Gary O'Neil, pictured during Ipswich Town's 5-2 defeat at Manchester United. (Image: Ross Halls)
Gary O'Neil, pictured during Ipswich Town's 5-2 defeat at Manchester United.
Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil begrudgingly accepts the 'strange' rule that led to Manchester United being allowed to score following a clear handball in this afternoon's 5-2 defeat at Old Trafford.
The front-footed Blues led through Leif Davis' opener only to be pegged back after a Marcelino Nunez slip was punished just before the break.
Controversy then struck when Harry Maguire fired home in the 56th minute after clearly handling the ball. VAR took a look, but determined that, 'It's an own goal (the off target shot deflecting in off Jacob Greaves' heel) and the accidental handball is not punishable'.
"It's a strange rule, I guess. It's a difficult rule to ref as well. Because imagine if the shot is headed somewhere near the post, like, who makes the call as to whether that is on target or not then?" said O'Neil.
"Even when my team's not involved, I watch football and sometimes you see a goal and you think that shouldn't stand. And I think that felt like one of them today.
"I can accept it, of course. And the game transpires to be what it is after anyway. But the goalscorer makes a blatant handball and his shot ends up in the goal. So you would expect that to be enough for it to be disallowed.
"But I understand that it is the rule at the moment. So we accept it. Same as the result today."
Reflecting on the game as a whole, O'Neil said: "Two big spells in it, I guess. We're excellent and unbelievably unlucky to be 2-1 down at 56 minutes. And then just not enough emotional discipline to be able to get ourselves back in with a chance.
"We ended up jumping out on things and just lost our way a little bit from that moment. You don't need to be out of place much here for it to get difficult.
"We went from complete control, creating chances, in a good shape without the ball to suffering a slip and losing their number nine, then a handball-slash-massive deflection (to trail 2-1). That was obviously a big blow for us and changed the momentum a lot. Man Utd obviously get a big lift.
"But then the bit of the game that I need to make sure we get better at is that spell from there and how it goes to three so quickly and the nature of the third goal.
"It wasn't a lack of effort from the players at all. I'm very proud of them. I thought they gave absolutely everything.
"It's just a bit understanding of the level that we're at and how quickly it can get away from you if you start to come out of shape and off plan."
He added: "We gave everything. I asked the players to commit. They did. We caused Man United some problems. We came up short.
"We commit to what we do and then we accept the consequences. Same with the same with the refereeing decisions. No problem. We move on and we get ready for Friday (at home to Liverpool).
"Today's result won't touch the morale and the togetherness. A newly promoted side has lost at Old Trafford. That's probably happened 90% of the time since Man United have existed.
"We just need to make sure we put it together for a bit longer than we did today and make sure we handle setbacks better."