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Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana said he was eager to provoke Coventry City’s players during the penalty shootout to give his side a crucial advantage in their FA Cup semi-final after knowing his yellow card during the match had been "cancelled", reports the Mail, external.

"Before the penalties I knew that my first yellow card had been cancelled so I was aware of the rules," he said.

"I had to make some provocation to some players and to use my tricks to win the game, so I’m happy for that."

Ben Sheaf missed Coventry's decisive spot-kick after Onana had already saved from Callum O'Hare, with Rasmus Hojlund then stepping up to fire United into the final.

Onana's second booking of the game, without being sent off, followed the same scenario in Aston Villa's Europa Conference League victory over Lille on penalties on Thursday, when Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez was also shown two yellow cards - in normal time and during the shootout.

So, as Phil explained in the previous post, it turns out yellow cards are not carried over into a shootout...who knew?

Well, potentially not Martinez, who cut a relieved figure in Lille after he was allowed to continue in goal for the remainder of the shootout, but Onana clearly made a calculated decision at Wembley on Sunday.

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Martin from Oxsted: Hi Phil. Andre Onana received his second yellow card of the game during the penalty shootout yesterday in the FA Cup semi-final. Why didn't he get sent off, please?

Hi, Martin. This is because bookings from regulation time do not carry over into the shoot-out. He will also play in the final because you can only be suspended for a red card not accumulated yellow cards.

Yusuf, Man Utd fan, London: Should Manchester United stick with Erik ten Hag for next season, to save on early contract release costs and so other teams get their new bosses lined up, and wait for Xabi Alonso to become available and take over?

The debate is out there again this morning, Yusuf, isn’t it? You must assume decisions of this magnitude have already been taken but that performance in the FA Cup semi-final surely damaged Ten Hag’s case to keep his job.

The only thing that might save Ten Hag is if United’s new leadership feels he has been held back by the poor structure that has hampered his predecessors at Old Trafford and deserves a chance under the new set-up but his future must surely be in doubt, even more so after yesterday.

I actually think Xabi Alonso’s strong links with Liverpool would stop him taking the Manchester United job – and anyway Real Madrid might have him in their sights by then.

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Alex, Reading: Is this it now for Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag? It feels like there's no way back, even if they win the FA Cup?

Winning the FA Cup may yet alter the argument, Alex, but even that may not be enough. It is very rare that an FA Cup semi-final win increases pressure on a manager but I’m afraid the shambolic nature of Manchester United’s last 20 minutes has done exactly that for Erik ten Hag.

It was a performance that further damaged the standing of Ten Hag and United’s players. If ever an FA Cup semi-final win can be regarded as an embarrassment, Manchester United’s win over Coventry City might just fall into that category.

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Steve, Worcester: Hi Phil, with all the talk about Forest this morning, can we also mention what a huge win for Everton that is. With an away game v Luton coming up, that was crucial yesterday to their survival, thanks.

Hi Steve, all the penalty debate and Nottingham Forest’s social media statement certainly overshadowed Everton’s win but it was absolutely vital for the reasons you state. And it was certainly needed after the embarrassment of the 6-0 loss at Chelsea.

This is a huge week for Everton with two more home games against Liverpool and Brentford before that potentially defining game at Kenilworth Road.

It was a battle settled by two moments of quality but, in many ways, so typical of the wins Sean Dyche has had at Goodison Park since he has been at Everton.

More from former Premier League referee Peter Walton, speaking to BBC 5 Live Breakfast: "All factors must be looked into and Mark [Clattenburg] being there as an advisor, I'm sure they've listened to some of the advice he's given them.

"But whoever has given that advice, I think is clearly wrong in terms of looking at that core integrity value.

"Referees make wrong decisions, I made wrong decisions but I didn't do it on purpose and one thing we should not have questioned is our impartiality towards teams. When I refereed Manchester United v Spurs, I was refereeing reds versus whites, the team factor didn't come into it.

"To name an individual and accuse that individual of cheating is poor in its entirety.

"Who you support, where you live, who you've refereed before, the league factors all of these things in. So I'm sure the PGMOL would have been aware beforehand if he is a Luton Town fan and factored it in."

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In case you missed it, Mark Clattenburg, the retired referee who is Nottingham Forest's referee analyst, defended the club's response in a column published on the Daily Mail's website on Sunday.

He wrote: "One of these errors would have been bad enough. Three was a joke, and that is why Nottingham Forest were left feeling victimised after another defeat in which zero big decisions went their way.

"In a season where they have had to endure some egregious refereeing, this trip to Everton was as grim a game as they have encountered since returning to the Premier League.

