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MANOLO GABBIADINI ought to be running out tomorrow at Watford a true Wembley legend.

Somehow it got lost this week just how much the Italian missed out on in the EFL Cup Final last Sunday.

His first ‘goal’ against Manchester United was incorrectly ruled out for offside and after that he scored two superb strikes for Southampton.

But United, of course, won 3-2 and Zlatan Ibrahimovic hogged the headlines once again because he headed home from close range late on for his own double.

Had linesman Stuart Burt not messed up, Gabbiadini would have joined an elite group of just three players to have scored a hat-trick in a major Wembley cup final, with Stan Mortensen and Sir Geoff Hurst the only two (I’m not counting David Speedie’s treble in the 1986 Full Members Cup final).

It was one of those ‘Sliding Doors’ moments, a point in Gabbiadini’s life where it could have all been so different. Saints, who were excellent, would probably have won their first major trophy in 41 years and qualified for the Europa League.

The point is to show how ridiculous it is we are still talking about video replays coming in.

It takes just a few seconds to check a decision and to stop overuse teams could be limited to three appeals a game, like in tennis.

One day the current refusal to use video technology will be seen as antiquated as heavy balls with laces are now.