‘Not Fergie time, offside time’ – van Nistelrooy rages over Maguire’s late goal
The Dutchman was furious that the goal was allowed to stand, arguing that Maguire had been so clearly offside that VAR, which was not in use at Old Trafford, was not even necessary.
Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy aimed a dig at Manchester United's stoppage-time fortunes after his side were eliminated from the FA Cup by a late Harry Maguire goal at Old Trafford.
Leicester seemed on course for extra time before Maguire's 93rd-minute header secured a 2-1 win for United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 26 January.
However, Van Nistelrooy, a former United striker, insisted that the defeat had nothing to do with 'Fergie time'—the phrase associated with Sir Alex Ferguson's teams scoring late winners—but rather "offside time".
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The Dutchman was furious that the goal was allowed to stand, arguing that Maguire had been so clearly offside that VAR, which was not in use at Old Trafford, was not even necessary.
Speaking to ITV Sport after the match, Van Nistelrooy said: "We are not defeated in Fergie time, we are defeated in offside time. This wasn't necessary. VAR measures offsides by centimetres or inches—this was half a metre, clearly in line. That was a hard one to take because the team deserved a draw. Then extra time, you stay in the game and never know what happens. We deserved to fight in extra time, maybe even penalties. Decisions like these at our level are hard to accept."
While United remain in contention to defend their FA Cup title, Leicester's exit heaps more pressure on Van Nistelrooy, who was only appointed earlier this season.
