'Absolute shocker' - Wayne Rooney slams VAR-less officials after series of errors in Newcastle's FA Cup win at Aston Villa

Newcastle advanced through to the fifth round despite the controversial decision not to award a penalty just after the hour mark, which Rooney felt was “one of the worst decisions [he has] ever seen in football”.

With no VAR to call upon at this stage of the FA Cup, referee Chris Kavanagh and his officiating team had a torrid afternoon with multiple contentious calls, several of which seemed to go against the away side. Tammy Abraham had strayed offside before scoring Aston Villa’s opening goal, before Digne was lucky to stay on the pitch for a shin-high tackle on Jacob Murphy, later getting away with the penalty claims to concede a free-kick which ultimately led to Sandro Tonali’s deflected equaliser. The same player then put Newcastle ahead against ten-man Villa, who had seen Marco Bizot sent off in first-half stoppage time, and Nick Woltemade added the gloss onto victory.

The fact that the result was not affected by these decisions only serves to prevent an even stronger tirade being launched on the officials, but the use and necessity of VAR was made clear on Saturday evening after a series of decisions which were objectively incorrect according to many.

Speaking in the studio on BBC One at full-time, Rooney fumed: “That decision [Digne's handball] is one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in football because at no stage was Digne out of the penalty box.

“He is three or four yards inside. The linesman is just in front of it and you can clearly see how much he is in the penalty box.

“The referee looked like he blew and looked like he was listening to someone in his ear, so I'm assuming the linesman gave the decision, and it's an absolute shocker.”

Alan Shearer agreed with the unacceptable standard of officiating on display at Villa Park, claiming that this was evidence of the “damage which VAR has done to referees”.

“I would just like the officials to do their job properly. That’s all,” Shearer continued. “Not too much to ask is it? For five or six months they’ve been reliant on VAR. Then they’re coming into this situation now and it all changes.”

While winning manager Eddie Howe was reluctant to throw his full support behind VAR but indicated its importance in avoiding mistakes of the likes seen on Saturday.

“I think there's an argument to say yes [they are reliant], because when VAR is there, there's always a, ‘Well, I won't give that, but let's check it’,” he said.

“And I think then your decision-making maybe isn't as sharp as it may normally have to be so maybe there's a difference there. I would probably say, you're right in that respect.

“I'm always torn on VAR. I said this many times because I still love the emotion, even tonight, when a goal is given, or when a goal goes in and you don't see a flag or a referee, it's a goal, and no one's going to take it away from you, that sense and that emotion, that joy that you get in that moment, I still really love that, and VAR takes it away.

“But then on the other side, I was wishing there was VAR on the first goal against us, and probably throughout that game!”

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