‘What’s the point of VAR?’: Wolves boss Gary O’Neil claims wrong decisions by match officials have cost his side seven points this season

• Wolves have been on wrong end of incorrect VAR reviews five times this season 
• Gary O’Neil went into the referee’s room after controversial defeat at Fulham
• If Steve Cooper goes, he’ll be sacked with honour and walk into another top job – Listen to why on It’s All Kicking Off 

Gary O’Neil admitted that he fears his side’s respect for officials has cost Wolves this season after his side were on the wrong end of incorrect refereeing decisions for the fifth game this season.

The Wolves boss went into the referee’s room after their 3-2 defeat to Fulham and claimed he was told by referee Michael Salisbury that Fulham were incorrectly awarded a penalty and later by PGMOL representatives that both Tim Ream and Carlos Vinicius should have been sent off.

‘I had a good discussion with them around the way I conduct myself. I’m trying to be respectful. There was no abusing anybody or telling them what I thought of them. 

‘It was just a discussion about the decisions. But do I need to tell Max (Kilman) to roll around on the floor when someone (Vinicius) headbutts him? 

‘I don’t want to. I don’t want Max [Kilman] to roll around on the floor. I want the rules to look after him. Do I want my players to surround the referee and ask for a yellow card for Tim Ream? No,’ said O’Neil. 

Gary O’Neil’s Wolves have been on wrong end of incorrect VAR reviews five times this season

Wolves have found themselves on the wrong end of a series of penalty decisions this season

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‘But behaving respectfully has probably cost us. We’re probably seven points down on PGMOL reviews. The difference between 22 points and 15 points for the thousands of supporters who follow this team around the country is huge. 

‘The difference between 22 and 15 on my reputation when you’re trying to build at a big club is irreparable. You can send me flowers. You can ring me. You can do what you want but we should be on 22 points instead of 15,’ added O’Neil.

VAR failed to intervene for either of the potential red-card incidents and did not advise Salisbury to overturn Fulham’s first penalty, before sending him to the monitor in injury-time to give Fulham a second penalty.

‘The referee would have probably done a better job on his alone and without VAR’s interference. What’s the point of VAR if all these incidents are missed? I don’t think it’s helped the game,’ said O’Neil.

And he admitted that his own tipping point is near with some of his players taking to social media to post their thoughts, despite O’Neil advising them on previous instances not to.

‘Now I give up. Enough is enough. Some strong decisions need to be taken. These things are ruining football,’ said Mario Lemina on Instagram. ‘We are tired of hearing excuses the next day. You harm the work of several families.’ Matheus Cunha added.

‘We’re going to try and conduct ourself in the way that I think is right and I will continue to but the players are extremely frustrated. The players are like yeah, should we make some noise about this? Do we need social media posts but my advice till now is to make sure we were good enough to win the game regardless of what the officials do,’ said O’Neil. 

There was a VAR delay for Fulham’s first spot-kick but the on-field decision of penalty stood

VAR decided not to overturn Nelson Semedo’s foul in the penalty box on Fulham’s Tom Cairney

‘It’s hard to stay calm. When I was watching the Harry Wilson incident back on the iPad, you’re emotional at that point and thinking there’s definitely not a penalty. I’ve been involved in that before. 

‘I hope they don’t send him to the screen and when they sent him to the screen I’m thinking do I just walk in here? Do I need to actually do something that people are going to visibly see? Or do I just stand there and behave in the way I’m supposed to behave? 

‘Fortunately or unfortunately I decide to stand there and take what’s being given to us but it’s difficult because of the difference the points tally makes to me,’ he added. 

‘The referee gets some criticism maybe over the next few days around his decision. But in three weeks’ time that loss is on me. Nobody remembers how and there’s no asterisk next to it. That loss is on me.’

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