After Manchester United lost to West Ham in extra time because of a controversial decision, Erik ten Hag said that United was treated unfairly.

When Casemiro scored an equalizer for United in the 81st minute, after Crysencio Summerville had given the Hammers the lead just before, he thought he had won a point.

But Ten Hag and his men were very angry when referee David Coote gave the home team a penalty after a long VAR review.

Danny Ings was called for a foul by Matthijs de Ligt in the box, but the defender said the scorer had handled the ball before the foul. 

Coote didn’t call a foul in real time, but he was sent to the monitor, where he changed his mind.

The goal was scored by Jarrod Bowen, and Julen Lopetegui’s team only got their third win of the season.

Ten Hag, who was very angry, said, “In football, the best team doesn’t always win. That was clear and obvious.”

It wasn’t clear and obvious how VAR worked; they messed up their method. This season, we’ve felt wronged three times.

“Before the season, they went over how VAR works and how they should only step in when it’s clear and obvious.”

“What they didn’t do against Spurs—when they should have stepped in to stop Bruno Fernandes’ red card—they didn’t.” 

“Now they mess up by interfering, and both of them have a big effect on the games.”

The Premier League said that VAR judge Michael Oliver thought there was a lot of contact on Ings’ lower leg and suggested that the play be reviewed on the field.

Ten Hag was asked if the fact that a top referee had asked for the review changed Coote’s mind about going against his first call.

“I don’t criticize people; I criticize the way things are done.” There are, of course, people in charge of the process.

“The VAR off the field was Michael Oliver.” At the very end, the judge on the field has to make a choice. 

“I think it took him three minutes to decide and call this.” Then you have to have a lot of guts to not follow this choice that an experienced VAR [referee] made.