Gary O’Neil has disclosed the conversation he had with referee Robert Jones following the controversial penalty he awarded to Sheffield United against Wolves. Many Wolves fans are still furious about the decision, as it led to their 2-1 defeat at Bramall Lane, with the penalty being the decisive moment in the game. Cameron Archer initially gave United the lead, but Jean Ricner-Bellegarde equalized late on.
In the dying moments of the match, Jones pointed to the spot, claiming that Fabio Silva had fouled George Baldock in the penalty area. However, replays showed that Baldock was already going to the ground when minimal contact occurred.
The penalty decision has faced widespread criticism, with Gary Lineker branding it a ‘stinking decision,’ and Match of the Day pundits Martin Keown and Danny Murphy expressing their bewilderment.
Gary O’Neil, the Wolves head coach, was also puzzled by the decision and sought an explanation from Jones after the game. He shared what the referee told him, saying that he doesn’t believe it was a clear penalty and that there was only minimal contact between Fabio Silva and George Baldock. O’Neil suggested that the referee should have been more patient and relied on VAR for such crucial decisions. He expressed his frustration with the state of officiating in the game, feeling that Wolves could have been six points better off with better refereeing standards.
Furthermore, O’Neil pointed out that contact is irrelevant if a player is already going down, emphasizing that Baldock was falling before the minimal contact occurred. He even suggested that Baldock should have been booked for diving, echoing comments made by Danny Murphy on Match of the Day. The incident raised concerns about the quality of officiating in the Premier League, especially with the availability of VAR, and it was the second such incident in consecutive games. O’Neil emphasized the need for improvement not only from his team but also from the Premier League officiating standards.
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