"These situations were precisely why video technology was brought into the Premier League and yet, Attwell did not send Taylor to his monitor. Not once. It was a hat-trick of howlers from the refereeing team and, unfortunately for Forest, a continuation of an unjust trend that has hampered their survival fight.

"You will have seen the statement released by the club - how the PGMOL were contacted to warn that it was not appropriate for a Luton fan such as Attwell to play such a pivotal role in a massive match that would impact the relegation race."

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Former Premier League referee Peter Walton, speaking to BBC 5 Live Breakfast: "It is unprecedented and it shouldn't be allowed at all.

"If it came from a fan then maybe you could understand it but coming from an official club website is poor. The issue here is that if the referee is useless, he's useless - but he's not a cheat. It is an integrity issue.

"That is why our league and our referees are valued around the world because we just do not have that issue. There may well be issues around the world where leagues can influence the assignment of match officials but in Britain, that doesn't happen.

"We should nip this in the bud straightaway."

John Murray
Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

For that to be an official statement by a Premier League club is remarkable really.

The next step, seeing how the Football Association responds, will be interesting because, in my experience dealing with those who officiate at the top of the game, the absolute key for them, first and foremost, ahead of everything else, is impartiality and being fair.

Things like which team you support are a factor, people know that, but officiating is now more professional than it's ever been before.

They are trying to reach the standards - people will laugh at that when they see some of the decisions that are made - but that is what they are trying to do and the key to that is impartiality.

That's why what Nottingham Forest said is such a serious allegation.

Here is a reminder of what was posted on Nottingham Forest's official X account after Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Everton, when Toffees defender Ashley Young was involved in three incidents that the visitors believed warranted a penalty:

"Three extremely poor decisions - three penalties not given - which we simply cannot accept. We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options."

Matt, Birmingham: Surely an accusation of bias, like that made by Nottingham Forest's X account, requires some evidence beyond "they support Luton"? Or are they just trying to deflect from their performance?

Have to be very careful answering this one, Matt, but there is a clear inference from Forest that being a “Luton fan” influenced decisions taken at Everton yesterday. This suggests the integrity of the officials is compromised and that simply cannot be allowed to stand.

In all our time as football fans we have accused officials of being incompetent against our own team (well, I assume we have) in moments of frustration, but there can never be any suggestion of something deeper.

I do not believe for one second that is the case when it comes to officialdom in this country.

I was at Goodison and actually feel if Nuno Espirito Santo had simply come out and said Nottingham Forest had been on the end of some really rough decisions plenty would have sympathised. I certainly would. Now a lot of that sympathy has been diluted by the post-match statement.

On Forest’s performance - they were actually very poor in what was a pretty poor game.

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Just another talking point to throw into the mix...as if we needed another!

Right, you have been getting in touch in your droves this morning with questions for Phil McNulty, BBC Sport's chief football writer.

I am glad to say he is ready to start providing you with some answers.

Remember, keep those questions coming using the contact details above.

Ta...

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Yes, you read that right.

One of the big talking points after Real Madrid's last-gasp victory at home to rivals Barcelona on Sunday was the lack of goal-line technology.

Jude Bellingham took the plaudits with an injury-time winner for Real, but Barca boss Xavi was adamant that his side was denied a goal earlier in the match that he believes would have changed the course of the game.

The visitors thought they had gone 2-1 up in the first half when Lamine Yamal flicked a corner towards goal and Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin, who was behind the line, clawed it away.

Fermin Lopez did manage to score a second for Barca after the break before efforts from Lucas Vazquez and Bellingham gave La Liga leaders Real the three points.

"It's a disgrace," said Xavi, who was furious after VAR officials could not prove that Yamal's effort had crossed the line, complaining that the goal-line technology used in other top flights, including the Premier League, is not available in La Liga.

"If we want to be the best league in the world we have to advance in this sense, you have to put in the technology."

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen agreed with his coach.

"It's shameful for football, I don't have the words," said the Germany international.

"There's so much money in this world and there's no money for what's most important."

Read the full match report here.

The Daily Mail

We finish our round-up of today's back pages with the Mail, which has a picture of Coventry manager Mark Robins, head in hands, next to those VAR lines.

That, and Nottingham Forest's reaction to their own VAR issues, has provided the biggest talking point of the morning so far.

But if you think English football has tech problems, a news line that came out of the El Classico yesterday is hard to fathom...there is no goal-line technology in La Liga!

More on that coming up.

Image source, Daily Mail

The Daily Star

The Star reports that Coventry's FA Cup dreams were "Torpedoed" by VAR after Victor Torp's extra-time goal for the Sky Blues was ruled out for offside by "millimetres".

Image source, Daily Star