Manager fumes as Sheffield United are told VAR did review the incident which saw them denied what appeared to be a clear cut penalty at Fulham

Describing the decision not to punish goalkeeper Alphonse Areola for a foul on Jayden Bogle as “bizarre”, Wilder also claimed the United substitute was fortunate to escape serious injury following a challenge he also argued should have resulted in a red card.

Already fuming at Martin Atkinson’s refusal to award a spot-kick when Bogle was upended by the Frenchman - the referee, one of the Premier League’s most experienced officials, gave a free-kick to the hosts instead - Wilder’s frustration boiled over after being told Bankes had analysed a replay of the tackle but refused to intervene.

“I’ve been informed VAR did check it,” Wilder told The Star. “So if they have, (and it still wasn’t given), then I think it’s incredible because I don’t think there’s a more straightforward decision to be made than that.

“It’s not even a 50/50 one. On any other part of the pitch, that decision is a foul. Jayden wasn’t out of control was he?

“Yes, we have to look at ourselves and the decisions we’ve made. But who is to say we don’t score and if he (Areola) gets sent-off what happens then? For me, that’s huge.”

Wilder conceded United’s battle for survival is all but over after Ademola Lookman’s second-half strike proved enough to settle the contest in Fulham’s favour; a result which increases their own hopes of survival following last week’s victory over Everton. Bottom of the table with only 13 games remaining, United must now face reigning champions Liverpool next Sunday without their three first choice centre-halves after Chris Basham joined Jack O’Connell and John Egan on the treatment table.

“If that was one of the big boys, one of the big clubs, people would be hearing about that decision for forever and a day,” Wilder said. “But nobody cares about us do they. They probably won’t have to bother about us next season, but then it will be another promoted club’s turn to find itself on the wrong end of things like that.

“If that’s not a penalty and a red card, well, I don’t understand the laws of the game anymore. I’m not sure I do anyway, with the way they are obviously going.”

“We had John Lundstram sent off earlier this season at Brighton because he was supposedly out of control going into a tackle,” he continued. “Fot me, it was a good tackle but I know how the game is going now.

“But if he went for that, I really don’t know how the same didn’t apply here. Really I don’t.

“It’s nothing against Fulham or (their manager) Scott (Parker), because I genuinely wish them all the best. But I’m at a loss about that decision, I really am. Jayden is lucky he’s coming back on the bus with us and not going somewhere else.”

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