Wolves manager Gary O’Neil accepts an apology from referees’ chief Jon Moss after his club was denied a late penalty in a 1-0 loss at Manchester United after Andre Onana ‘almost took our center-forward’s head off.
Gary O’Neil believes Wolves should have got a penalty against Manchester United.
United won their Premier League opener at Old Trafford by a 1-0 score.
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Gary O’Neill said he received an apology from referees’ chief Jon Moss after Wolves were wrongfully denied a late penalty that would have earned them a point against Manchester United.
Deep into added time, United goalkeeper Andre Onana attempted to capture Pedro Neto’s cross but instead collided with Wolves replacement Sasa Kalajdzic, knocking him to the ground.
Referee Simon Hooper did not award a penalty kick, and even though the decision was reviewed, VAR Michael Salisbury upheld it, despite the fact that Hooper’s original ruling was not judged a clear and obvious error.
O’Neil, who was incensed, was penalised for his outburst and then described his meeting with Moss, who controls Premier League referees.
‘I talked with Jon Moss, and fair play to him, he apologized, acknowledged it was an obvious penalty, and it should have been given,’ O’Neil added. ‘It most likely made me feel worse.
‘It makes you feel worse about leaving a game with nothing when you know you were right about something.’
Last season, the Wolves filed a number of complaints against officials and received at least one apology from referees’ chief Howard Webb. ‘I don’t think the authorities are attempting to favor one side,’ O’Neil remarked.
‘I just think it’s human nature,’ she says. If you’re unsure about a choice, the Old Trafford crowd and the fact that it’s Manchester United will have an affect on everyone.
‘That is why I believe VAR should be allowed to assist more in certain circumstances. Before speaking with Jon Moss, I was assured that the problem was not evident.
‘It appeared as though the goalie was about to take our center-forward’s head off. It is a penalty if you go for the ball and clatter the guy so hard.
‘At first, I believed the referee was going over to look at the screen, but he booked me instead of Onana for slamming our center-forward.
‘I understand the regulations [of adhering to on-field choices].
It would have been the least Wolves deserved if they had been awarded a penalty and scored.
United’s midfield was overrun at times, but the visitors were punished when Raphael Varane headed home in the 76th minute.
United manager Erik ten Hag was critical of his team, but after opening the season with two defeats, he was glad to get off to a good start this season.
‘It was a difficult game,’ he remarked. ‘The beginning of the season is always challenging, and we can be lot better on the ball. But we battled for our lives, survived, and earned three points.
‘When VAR looked at it and decided not to grant it, of course we were thrilled,’ he said of the penalty. Andre did not intervene, and the verdict of the VAR and the referee is final.’
