Wolves’ Gary O’Neil says PGMOL apologise and admit penalty at Man Utd was ‘clear and obvious error’

Wolves’ Gary O’Neil says PGMOL apologise and admit penalty at Man Utd was a ‘clear and obvious error’ as his side were robbed say viewers.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were denied a late penalty at Old Trafford after VAR refused to intervene with Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana colliding with Sasa Kalajdzic.

Gary O’Neil said post-match that PGMOL’s Jon Moss said sorry for decision not to award penalty while Gary Neville and Karen Carney agree that VAR got it wrong.

O’Neil was also booked by referee Simon Hooper for protesting against the inactivity of VAR Michael Salisbury. leaving the boss perplexed by the whole thing.

Should Wolves have had a penalty? 😬 pic.twitter.com/U2v3fnHhDM

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023

“I thought the keeper almost took our centre forward’s head off!” 😳

Gary O’Neil in shock that Wolves didn’t get a penalty late on at Old Trafford 🎥❌ pic.twitter.com/0SqcWR07TA

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023

Wolves impressed many, having 23 shots on goal – the most by an away side at Old Trafford since Chelsea in 2005 – but Raphael Varane’s winner 14 minutes from the end handed Wolves an opening-night defeat.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, O’Neil said he had received an apology from Jonathan Moss, who is manager of the Premier League’s elite group of officials.

“We have just spoken to Jonathan Moss and fair play to him for coming straight out and apologising and saying it was a blatant penalty and should have been given,” he said.

“I spent the afternoon with him today, gave up a lot of my day and preparation around trying to understand the new guidelines and trying not to get myself booked on my first game with the new guidelines which I failed in.

“Fair play to Jonathan for saying it was a clear and obvious error and he cannot believe that the on-field ref did not give it, cannot believe that VAR didn’t intervene.

“It probably made me feel worse actually because once you know you are right you feel worse about leaving with nothing.”

On the incident itself, a baffled O’Neil said: “I feel if you go for the ball and miss it, and clatter into an opposing player that hard, I just don’t see how it’s not a foul.”

Back in April, Salisbury had been dropped for a round of matches due to his errors in Brighton’s controversial defeat at Tottenham.

“The reason I thought it was a penalty was because Onana wasn’t anywhere near the ball,” Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said. “He was always under it, was never getting there, and could have made a decision before he jumped.

“I always used to say if my goalkeeper was coming out they should clatter the lot, he’s done that, so in some ways, he has done what I’d want my goalkeeper to do, but the problem is he’s nowhere near the ball.

“He’s decided to disturb as much as he can and put the attacking player off, and it’s a penalty because he wasn’t close enough to the ball. If he arrived at the same time and he just missed the ball, it would have been a different story, but I think he knows what he’s doing.”

Fellow Sky Sports pundit Karen Carney added: “I think he’s [O’Neil] right to feel aggrieved. Onana comes out committed, I think he takes his eye off it at the last minute, but he takes out the player. He just clatters him… it’s a penalty, no?”

Jamie Carragher, however, did not believe there was enough evidence to overturn the on-field referee’s decision not to award the penalty in the first instance.

“I wasn’t sure when I initially saw it,” he said.

“When it hadn’t been given, I didn’t think there was any way in the world it would have been overturned. Once the referee hadn’t given it, I didn’t think it was a big enough mistake for them to overturn.”

“That’s the best I’ve ever seen Wolves play!” 👏

“Manchester United were chaotic!” @GNev2 and Karen Carney with their post-match reaction 💭 pic.twitter.com/1eMzmAKaMC

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023

🗣️ “No, totally no.”

André Onana is confident that Wolves wouldn’t get a penalty for his collision with Sasa Kalajdzic late in the game last night. pic.twitter.com/dKhUor6Oha

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2023

“It was a tough game,” said Ten Hag. “We can do a lot of things better but also I see a lot of positive things. I saw six or seven good high-ball regains and then we have to take more from the turnovers. In a low block, we defended for our lives and we survived it.”

“You have to find the foundation of the season and collect points. If we want to keep collecting points we will have to play better than we did today. But there were positives, the defensive organisation, the clean sheet and the mentality. We found a way to win.”

Player ratings (via Sky Sports)

Man Utd: Onana (7), Wan-Bissaka (7), Varane (7), Martinez (5), Shaw (7), Casemiro (6), Mount (6), Fernandes (7), Antony (6), Rashford (5), Garnacho (5).

Subs: Lindelof (6), Eriksen (6), Sancho (6), Pellistri (6), McTominay (n/a).

Wolves: Sa (6), Semedo (7), Dawson (7), Kilman (7), Ait-Nouri (8), Nunes (8), Lemina (7), Gomes (8), Sarabia (6), Cunha (8), Neto (7).

Subs: Hwang (7), Bueno (6), Silva (6), Kalajdzic (n/a).

Player of the match: Matheus Cunha.

Fans reacted as Wolves’ Gary O’Neil says PGMOL apologise and admit penalty at Man Utd was ‘clear and obvious error’…

@paulp_123: Howard Webb will be celebrating. Those in var will get a bonus after that. Corrupt to the core

@steve80bt: Referees should have post match interviews like the managers. Now VAR is in place there should be no hiding. #MUNWOL @Wolves

@NUFCLC: So they then book him for getting emotional over it? Why do @FA_PGMOL prioritise literally all the wrong things? Why not introduce miced up refs this season?

@stubamos: Showing O’Neil the clip is great but the person I want to be reviewing this is the VAR. Tell us why this wasn’t given. They HAVE to let coaches, players, media & fans know their reasoning. If we don’t understand & we’re missing something, then explain it to us! Bored of this man!

@only_noodles: We’ve been on the end of some contentious decisions over the years but how a top level referee thinks that is not a penalty is beyond me! He should be demoted to the Championship as clearly refereeing in the top level is not for him! An absolute embarrassment!

@AlexJamesPerko: I’d go as far as saying its VARs worst ever decision

@DavidFrancisDa3: Of course. Most Utd fans will say ‘no penalty’. But if the same incident, was the other way round. They’d all be screaming for a penalty.. It’s just the hypocrisy of footy…. As for var itself tonight. Borderline corrupt. Shocking. Disgusting.

@Winchey1066: We need to hear the conversations between VAR & the on field Referee. Mic them all up because it’s getting beyond a joke how they are coming up with these decisions.

@MolineuxTalk: Rightly so… can see he doesn’t want to say too much incase it makes Simon Hooper cry and gives him a fine. Hold officials to account for their obvious bad performances and corruption

@williamyoung95: Should be the ref getting interviewed here, not O’Neil. And O’Neil will probably get fined for complaining here. Even though he’s literally got the clip playing right next to him.

@dangrigg85: One of worst decisions I’ve seen in a long time!! VAR is pointless #var #MNUWOL

@Elky_v: Really like the way he speaks, and we’re only going to get better with more time. Up the wolves 🙌🏽

@adamworth_8: Definitely a penalty in my opinion.. wolves were by far the better team the whole game, just very unlucky. 🤷🏼‍♂️

@ChrisAdamParker: This isn’t just a pen. It’s also a red card. Week 1 of the Premier League Ladies and Gentlemen.