Wolverhampton Wanderers are expected to suffer a significant blow in their bid to scrap VAR following a disagreement with Manchester United and West Ham United.
The Premier League’s annual general meeting (AGM) is penned in for this week and a major topic of conversation will be Wolves’ suggestion to revoke VAR from the English top flight.
Following a succession of poor decisions against them throughout the season just gone, Wanderers’ frustrations led to an official request to the Premier League for VAR to be cancelled. Improvements have been announced ahead of next campaign – including semi-automated offsides – but Wolves, firm in their stance, won’t be satisfied until the technology is axed altogether.
The Telegraph reports the efforts of Gary O’Neil’s side haven’t been enough to convince the majority of 13 other clubs needed to win the ballot. It’s claimed Manchester United, Liverpool and West Ham United are particularly in disagreement with Wolves as the trio of clubs believe the system should definitely stay, albeit with improvements.
All 20 teams are expected to be given a full brief on a contract agreed with Second Spectrum – an American software company – to lead the new offside technology set to be implemented in the autumn. The system, worked by artificial intelligence and a chip in the match ball, is hoped to reduce the number of contentious decisions made.
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Wolves will feel hard done by as Premier League verdict dealt
The Old Gold, committed to trying to return English football to its former state, will feel aggrieved by the imminent outvoting at the Premier League AGM. It’s no wonder Wolves are frustrated as a total of seven big calls went against them last season, kick-started by VAR failing to award a penalty away at Man Utd as Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic and Craig Dawson.
Other decisions included the failure to overturn a Luton Town penalty in September’s 1-1 draw, similar spot-kick blunders in the 2-2 draw at home to Newcastle United and 2-1 loss at Sheffield United, and Maximilian Kilman’s disallowed goal against West Ham United in April.
That most recent intervention acted as the final straw for Wolves head coach O’Neil as he spoke aggressively to referee Tony Harrington outside the officials’ dressing room and received a one-match ban from the Football Association.
“I wasn’t able to control my emotion well enough to get an explanation,” O’Neil said after the game. “The referee said he would rather not discuss it given how I was acting. If you are a Premier League official working at the highest level, I would be really disappointed if you thought that was offside,” O’Neil continued, days before receiving his punishment.
