Monday 2 May 2016 11:14, UK
Louis van Gaal insists Marouane Fellaini's elbow on Robert Huth was a "normal reaction" to having his hair pulled.
In the first half of Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Leicester, referee Michael Oliver failed to spot an incident inside the area whereby Huth tugged at Fellaini's hair, before the Belgium international midfielder lashed out with an elbow and then a hand.
Both Fellaini and Huth could receive retrospective bans for the incident, but Van Gaal insists the Leicester defender is more to blame.
He told Sky Sports: "When you look at what Huth is doing with Fellaini, that's a penalty. Shall I grab your hair? What is your reaction, when I grab your hair? Your hair is much shorter than Fellaini, but when I do that, what are you doing then?
"I think that's a normal reaction. You have to first pick Huth, because he was the guy who grabbed the hair of Fellaini. I think the reaction of Fellaini is like a human being."
Van Gaal, who has spoken out previously about the need for video technology in football, again reiterated his stance that referees need help.
"It was a very difficult match, nowadays you cannot control it by yourself as a referee. It is so difficult."
Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness, commenting on the incident at half-time, said Fellaini will be lucky to escape without a ban, but believes Huth was also responsible for the tangle.
He said: "This is no surprise. They are both big, strong aggressive men especially in the air.
"There is a bit of a tangle and I tell you what, Huth is lucky as well as Fellaini. I say Huth is lucky because he has caught him under the chin. If that catches him full square across his face, then he's lost several teeth or broke his nose and I don't think he can stay on the pitch.
"In that respect, he is lucky, but Fellaini won't escape a ban for that. I just can't see it."
With regards to the game, Van Gaal said the performance was one of United's best of the season, but admits the draw makes it tougher for them to gain a top four spot.
"We played one of our best matches in the season, and it was not enough," he said.
"We created a lot of chances, we have to score, but we didn't score, and they score out of a set play again. They are very dangerous with that and we know that.
"We could have scored, and it's a pity, because in spite of the draw, the fans were applauding, and that is significant.
"It's tougher when you don't win, of course. But it is all 'if', we don't know. We are still in a race."
