Chapter 1: What happened in the West Ham vs Sheffield United match?
Sheffield United have taken all three points at Bramall Lane, capitalising on a goalkeeping error to go 1-0 up in the second half. West Ham thought they had equalised, but Declan Rice handled the ball there, which meant that this goal was disallowed after consultation with the VAR. To rapturous scenes at Bramall Lane with the Sheffield United fans, but Declan Rice is now with Patrick Davison.
Declan, very hard to clear your head and think straight right now, I'm sure, but what are the emotions?
Well, we're fuming, really. All the lads in there are livid. Obviously, it was a tough place to come. They've been excellent all season, and credit to them, they grinded it out again and won the game. These places are tough to come. I thought we'd done well. We knew what we were up against. We created some chances ourselves, missed some chances.
And, of course, the goal at the end there, that's a tough one to take because a point on the road here would have been good for us.
Did you have any inkling at all When you put Snodgrass in, the goal goes in, that it might get checked, that it'd hit your hand?
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Chapter 2: Why was Declan Rice's goal disallowed?
Nah.
I just watched it back there before we come on camera and he's knocked the ball into my hand. I know I'm in a forward running motion and he's headed the ball into my hand. Of course, if you're running with your arms like that and the ball's hit your arm now, the rule, like you said, is handball, but I'm not intentionally meant to handball it.
Of course, you play on, Mike's not seen it and then VAR's checked it and they've disallowed the goalers. It's a real kick in the teeth.
You and I did discuss this briefly off camera. Is it your view, and I know this is all very fresh, but the problem is the handball rule or VAR?
I think it's just not me. Well, I don't think it's just me. I think it's the thoughts of every Premier League player that I don't think pretty much anyone wants to have VAR in the game. There's been so many decisions this season that's been absolutely crazy. Obviously, sometimes it works, but you see they're celebrating VAR like it's a goal.
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Chapter 3: What emotions did Declan Rice express after the match?
Football shouldn't be like that. The emotions there, the West Ham fans showing when we've equalised eight, that's real emotion. They're celebrating VAR. I don't think we're all too happy with it, to be honest, but it's in the game now and we've just got to get on with it.
Is it the case that it just... it somehow doesn't feel fair.
It just doesn't feel right. Yeah, exactly that. Look, it's on there again. I just can't get over it, the way he's knocked it into my hand. I'm not intentionally meant to handball the ball. They've checked it and, mate, I can't get over it, to be honest. It's crazy. Like I said, that would have been a great point on the road. My emotions are coming out, but... you know, that's football.
And like you say, as you celebrate it, I know we kind of got over this, but as you're jogging back and celebrating, it's not even in your head at all that it might not stand.
No, I'm thinking it's a good point on the road. I'm thinking, yeah, buzzing, you know, I've ran 20 metres up the pitch, won the ball, got it down, slipped in, snodged and, you know, we scored a great goal as a team. You know, the emotions, you're celebrating with the fans and you're thinking buzzing, yes.
And then as soon as Mike blows the whistle and they check for a possible handball, I don't think there's been many handballs turned over this season. So when I was speaking to the Sheffield lads, they said, look, if it hits you around this handball, and I just pretty much turned away and walked away. I knew it was it then. Thanks for coming out. No, go ahead.
Well, Declan Rice frustrated because, as he pointed out, he didn't intend to handle the ball. However, the IFAB did change the rules over the summer and any player that handles the ball and then goes on to score or creates the opportunity for someone to score, that goal will be disallowed. By the laws of the game, Declan Rice did handle the ball.
created the opportunity for the goal to be scored, and so it was disallowed. We may not like the laws of the game, and we can go back to that in a second, but by the laws of the game, is this the right decision?
Yeah, I don't think we should conflict the issues and ultimately there is a law that I don't think any of us here like, I don't think the fans would like, I don't think any professional footballer, current or former, would like. And that's the rule around handball leading up to a goal. It does hit the arm, it leaves the officials with no other way to go than to apply the rules of the game.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of the handball rule in football?
What I would say is that Declan Rice in that interview has talked about that being a great point for West Ham United. That is absolutely the culture and mentality of that club that needs to change. They've got such talented players in that team. Yes, Sheffield United has been a good team this season.
Bramall Lane's been a difficult place to come, but saying that they played well and that it would have been a great point on the road for me...
can't buy into that that's a bigger issue for West Ham United than getting that decision against them tonight because those fans behind that goal I said to you I think after five minutes look at all those West Ham fans that have come here tonight and the reason that they should be disappointed is because there is a mentality within that football club that think it's
okay and it's a great result to come to Sheffield United and get a point irrespective of the fact this is a good team it's been fantastic this season I don't think they did play well West Ham United yeah they had two or three moments they could have easily scored one or two goals but it wasn't a good performance and I think ultimately VAR has nothing to do with that goal at the end it was the rule and Chris Wilder has now joined us Chris Wilder has joined us Chris congratulations on the win how does it feel to win in that way?
