Wayne Rooney Brands It an “Absolute Shocker” as VAR Absence Sparks FA Cup Officiating Storm

The FA Cup has always thrived on chaos, romance and raw emotion. But on Saturday night at Villa Park, that chaos tipped into controversy, leaving Wayne Rooney shaking his head in disbelief and questioning how a competition of such stature can still be undermined by basic refereeing errors.

Newcastle United’s 3–1 victory over Aston Villa in the fourth round should have been remembered for resilience, late goals and a place in the fifth-round draw. Instead, it became a case study in what happens when modern football is stripped of its technological safety net — and the officials are left badly exposed.

VAR-Free FA Cup Night Turns into a Test for Officials

With VAR not in operation until the fifth round of the FA Cup, the officials at Villa Park were asked to rely solely on their judgement. It was a task they struggled with from the opening exchanges.

Newcastle ultimately progressed, but the path there was littered with decisions that appeared, at best, questionable and, at worst, indefensible. From an offside opener to a baffling interpretation of the penalty area, it was a night that reignited the debate around consistency, competence and the unintended consequences of VAR itself.

Rooney, watching on as a pundit, was not in the mood for diplomacy.

Wayne Rooney’s “Absolute Shocker” Verdict

Speaking on BBC One after the final whistle, Rooney delivered one of the most scathing critiques of refereeing heard this season.

The flashpoint came midway through the second half when a clear handball by Lucas Digne was punished with a free-kick instead of a penalty — despite occurring several yards inside the box.

“That decision is one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in football,” Rooney said bluntly.
“At no stage was Digne out of the penalty area. He’s three or four yards inside. The linesman is right there and you can clearly see it.”

Rooney went further, suggesting confusion among the officials themselves.

“The referee looked like he blew and then looked like he was listening to someone in his ear. I’m assuming the linesman gave the decision — and it’s an absolute shocker.”

In a sport where margins are thin and careers are shaped by moments, Rooney’s frustration reflected a broader concern: how could such a clear-cut incident be misjudged so badly?

A Chaotic Afternoon at Villa Park

The handball controversy was not an isolated incident.

Earlier in the game, Aston Villa took the lead through a goal that appeared clearly offside in the build-up. Newcastle players protested, but play continued. Moments later, Digne was fortunate to remain on the pitch after a shin-high challenge on Jacob Murphy — a tackle that, on another day, might easily have resulted in a red card.

Despite those setbacks, Newcastle regrouped. Sandro Tonali’s equaliser, deflected but deserved, shifted momentum before Villa’s numerical disadvantage — following a first-half dismissal — began to tell. The visitors capitalised, eventually sealing the win with a late goal that put gloss on a scoreline that did not reflect the chaos preceding it.

Ironically, Newcastle’s ability to overcome the errors may have spared officials from even harsher scrutiny. Had the result gone the other way, the fallout would likely have been severe.

Alan Shearer: VAR Has Changed Referees

Rooney was not alone in his criticism. Fellow pundit Alan Shearer offered a more reflective but equally damning assessment.

“I would just like the officials to do their job properly,” Shearer said. “That’s not too much to ask.”

Shearer suggested that years of VAR usage may have dulled referees’ instincts.

“For five or six months they’ve been reliant on VAR. Then they come into this situation and everything changes. It’s evidence of the damage VAR has done to referees.”

It was a striking admission — that technology designed to reduce errors may have inadvertently weakened the decision-making confidence of officials when it is removed.

Eddie Howe Caught Between Emotion and Accuracy

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe struck a more balanced tone, acknowledging both sides of the VAR debate.

“There’s an argument to say referees are reliant on VAR,” Howe admitted.
“When VAR is there, there’s always that thought of ‘I won’t give it, let’s check it’.”

Yet Howe also voiced what many fans feel deep down — the emotional purity of football without interruptions.

“I still love the emotion when a goal goes in and no one takes it away from you. That joy is real, and VAR takes it away,” he said.

Then came the irony.

“But I was wishing there was VAR for the first goal against us — and probably throughout the game.”

Few quotes better captured football’s ongoing identity crisis.

FA Cup Tradition Versus Modern Reality

The FA Cup prides itself on tradition. Lower-league romance. Packed grounds. Raw, unfiltered drama. But Saturday’s events raised an uncomfortable question: can the competition afford to delay VAR any longer?

When clubs invest millions and seasons hinge on single decisions, equality of officiating becomes more than a talking point — it becomes essential.

That VAR will be introduced from the fifth round offers some reassurance, but it also highlights an inconsistency. Why should earlier rounds, often involving Premier League clubs, be decided under different standards?

Newcastle March On, Questions Remain

For Newcastle United, the focus quickly shifts to the fifth round and a chance to keep silverware dreams alive. The players will remember their character, not the controversy.

For Aston Villa, it will feel like a missed opportunity — not just because of the defeat, but because the game never found a natural rhythm.

For everyone else, though, Villa Park served as a warning.

Without VAR, the FA Cup can still deliver magic. But when officiating collapses under pressure, romance quickly turns into outrage — and as Wayne Rooney made clear, some mistakes are simply impossible to excuse.

In a competition built on history, Saturday night reminded us that progress, however uncomfortable, may no longer be optional.