PGMOL boss Howard Webb speaks
PGMOL boss Howard Webb admitted the process behind cancelling Everton's penalty wasn't ideal
PGMOL chief Howard Webb has insisted the decision to cancel Everton's late penalty against Manchester United last month was correct, but admitted that camera angles made available to officials at the time were not good enough.
Referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot after Ashley Young was brought down in the box by Harry Maguire when the teams met on February 22, but changed his decision after taking another look at the incident on the pitchside monitor following a VAR review.
The game ended in a 2-2 draw as a result, with both Young and Everton boss David Moyes unhappy with the decision. On the latest edition of Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb explained why a penalty should not have been given.
He said: "The referee clearly penalised Maguire in this situation. He believed that Maguire pulled Young with his left hand. So the VAR knows that. And that's going to be the starting point of the check. The referee's call in this situation was a penalty to Everton for a foul by Maguire.
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"When the VAR looks at that, he sees that Maguire hasn't done what the referee perceives him to have done in real time. He sees a touch, but not a pull by Maguire. Not, you know, a hold by Maguire. There's no lower body contact either.
"Young steps over Maguire's leg and then spreads his legs and goes to the ground forward. So it's not a foul by Maguire. The award of the penalty against Maguire is clearly and obviously wrong in our opinion. And also in the opinion of the VAR."
However, when former Premier League striker Michael Owen questioned the camera angles used to overturn the penalty, Webb admitted that the process could be improved. "Well, when checking the sequence, the VAR and the AVAR, you'll see them looking at this wide angle to give the view on Maguire," he explained.
Ashley Young
Ashley Young was initially awarded a penalty in added time
"You'll hear the AVAR talk about De Ligt and asking a question. Does De Ligt commit an offence or not. So they're aware of De Ligt having potentially done something. They form the opinion that Maguire is not committing an offence, but then they go on to ask the referee at the screen to consider the actions of De Ligt.
"But I absolutely acknowledge and accept the angles that are presented to the referee at that point don't show clearly enough what De Ligt does. Not penalise on the field, of course, but they want to show it. But they need to show him some of these angles earlier when he gets to the screen, instead of staying on the wide angle, which doesn't really show as clearly as is, needs to be shown De Ligt's actions.
"I'm not saying De Ligt’s actions are a foul. What they need to show this angle to be able to make that determination at the screen. And of course these angles were shown on broadcast. So the world is seeing these, and I guess that's where some of the criticism came from in terms of how this this process played out."
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