‘Man Utd have been failed by Pro Ref incompetence however it’s no excuse for Michael Carrick’
Manchester United were failed by Pro Ref and their bungling officials in the Manchester derby but they were not good enough against 10-men Manchester City and Michael Carrick knows why
10:16, 15 Sep 2026Updated 10:22, 15 Sep 2026
Michael Carrick was furious that the offside goal for Manchester City against Manchester United was allowed to stand(Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill – AMA)
Four games into the new Premier League season and the incompetence of officials is already headline news.
Manchester United were hoping for a season-inspiring victory against Manchester City, but what the Old Trafford faithful got was failure from Michael Carrick’s side and the officials. Erling Haaland’s record ninth goal in Manchester derbies extended Enzo Maresca’s winning start to life as Pep Guardiola’s successor. However, the goal should never have stood and the impact of the big Norwegian’s finish could have a major influence on not just the two Manchester clubs, but the title race come the end of the season.
The decision to rename PGMOL to Pro Ref would likely have been taken for a number of reasons. But one they won’t want to admit is that the name PGMOL became stained with apologising for blatantly wrong decisions that the biggest drunk in your local pub could see were incorrect, even though he struggles seeing the karaoke lyrics screen an arm’s length in front of him on a Monday night.
Erling Haaland scores for Manchester City against Manchester United(Image: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
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It was a summer refresh, but just like that annoying school classmate who attempts to reinvent themselves every time they make a fool of themselves hoping their peers have the memory of a goldfish, it doesn’t fool anyone.
Speaking of goldfish, that’s seemingly the same level of recall for a professional referee attempting to remember the laws of the game and accurately put them into action during a high pressure situation.
Such an occasion that an incredibly inexperienced official should not have found themselves in, when handed the responsibility for the biggest game of the season so far.
Michael Oliver was the official at the centre of the Old Trafford storm(Image: Getty Images)
Having last took charge of such a meaningful game in the 2022 League One play-off final, VAR Matt Donohue was thrown in the deep end and has been hung out to dry by his superiors, who should be looking out for him.
But those same superiors stated that Donohue had made an enormous error before Old Trafford had even emptied.
The statement citied an “error or judgement” from VAR. But they should be looking at their own ability to judge their officials, who clearly don’t even understand the laws.
Referee Matt Donohue is inexperienced when it comes to officiating at the highest level(Image: Catherine Ivill)
Fortunately, Michael Oliver got the Phil Foden dismissal spot on, or there would have been a red riot. The Stockport-born midfielder suffered a moment of head loss and couldn’t have reacted more obviously.
As for Fernandes’ role in it, those calling for two red cards for that can’t actually be saying that with a straight face. Maybe a yellow card for having a naughty nibble, but had Foden not reacted in the way he did, it wouldn’t have made TV replays.
Fernandes got the reaction he wanted, but any suggestion he should have been punished for Foden losing his head can’t be the same people who moan when a referee awards two players a yellow card each for a coming together he likely didn’t see and is taking the easy option to defuse.
Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes clashed in the Manchester derby(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Aside from the controversy, which has helped cover over the host’s miserable performance, United were not good enough to score against 10 team for over an hour. The scoreline in isolation wasn’t wrong on United.
But that doesn’t glorify and make City the stars of a heroic victory when they can only muster two shots on target, one being the incorrectly awarded goal, against a defence that has averaged conceding twice a game against teams destined for the bottom half of the table.
Carrick only made two changes the entire match. Benjamin Sesko finally filled that No9 void on the pitch that one week United look like they desperately need, and another look better without, in a false nine shape.
But that moment in the match when going without a striker clearly hasn’t worked, and the change is eventually made, always seemingly comes too late for Sesko.
His goals off the bench would argue he’s doing everything he can do, but most of the time he gets just one moment to make his mark. He looks like one of the most prolific strikers in the league when it goes right off the bench, but he’s no miracle maker, United have to have a better strategy, or simply more options than just throwing Sesko into the 18 yard box.
At the end of the day, it comes back to the summer recruitment problem again. Three signings (not counting reserve goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer), all midfielders. And none who you would look at to grab the game and change it in your favour when you’re up against it.
Benjamin Sesko often finds himself trying to impact Manchester United games late on off the bench(Image: Getty Images)
A left back was needed, not delivered. And it’s taken until the second weekend of September for Luke Shaw to be unavailable.
A forward of some class was needed, not delivered. And Carrick had nothing at his disposal to go and grab the equaliser bar Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee, a player who only stayed at the club because a replacement couldn’t be signed.
United losing against City isn’t a shameful result, given how much money the blue side of the city have thrown at additions that weren’t even necessary signings. Simply put, £150m versus £450m in summer spending is enough to tell you that Carrick is fighting with one arm tied behind his back compared to Maresca.
But there is a way to lose. Fergie used to say that his United teams didn’t lose games, they just ran out of time. The same cannot be said for the current team by any stretch of the imagination.
