LAST UPDATE | 15 Aug 2023
REFEREE SIMON HOOPER and both video assistant referees from Wolves’ 1-0 defeat at Manchester United on Monday night have been stood down from the next set of Premier League fixtures, the PA news agency understands.
Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil revealed he had received an apology from elite referees’ manager Jon Moss after his side were denied a “blatant” stoppage-time penalty when United’s debutant goalkeeper Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic deep into stoppage time.
Hooper did not react to the incident, and VAR Michael Salisbury deemed there was no foul – with an incredulous O’Neil instead booked for his reaction to the decision.
PA understands head of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) Howard Webb, who has demanded a higher level of accountability as well as an open and transparent approach, had also been in touch with Wolves after the match to apologise.
Hooper, VAR Salisbury and assistant VAR Richard West have all not been selected for the second round of Premier League fixtures.
Appointments for those games had not yet been made public ahead of Monday’s night’s match at Old Trafford. All three officials were absent from the ‘Matchweek 2’ list published by the Premier League on Tuesday morning.
Speaking after Monday’s defeat, during which Wolves created plenty of chances, O’Neil said he thought Onana was trying to “take Kalajdzic’s head off”.
The new Wolves head coach added: “Fair play to Jon (Moss) in coming out (to talk to me).
“He said it was clear and obvious and he can’t believe the on-field referee didn’t give it and he can’t believe VAR didn’t intervene.
“It’s probably made me feel worse to be honest because once you know you’re right you feel worse about leaving with nothing.”
The controversial decision was not the only thing that left the impression United had been lucky to take three points from their opening Premier League match, with Raphael Varane’s 76th-minute header decisive in a laboured performance from the hosts.
With O’Neil only a few days into his tenure, Wolves impressed with their attacking intent. They registered 23 attempts at goal, the most for any visiting team at Old Trafford since Chelsea had 25 in November 2005, another match that ended in a 1-0 win for United.
Scoring goals was an all-too-familiar problem for Wolves last term but O’Neil was encouraged by what he saw.
“Huge credit to the lads,” O’Neil said. “There’s been some negativity surrounding the place but they’ve committed to what we asked of them and gone toe to toe with a top side at a difficult place to come and they’re disappointed.
“For the amount of shots we’ve had and the expected goals, we deserved at least a point…
“Bigger picture stuff and where we want to take the group, tonight is a big step four days in. Coming to a place like this it could have gone very differently.”
United struggled to find any flow and were second best in the second half until Aaron Wan-Bissaka latched on to a dinked ball from Bruno Fernandes, and lifted the ball over for Varane to nod home.
“It was a tough game,” Ten Hag said. “I think we can do much better on the ball. We proved that last season and also in pre-season but the pre-season is not the season and when the league starts opponents are more aggressive.
“Our decision-making could have been better and were not aggressive enough from that point of view, but there are a lot of positives to take. We fought for our lives and we survived with three points so well done.”
In contrast with O’Neil, Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana suggested referee Simon Hooper and VAR were right not to award Wolves a last-gasp penalty in Monday night’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford.
Asked if it was a penalty, the United star said: “No, goalkeepers make decisions, sometimes you are right, sometimes you are not.
“I made a decision and I am responsible for everything. For me, it was contact between two big guys and nothing happened. But for us, the most important thing was to win and I am happy for the victory.
“Of course I was confident (it would not be given).”
Onana made his Premier League debut following his summer move from Inter Milan.
The Cameroon international, who worked with Erik Ten Hag at Ajax, has big boots to fill following on from David De Gea, and his style differs greatly from the Spaniard as he likes the ball at his feet.
But he insists it is a case of him adapting to his new surroundings rather than the United defence changing their game.
“Listen, I think I’m playing with some of the best defenders in the world because playing for Manchester United is not something easy,” he said.
“I think I’m the one who has to adapt because United is a very big club and I’m proud to be able to perform here and proud to play alongside these defenders and if something has to change, I think we will do it.
“At the moment everything is going right and we just have to continue working like this and I think it will be OK by the end of the season.”
