Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil calls for VAR chiefs to SCRAP the ‘clear and obvious’ rule,

Gary O’Neill, the head coach of Wolves, demands that the “clear and obvious” regulation be scrapped by VAR chiefs because it is “not the right solution” and causes video officials to make poor decisions.

Wolves manager Gary O’Neil contends that the VAR regulations emphasizing a ‘clear and obvious’ error standard pose challenges for officials in reaching accurate decisions. Over the past two weeks, O’Neil’s team faced controversy with two penalty calls that, despite widespread criticism, were upheld by VAR after on-field referees awarded them.

O’Neil expresses his belief that the insistence on a ‘clear and obvious’ mistake as the threshold for intervention makes it more arduous for VAR to correct decisions. He suggests that relying on the subjective judgment of the VAR personnel, based on slow-motion replays, could lead to more accurate outcomes. O’Neil argues that decisions shouldn’t hinge solely on whether an error is glaringly evident.

Acknowledging the frustration among players due to four unfavorable decisions in 11 games, O’Neil emphasizes the unpredictable nature of luck in football. He encourages his team not to dwell on external factors they cannot control and highlights discussions within the team about their reactions to such situations.

Following a contentious decision against Sheffield United, O’Neil engages in a private conversation with PGMOL chief Howard Webb to address the recurrent poor decisions affecting Wolves. O’Neil appreciates Webb’s efforts to elevate refereeing standards and discusses ways to enhance VAR performance. While expressing his views and ideas to Webb, O’Neil underscores his primary focus on team improvement rather than fixating on VAR-related issues.

O’Neil shares the outcome of a review indicating a unanimous agreement (5-0) against the on-field penalty decision and a similar agreement (5-0) in favor of VAR overturning the call. He hopes for a similar acknowledgment of the error in the previous week’s decision. Despite the adverse decisions, O’Neil urges his team to concentrate on their own improvement and not let external factors distract them from their goals.