Gary O’Neil was furious with the refereeing decisions that went against Wolves despite the aide of VAR in the 2-1 defeat at West Ham that could cost the Englishman his job.
Jarrod Bowen struck the winner as Wolves lost for the 10th time from 15 Premier League matches this season, leaving them 19th in the table. Wolves have collected a mere two wins and nine points so far this term with O’Neil on the brink as a result.
But the manager wasn’t happy with the decision-making of referee John Brooks against West Ham. VAR Andy Madley refused to advise the match official to go to the monitor over Bowen’s controversial winner and two separate second-half penalty shouts.
Before Bowen curled in from the edge of the area, Konstantinos Mavropanos appeared to foul Santiago Bueno as the Wolves defender sought to head clear. O’Neil argued it was a “blatant” error and seemed enraged moments after.
But no foul was given and the goal ultimately earned the Hammers, whose own manager Julen Lopetegui was under pressure heading into this match, the full three points.
O’Neil said on Sky Sports: “We didn’t find a way to turn it in our favour today. But some of the decisions went against us as well in a big game. In a big game, in big moments, some decisions I thought were fairly straightforward end up going against us.
“It’s crazy. Santi Bueno is going to head the ball away, so it’s irrelevant [that the VAR said it’s a new phase of play] as we’d have cleared the ball. It’s a blatant foul on Santi Bueno and there’s no way it’s a difference phase. The ball is still in the same area.
“They will find reasons, and of course they will, and I get there will be grey areas and the wording of the rule can be interpreted in many different ways. But that’s a blatant foul on Bueno in the seconds before the goal. That’s a blatant foul.”
O’Neil now appears set to lose his job with Sky Sports reporting that the club’s hierarchy have done their due diligence on a number of candidates to replace the head coach.
Quizzed on his future, O’Neil appeared to question the club’s approach in the transfer market. He said: “The people above me are supportive. But of course the supporters want their football club to be successful. I understand them pointing the finger at me and it’s my team and I have to take responsibility for me.
“But when I arrived at this football club they had picked up just 39 points in the Premier League. Since that moment, we have managed to make £200million in player sales.
“We have sold an awful lot of players if you go back to [Ruben] Neves and [Joao] Moutinho and [Daniel] Podence and [Adama] Traore and [Raul] Jimenez and [Diego] Costa and Pedro Neto and Max Kilman.
“And then we’re not now shopping in that market, we’re looking for the other ones who are for the future that can help us in the now. As we’re finding in the Premier League, it’s a ruthless league. The group are doing everything we can to get up to speed.
“But I’m really proud of them. I know we have only nine points and we’re in a tough spot in the league but they’re giving everything. So I hope the supporters are still proud from the players even though they hate the position we’re in.
“They won’t hate it more than me. I’m right there with them, whether they know it or not. We won’t give up and we’ll keep pushing. A big game against Ipswich is coming. And hopefully a few of the little bits, our bits, the bits from the officials go our way.”
Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher sided with O’Neil over the Bowen goal, and felt West Ham’s opener should have been ruled out.
He explained: “I think they are more unfortunate on this one. This should be a foul and the referee’s in a really good position to give it.
“For me, Mavropanos is jumping for the ball and he fouls the defender on the floor. He doesn’t react too much and then Jarrod Bowen scores not too long after. The referee’s standing there. It’s just a foul. You just give it.
“If the ball’s nowhere near him and he’s not really challenging for the ball or it goes back post, you leave it. But he’s jumping for the ball, he’s trying to get it and he just jumps on the back of the defender. How is that not a foul?!”
The Premier League also issued statements on Wolves’ two penalty shouts in the 68th minute and 83rd minute.
On the first, they said: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Emerson on Guedes was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming that the contact was outside the box.”
On the second, they explained: “The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge by Mavropanos on Bellegarde was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed the referee’s call was not clear and obviously wrong.”
