Ruud van Nistelrooy was angry with Harry Maguire’s offside winner after an “unacceptable” and “unthinkable” mistake when Leicester left the FA Cup in his former club Manchester United.
The Dutch started the season as one of Erik Ten Hag’s assistant and performed as an interim manager before he was released by Ruben Amorim and quickly took up the job as Foxes boss.
Bobby de Cordova-Reid’s header in the first half had dreamed of a win in the fourth round in Old Trafford, but replaced Joshua Zirkzee after United reacted to the break.
Extension waved until Maguire went home to make it 2-1 deep to the interruption, and triggered Bedlam in the stands and anger in the Leicester ranks.
The United defender had clearly lost off the side of the ball, but Var will only be introduced in the next round.
“It is difficult to take because the game was decided because of a mistake,” said Leicester Manager Van Nistelrooy.
“It was clear. There is no question from Var, in which you have to look at a millimeter. It was half a meter. It was clear.
“The team didn’t deserve to lose the game in this way because they fought, played well, dominated the game for a long piece and directed 1-0, and yes, you feel like that.”
Van Nistelrooy told ITV that Leicester was “not defeated” in Fergie Time, but “offside” as a promising performance at his side did nothing.
On the Dutchman that the changing room will be as angry as it disappointed afterwards, he said in the press conference after the game: “Yes, we are. We are disappointed.
“If you prepare for this game all week and react to Everton loss and achieve such a performance, it was decided for an obvious, clear and obvious mistake that is unacceptable, unthinkable at this level.
“But it happens to you and we have nothing else to do than to take up again. The team didn’t deserve that. “
Van Nistelrooy left Old Trafford and wondered what could have been, while United head coach Amorim recognized that his team rode her luck.
“We need a lot of things that have nothing to do with luck,” said the Portuguese. “It has to do with the quality of the work.
“We have to improve every detail of the game, our energy. My work with them has to be so much better, but sometimes you need a little luck and today we had it.
“With Var it was not a goal and I think it is important to have it because it is fair for the game.
“It is really difficult to lose a game with an offside at the last minute, but we need and sometimes we earn a little luck.”
Maguire will take over the headlines, but Alejandro Garnacho was a man of the game. The cross of the lively half-time introduction led to Zirkzeee-Leveling in a promising display.
“He doesn’t need a big change,” said Amorim about the Argentina national player, whom he fell for the Manchester derby in December alongside Marcus Rashford. “We talk about the standards.
“It is just to train well, to get the information, to understand that we want to help him, we want to play in another system, but it is not complicated.
“So he changed everything, he trains really well. He stayed on the bench five games in a row and every time he came to the square, he was another guy, received the information and playing.
“So, they are simple things. It’s not a big deal. I am really happy. You can see it. I think he improves. “