'Game is officially dead!' - fans react to controversial VAR decision which put Sheffield United 2-0 down to Newcastle United

With the visitors already a goal to the good against the run of play, a through ball was played to Jojo Shelvey and the referee's assistant put up his flag to call for offside against Andy Carroll.

Everyone stopped, including goalkeeper Dean Henderson...everyone but Shelvey who ran on and slotted in with Henderson barely moving to porevent it going in. As is now the norm, the decision went to VAR and incredibly the goal was given, much to the annoyance of fans in the ground and those watching on Prime Video.

@jamie_garbutt posted on twitter: “Who’s reffing the game? The man in the middle or some clowns sat many miles away? Game is officially dead!!!”

@s24su: “You are stood as a keeper, your defence have all stopped, the linesman has flagged offside and stopped. The ref follows the striker, pointing at the linesman... But you are supposed to retain concentration and pull a worldly from a 1on1? Absolute farce. #sufc #twitterblades”

@That_There_Phil: “At the start of the season there was all this talk about linesmen not flagging for tight offsides and letting VAR sort it out to avoid any confusion on the pitch. That seems to have lasted all of a few months before being forgotten. #SHUNEW #twitterblades”

@craig99mac: “What’s the point in having referees and assistants now? #VAR just over rules everything anyway. You might as well just control the game from a box. If a flag goes up you automatically stop.”

@TeachSUFC: “Why is the linesman even there if you’re supposed to ignore him when he puts his flag up? What is his purpose anymore?

Not everyone felt the same way.”

@aaronoshea1550 posted: “Schoolboy error from Sheffield defenders there. You keep going until the whistle blows. Flag went up (incorrectly) and they stood still. Chris Wilder has every right to go a bit mental about that. They were still in the game before that happened.”