Russell Martin challenges VAR on slowing or pausing moments to declare fouls

Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha struck to hand Wolves a first Premier League win of the season as they leapfrogged Saints in the battle of the bottom two. The pair scored either side of half-time to beat the Saints, who thought they had levelled through Ryan Manning before VAR intervened. Referee Thomas Bramall was sent to the monitor by VAR Chris Kavanagh, who interpreted Mateus Fernandes and Nelson Semedo's collision as a foul. Martin felt Cunha's goal should have also been ruled out for a Craig Dawson foul on Cameron Archer and there are few who disagree.  He told the Daily Echo: "I think we should do more with the ball having come here and having as much of the ball as we did in their final third. Russell Martin's phone tomorrow morning.#SaintsFC pic.twitter.com/Wzwzk6WTB0 — Alfie House (@AlfieHouseEcho) November 9, 2024 "It's not easy. If I said before the game we'd limit them to eight shots and have that much of the ball around their final third, I'd expect us to have something to show for it. "That's not good enough. We don't create enough. I think we give away a really sloppy goal at the start, individual errors and we're made to pay for it. "Then the decision is a really tough one. I just heard Gary O'Neil when I walked past him and he said it's a blatant foul - I just don't see it that way.  "Of course, it's subjective. If you really understand the game, the ball is on the other side of Nelson and he moves his leg the wrong way, away from the ball. "He's not tried to play the ball. Mateus runs into him. So actually, if he's not making an effort to play the ball, I think it's really clever of him. "But I think then you need to have an understanding of why he's moved that way. You could argue that his movement is away from the ball, maybe it's a penalty. "Gaz will of course disagree, there'll be other people who disagree and maybe people will see it our way. But it's not like sour grapes. That's my interpretation. "If it was my defender who'd done that, I'd say he managed the situation really well, you bought a foul. Really good," Martin added. "The second goal is a foul on Cam Archer for sure. Slow it down. When you sit in Stockley Park, you have the benefit of pausing it and watching it at loads of angles. "His shirt's nearly off his back from Craig Dawson. But it is what it is and we should do more with the ball, it's not why we lost the game." Asked if the officials offered an explanation for any of the decisions, Martin responded: "No, no, no. But also I don't want to moan about it, it's pointless. "I had a chat with people after the Paul Onuachu incident against Leicester, six yards or whatever it was, and we disagree. And we'll disagree on this, I'm sure."