GARY O’NEIL ASKED “what is the point in VAR?” after his Wolves side conceded a controversial late penalty during a 3-2 defeat at Craven Cottage.
VAR sent referee Michael Salisbury to the screen to award a penalty after Joao Gomes brought Harry Wilson down in the box, Willian scoring his second spot kick of the game to seal all three points for Fulham.
O’Neil highlighted the decisions involving the late penalty, Carlos Vinicius’ alleged headbutt on Max Kilman and why Tim Ream did not receive a second yellow for a foul on Hwang Hee-Chan.
The Wolves boss criticised the decisions during the game and believes VAR has not helped the referee.
O’Neil said: “I don’t think it’s helped the game,
“I think the ref would have done a better job on his own. I don’t think VAR helped him but in fact it hindered him.
“Sending him to the screen for one and not to the other, not advising him there is a headbutt or that Tim Ream should receive a red card. What is the point in VAR?
“They said they got the Harry Wilson one right (last penalty decision). There’s minimal contact and I don’t think there’s enough.”
O’Neil, who spoke to the referee after the match, also felt aggrieved about Fulham’s first penalty awarded for a foul by Nelson Semedo on Tom Cairney.
"Tonight has finally turned me against VAR."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 27, 2023
Gary O'Neil reveals what he discussed with the match officials after full-time at Craven Cottage 🔊 pic.twitter.com/dknwqBFyEB
He told Sky Sports: “Nelson plays the ball, doesn’t touch Tom Cairney. I watched it back with the referee, and to be fair to him he says he thinks they’ve got that wrong and he should have been sent to the monitor.
“Doesn’t help me. It doesn’t help all the fans that have travelled all this way to watch the team. Doesn’t help the players who are feeling frustrated again. The Nelson one has pretty much been admitted by the referee that (there was) a mistake.”
O’Neil, who has seen his side emerge on the wrong end of decisions before this season, said: “It’s bad luck that it keeps going against us, but there are bad refereeing decisions in there.
“I’ve had a real grown-up conversation in there with him (Salisbury), I’m trying to remain calm. I’m not angry with anybody. I’m not in there abusing people. It’s literally a conversation around, ‘Come on, guys, it’s six, seven points now that have gone against us, I’m managing a big football club here, and the difference that you’re making to my reputation, to the club’s progression up the league, to people’s livelihoods is huge’.
“It can’t be that with all the technology and all the time and the biggest league in the world that we’re getting so many wrong. It can’t be OK.
“I’ve always been for VAR but I think it’s causing a big problem at the moment. Maybe tonight has finally turned me against VAR when I thought it would probably help, but it doesn’t seem to be.”
Alex Iwobi had put Fulham ahead after seven minutes, Matheus Cunha equalising before a second half of three penalties – Hwang Hee-Chan drawing Wolves level again in between Willian’s two controversial goals.
Fulham boss Marco Silva lauded his side’s mentality to end a run of four games without a win and to go ahead in the game on three separate occasions.
He said: “We knew Wolves would show resilience tonight again and they brought it back twice and we showed team spirit and I really believed we deserved three points. It was a game we had to win and we did it.”
Willian scored his second and third of the season from the spot and Silva praised the experienced 35-year-old. “He is really important for us and we know the quality of Willian,” Silva added.
“My decision last season to change the taker because he is a player who needs more importance and confidence and it was nice to see him take responsibility with two very good moments from him.”
