Michael Carrick has warned his Manchester United players last weekend's VAR controversy in their derby defeat to rivals City cannot become a pivotal moment in their season as he said the apology from officials "doesn't mean an awful lot".
Pro Ref's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb this week said he was "really disappointed" Erling Haaland's goal was allowed to stand despite Enzo Fernández's attempts to play the ball from an offside position, with the goal decisive as City prevailed 1-0 despite Phil Foden's 23rd-minute red card.
United's week got no better as they blew a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at home to Brighton on Wednesday night and exit the Carabao Cup at the first hurdle, giving Carrick back-to-back home defeats for the first time since taking charge in January.
The subsequent media inquests have been a reminder, not that Carrick needs one, of how quickly the narrative can spiral at Old Trafford but the manager is keen now to move on and look to Sunday's match away to Fulham.
"It can have an impact in the moment of time, it can have a big impact," Carrick said of the officials' mistake.
"But we can't let it have an impact on the rest of the season, that's for us to get back to winning ways as soon as possible."
Carrick said he retained faith in officials but added: "The apology doesn't mean an awful lot. I can appreciate and I respect it for them putting their hands up and saying 'we got that wrong'. I think it happens, it does happen.
"But moving forward we just have to deal with what's thrown in front of us, and maybe we get one or two decisions on the back of how it balances out, percentages or law of averages or whatever that may be.
"But that was a pretty big one to take and had a huge impact on that game and that's why it was particularly tough."
The debate over Haaland's goal distracted from United's failure to break down a City side who played with 10 men from the mid-point of the first half.
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Although Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford both hit the post and Gianluigi Donnarumma made a crucial save from Bryan Mbeumo in stoppage time, United laboured to create chances despite the extra man.
Given they then went on to blow a 2-0 lead and lose at home -- for the first time in 50 years -- against Brighton in the same month that they had twice been pegged back in a 2-2 draw at Everton, Carrick faced questions as to whether his side lack the killer instinct of previous United teams.
"I think it's quite instant really in terms of the last week or so, with certain things that have been thrown up in games, but it doesn't all of a sudden mean there's a big, huge problem, and that's obviously the balance for me to judge," he said.
"It's very easy, just because it's happened recently, to all of a sudden think that's something that's been coming for a long time, and that's part of us understanding as a team moving forward what can happen in football in certain games, and what we need to put right moving forward."
