"The apology doesn't mean an awful lot," M. Carrick said after Manchester United's 1-0 loss to Manchester City at Old Trafford. Pro Ref formally apologised within three hours of the final whistle after the derby mistake, but Carrick said that did not change the damage done on the night. He still backed VAR, even while admitting the error had a huge impact on the game.

Carrick's view on the VAR apology

Carrick accepted the officials got it wrong. "I can appreciate and respect them putting their hands up and saying we got that wrong - it does happen. We just have to deal with it," he said.

He was also clear that he does not want the system scrapped because of one incident. "One-off things can happen," Carrick said, adding: "At the time it was a pretty big one, we know that. I don't think I need to go over that. But yes, I've got faith in it (VAR). It's the system we work towards and that we use."

The incident centred on Enzo Fernandez being in an offside position while interfering with play. Carrick said that made the call especially costly, with the error landing in a game United lost 1-0.

United's run around the derby

The derby apology came in the middle of a rough spell for United. They have one win from their first five Premier League games and have five points from five league matches. Their recent league form also reads as one win, one draw and two losses, after being held 1-1 at Fulham on Sunday.

Carrick pushed back against the idea that the last week proves something deeper is broken. "I think it's quite instant really in terms of the last week or so, with certain things that have been thrown up in games, but it doesn't all of a sudden mean there's a big, huge problem, and that's obviously the balance for me to judge," he said.

Paul Scholes was less forgiving, saying Michael must be really disappointed with what has happened in the summer and that United are "a million miles away" in recruitment terms. Carrick's public line was different. He wants the team back to winning ways soon, and the next league match after the international break is away to Tottenham.

FAQ

Why does Michael Carrick still back VAR after the Manchester derby apology?

Carrick said he still has faith in VAR and called it the system they work towards and use. He accepted the officials got it wrong, but also said one-off things can happen. The apology from Pro Ref did not change his view that the error had a huge impact on Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City.

Did Pro Ref apologise to Manchester United quickly after the derby error?

Yes. Pro Ref formally apologised to Manchester United within three hours of the final whistle after the derby mistake. Carrick said he respected the officials putting their hands up, but added that the apology does not mean an awful lot after the result.

How has Manchester United’s start added to the pressure on Michael Carrick?

United have one win from their first five Premier League games and have five points from five league matches. They were also held 1-1 at Fulham on Sunday. Carrick said recent setbacks do not automatically mean there is a huge problem, but he wants a return to winning ways soon.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →