Manchester United have to play the officials as well as the opposition, manager David Moyes complained after his side were beaten 2-1 by Sunderland in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Tuesday.
Moyes, under pressure after losing his third consecutive game in all competitions, pointed the finger at referee Andre Marriner, who he criticised for awarding a free kick that led to Sunderland’s opening goal.
The referee also had a decisive hand in Sunderland’s winner, pointing to the penalty spot in the second half after Adam Johnson had been felled by Tom Cleverley, allowing Fabio Borini to smash the spot kick into the roof of the net.
“It is difficult, we just need to keep going,” Moyes told Sky Sports. “We didn’t do a lot wrong. I thought the referee was going to blow in our direction for [the free kick that led to] the first goal. I couldn’t believe he gave [Sunderland] a free kick. It was a terrible decision.
“We are all just laughing at them [the officials] at the minute.