0 up thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ penalty.
The referee’s decision looked worse when Bournemouth were awarded a penalty for a remarkably similar challenge from Harry Maguire in the box, which saw him given a red card.
Carrick fizzed: “To give one and not give the other, I just can’t get my head around it. It’s crazy. Because of that they go down the other end, they score and then it’s chaos after that, really.
“Disappointed with not winning the game after being up but under the circumstances with 10 men for what ended up being some sort of added time that we’ve not seen in a while, they decided to bring that one back, we managed that really well again and were really comfortable in managing that in the way we did it.
“So I was pleased with the way the boys finished the game. It’s easy to let the game slip away. They kept their heads and took the point, which in the end we’ll take the point and move on. Just the decision for the penalty, I don’t understand how you can be one and the other and give one and not.”
The Sky Sports reporter asked Carrick: “I don’t want to get you in trouble with the authorities, but how much of a similarity between both did you see, from your perspective?”
The refereeing was inconsistent on Friday night.(Image: 2026 Charlotte Wilson/Offside)
He responded: “Where do you start, really? Listen, maybe he’s passed Harry [Maguire] and that’s the right decision and he’s given that. I haven’t got too much of a problem, I haven’t seen it back to be totally honest, but I think if he’s passed him and he’s in on goal, I can understand that decision.
“So I’m not going we deserve everything. But it shouldn’t have happened because we should’ve had another penalty and the game would’ve been totally different and then it ended up in chaos after that. It is what it is.”
When asked how big such moments are, Carrick said: “Massive. Absolutely massive. That’s what VAR was for. Clean it up and consistency. Surely whatever they think, if one’s been given there’s enough people to decide that it’s the same as the first. It’s two different decisions, so a bit baffling really.”
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Carrick picks his words carefully and keeps a level head when he speaks to the media, which was perfectly demonstrated when he refused to get drawn into a war of words with Roy Keane in January. The 44-year-old keeps his cards close to his chest, but his frustration with the referee was palpable after drawing against Bournemouth.
The United boss had good reason to be unhappy. The incidents involving Amad and Maguire were similar, but the appeals for a penalty when Amad went to the ground were waved away by Atwell.
Inconsistent refereeing has been a problem in the Premier League for years now, and United are planning to make a formal complaint to PGMOL about Atwell’s decision not to award a penalty.
The only positive from the refereeing debacle is that United are guaranteed to stay in third position this weekend. The Reds are well-placed to secure Champions League football thanks to Carrick’s impact, and the outlook is overwhelmingly positive with just seven games remaining this season.