Wolves lost 1-0 to Bournemouth on Wednesday night – and Stan Collymore has weighed in on the latest VAR controversy.
Gary O’Neil‘s side were poor at Molineux, with Antoine Semenyo scoring the only goal of the game to give the Cherries all three points.
Wolves, who had some key players back in the side, were all at sea, and just never really looked comfortable in the game.
The first-half was particularly poor and had it not been for Jose Sa, Bournemouth could have been out of sight.
Too many players didn’t show up for the hosts, and it was a big opportunity missed. Bournemouth have now leapfrogged Wolves in the Premier League table.
Once again, there is talk of VAR, after it made referee Stuart Attwell go to the pitchside monitor after Hwang Hee-chan had equalised. It was somehow decided that Matheus Cunha had fouled Justin Kluivert in the build-up.
The latest decision has prompted another big reaction on social media – and Stan Collymore has offered his thoughts…
Stan Collymore slams VAR after Wolves goal against Bournemouth is disallowed
Cunha was adjudged to have fouled Kluivert, after raising an arm which caused the Dutchman to flinch slightly.
During the passage of play, there was not a single appeal from any of the Bournemouth players. After Hwang’s header had gone in, there were again no protestations.
But the goal was micro-analysed by Darren England on VAR, who somehow felt that a clear and obvious error had been made. Attwell eventually concurred, and overturned the on-field decision of goal given.
The decision to disallow the goal has been slammed, with former Premier League striker Stan Collymore among those to express their dismay.
Collymore has been vocal in recent days on social media about VAR, after the performance of Attwell in the Everton vs Nottingham Forest match, which led to Forest putting out a statement about three penalty decisions they didn’t get.
On last night’s decision, he said on X: “Have a look at Wolves disallowed goal. Great cross, great header, great goal. But…. Rewind to the start of the move and it was disallowed and adjudged to have been a Wolves foul on the Bournemouth player via a flailing arm.
“I think it’s 50/50, Bournemouth player runs after Wolves player who reacts. I’m guessing VAR saw the Bournemouth player ‘moved unnaturally out of position which led to Wolves overlap’, so goal disallowed. Do I believe it’s deliberate? Conspiracy? Nope. Incompetence or just not good enough at the job? Possibly. Nit-picking jobsworthness of the highest and most frustrating kind.
“Just get rid of VAR and sharpen refs’ minds and tools again by forcing them and linesmen to make better decisions, which pre-VAR was an impressive 98%.”
More embarrassment for the PGMOL
Wolves fans hit the nail on the head last night at Molineux with what they were chanting after the disallowed goal – ‘it’s not football anymore’.
Fans are starting to turn against the game they have loved for so long because of this, which is really sad.
VAR still has the potential to be so good for the game. But there is just no consistency from the officials operating it, it seems. There was a push by Morgan Gibbs-White on Nelson Semedo in the game between Nottingham Forest and Wolves recently and there was nothing doing. Last night, Wolves were penalised for something extremely minimal.
Collymore may be ex-Forest and Aston Villa, but there will be Wolves fans who share his view about VAR at this point, given all the decisions that have gone against the club which have cost crucial points.