Gary Lineker has hit back at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s post-match comments about an incident involving Bruno Fernandes in the build-up to Southampton’s opening goal on Sunday.
The Manchester United manager was unhappy with what he felt was a foul on the midfielder by Jack Stephens, just seconds before Fred deflected the ball into his own net.
VAR checked the incident but a decision was made by officials not to overrule the decision. Fernandes ended up with a yellow card for protesting the decision with referee Craig Pawson.
After the game Solskjaer hit out at the decision and made a claim about football becoming more like rugby.
However, BBC pundit and former England International Gary Lineker disagreed and criticised Solskjaer for his remarks on social media.
“The constant free kicks for minimal contact and endless stoppages was making the game dull, as well as encouraging diving.
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“Real fouls and dangerous play are still punished, as they should be, but it’s a much more enjoyable spectacle when it’s a contact sport.”
No Ole, that’s not true. The constant free kicks for minimal contact & endless stoppages was making the game dull, as well as encouraging diving. Real fouls & dangerous play are still punished, as they should be, but It’s a much more enjoyable spectacle when it’s a contact sport. https://t.co/qtoJLcfe3Y
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) August 22, 2021
United ended up dropping two points against the Saints, but that was down to our performance and not one incident that came during a period of the first-half that saw United lose focus.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has claimed that United should have been awarded a free-kick for the foul on Fernandes.
“Solskjaer had justification for feeling aggrieved,” Hackett wrote in his column for the Telegraph.
“There was a clear foul on Bruno Fernandes in the build-up to the Southampton goal.”
