How Sheffield United will react to VAR disappointment when they face Newcastle United

Chris Wilder has backed his Sheffield United side to bounce back from Wednesday's technological nightmare at Villa Park when they face Newcastle United this weekend.
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Wilder's Blades moved up to sixth in the Premier League after their goalless draw with Aston Villa, but were left to rue what might have been as a failure of the HawkEye goalline technology robbed them of victory that would have sent them into fifth.

Ollie Norwood's free-kick was carried over his own goalline by Villa goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland, but HawkEye failed to notify referee Michael Oliver that he should award the goal.

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VAR also neglected to intervene, despite television pictures showing that Nyland had clearly taken the ball over the line, and Wilder half-joked afterwards that the Villa goalkeeper was "eight rows back in the Holte End".

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"We’ve waited ages for decisions to be made in the past - ones that have gone for us and ones that have gone against us," Wilder, whose side travel to St James' Park on Sunday, said.

"So that picture should have been enough. I know I’d have accepted that if I was an opposition manager. How could you not? So I don’t know why it wasn’t looked at by Stockley Park? Because they must have been able to see it.

"I don’t know why that didn’t happen? People might talk about the process but I thought bringing this was supposed to sort all of this out and stop things like this from happening?

Chris Wilder, manager of Sheffield United, gives his team instructions during a drinks break at Villa Park   (Photo by Paul Ellis/Pool via Getty Images)Chris Wilder, manager of Sheffield United, gives his team instructions during a drinks break at Villa Park   (Photo by Paul Ellis/Pool via Getty Images)
Chris Wilder, manager of Sheffield United, gives his team instructions during a drinks break at Villa Park (Photo by Paul Ellis/Pool via Getty Images)
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"We’ve got to get used to it though because we’ve got another game coming up and it’s going to be another difficult one. Obviously what happened is a disappointment but one of the things we’ve done really well in the past is bounce back from disappointments and recover from them.

“So that’s what we’re going to have to do again. I think it tells you the attitude and character of the lads that they can do that."

Wilder was also sympathetic towards his players, with the challenge that playing behind closed doors brings.

"I don’t think it was the greatest game - bang average, to be honest - but that was probably understandable, given the circumstances," he said.

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