Chris Wilder shares Sheffield United fan frustration at VAR delays and "test case" referee v Brighton

Chris Wilder shared the frustration of Sheffield United supporters at the length of VAR checks in the Blades' defeat to Brighton yesterday. Wilder was also left unimpressed by the performance of referee Sunny Singh Gill as his side tumbled out of the FA Cup with a 5-2 defeat at Bramall Lane.

United had earlier done the hard bit by dragging themselves back level at 2-2, after falling 2-0 down against their fellow Premier League side. Wilder bemoaned the "self-inflicted" nature of defeat, with United giving Brighton two penalties - Jayden Bogle punished by Gill on both occasions - and failing to clear their lines at other opportunities.

United player ratings from Brighton FA Cup defeat

Both United's goals were followed by lengthy VAR checks - the first understandable, as Will Osula raced clear before Gus Hamer eventually finished, but the second ridiculous as Osula headed home. The striker was well onside, standing on the six-yard line with a defender clearly playing him on, but the VAR check still took over a minute to award the goal as fans booed in the stands and home players gestured their frustration at Gill.

Bogle, who had earlier fouled Joao Pedro for the forward to score the first of his three goals from the spot, was later penalised for handball after jumping with Evan Ferguson to contest a cross and Wilder, who had spoken to Gill at half-time as he and his officials left the pitch, said afterwards: "We’re all in the same boat, aren’t we? I am sure that the referee might have got those decisions wrong if VAR wasn’t here.

Wilder's verdict on Blades' "self-inflicted" 5-2 Brighton defeat

"I wasn’t too impressed with his performance. Yet again, we are a test case for a referee out of the Football League in refereeing our game. I thought he made some terrible decisions and I wasn’t too impressed from the off.

“You do get into that stage where you don’t know where it’s at [with VAR checks]. With the second penalty, you didn’t realise it was handball until you get back inside your dug-out and you look back at the monitor. With the speed of it all, it takes away everything what the game is good for and associated with, as we all know."