Yeah, I feel for David. As a fellow manager, that's happened to us two or three times this season. Snodgrass again. He played against us against Villa a couple of seasons ago and stuck one in the top corner in the 90th minute. And he came back to us and I thought it was a repeat act similar to Walters. But we've got a decision there.
But as I said, we've been in that position two or three times this season. So it's, I just imagine, desperately disappointing for them.
Do you feel differently about the decision when it goes for you than when it goes against you, in fact, the process of it?
Well, yet again, players go off, celebrate, last-minute goal. I know a few of their boys, Declan and Mark Noble, and they're saying the same things that our boys were saying when it's gone against us. So, you know, we'll only know at the end of the season if it's evened itself out, as everybody keeps talking about, but We've certainly dodged a bullet late on from our point of view.
I thought we were in control second half, a lot better second half to what the first half was and really should have put them to bed. But you don't put teams to bed. We've had two or three good opportunities. Give the ball away, go back to the goalkeeper, go backwards and square and safe. Then you invite it on and obviously we've invited it on and they've took advantage of it.
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Chapter 5: How do players feel about VAR in the Premier League?
We're always up for a game, but it was just, as I said, it was just a bit lacklustre and they got a few passes in and got into some good positions and it wasn't us, so a few little reminders. But we still gave the ball away so cheaply second half, but I thought, you know, we created the better chances. I never really felt that they were going to score.
I always felt that we would take it from 1-0 to 2-0 and we obviously had chances to do that.
Chris, looking at the first goal, we're going to have a look at it now. I mean, West Ham are quite direct throughout the game. And, you know, this goal, was that something maybe you mentioned at half-time? Because they were going so direct. We'd have to see Fleck there really go out and press him.
Just kind of getting after the other centre-half, really, and being positive and all step in. And if one's going to go, we'll follow it in behind. And that's what we didn't do first half. You know, one went and we just kept getting peeked off. So obviously, it's a huge mistake from them. I'm thinking John was going to pass that, and I thought Oli had missed it, actually.
And he just missed a good header just before that. I think he really should score as well from a header. But really more on the front foot, getting their heads down and getting up the pitch a little bit more. We played our up the pitch. You know, the 2-10s first half, the 2-end centre-half never really stepped into them as much as we possibly can do and be brave of our line.
And we always talk about if we're going to commit to the press, let's go after it. And if we do get play round, then we'll deal with it. But we'd rather be like that than the other way.
But while watching Fleck in midfield, I was so impressed with him, obviously, coming to the Premier League this season, and people talk about Sheffield United, the system, but actually the quality you have in midfield, and it looks like a brilliant balance you've got there with his left foot, Norwood sitting, and Lundström making runs constantly, getting on the back post and behind people.
How impressed are you with your midfield this season?
Yeah, we try to, through the three, play through the three. With their system today, we should have got Basham and O'Connell out a lot more with Oli and Norwood. but to be fair, they jumped on him a little bit. I didn't think, from our point of view, the midfield players were at their best with the ball, gave the ball away cheaply.
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Chapter 6: What are the current issues with the handball rule?
You said good performance.
What did you like about it?
Well, apart from the mistake, I thought we'd done a lot of good things. Sheffield United are tough to play against here and they've been hard to beat here as well. So I thought we'd done a lot of good things. We've passed it well. We had two one-on-ones with the goalkeeper in the first half, which I'd hoped we might do better.
So overall, I can't be disappointed with how the players played, not at all. The only disappointing thing is we lose one goal. We've had two clean sheets in the last two games and the one goal today was the difference.
In terms of the goal you conceded, do you look at that and think, play out less or just play out better?
Well, you work to play out better if you can, you know, but I don't think in the moment it was the right option. I think because we squeezed up, we tried to go back to get the ball. Either the positioning to receive the ball or the pass wasn't accurate enough. So something hopefully we can work on and improve on.
It's the irony that you hadn't actually done that too often. You played that long pass into Allaire quite a lot and quite well and the one time you do play it short you get caught?
No the difference was we didn't quite a lot in the first half to Creswell on the left hand side but they had blocked it in the second half so the reason was to try and go on the other side and that was the instructions we were trying to get to them so I thought we did get it I thought we got out quite a lot from the back through the goalkeeper and through Creswell but they stopped it more at the start of the second half How is Fabianski?
He felt something in his thigh. He was a big miss when we didn't have him before, and I'm hoping that he won't be out for long. But obviously, until we get the scans and everything done, we won't be able to say conclusively what it is. How important is it to get a backup goalkeeper?
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