Gary O’Neil
Posted inDaily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil on losing game against Manchester United and referee #WOLVESFC

August 16, 2023
O'Neil regularly complained about refereeing decisions during his spell in charge of Cherries, the Dorset club the only team in the Premier League not to be awarded a spot-kick last term. With Wolves 1-0 down to Manchester United on Monday night, Red Devils debutant goalkeeper Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic deep into time added on, but Simon Hooper did not react and VAR Michael Salisbury deemed there was no foul, with an incredulous O’Neil instead booked for his reaction. The hosts closed out the narrow victory at Old Trafford. O’Neil said after the match he though Onana was trying to take Kalajdzic’s head off, and then revealed he had received an immediately apology from Premier League referees’ boss Moss. “Having just spoken to Jon Moss, fair enough he came straight out and said it was a blatant penalty and it should have been given,” O’Neil said. “I sometimes feel bad. I’ve spent a lot of my day with him trying to understand the new guidelines and how to not get myself booked which I’ve failed in, but fair play to Jon in coming out. “He said it was clear and obvious and he can’t believe the on-field referee didn’t give it and he can’t believe VAR didn’t intervene. It’s probably made me feel worse to be honest because once you know you’re right you feel worse about leaving with nothing.” O'Neil replaced Julen Lopetegui as Wolves boss last week, having been sacked by Cherries in June, with Andoni Iraola appointed.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil to speak to PGMOL after Jefferson Lerma broken nose #AFCB

May 15, 2023
During the first half of Cherries’ contest against Crystal Palace, with the game goalless, Eagles defender Joachim Andersen’s hand connected with the face of Lerma, the latter defending from a corner. The Colombian went to the floor and the game was stopped, but video assistant referee Andy Madley did not recommend to on-field official Michael Salisbury to review the footage, after checking for a potential red card for violent conduct. Webb, a former top-flight referee in England and in international competition, became chief refereeing officer of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) earlier this season. Asked for his take on the incident in the 2-0 defeat at Selhurst Park, Cherries’ head coach O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “Jefferson Lerma has broken his nose from it. “It looked like a fairly clear punch in the face to me, on the footage. “I spoke to the on-field ref and I understand them not spotting it. I think it’s from a corner, so there’s a lot of bodies and things moving fast. “The ref needs to be trying to look at everything, so it’s difficult for him to spot it. “But the fact that we got the usual check complete from VAR, as one that’s going against us, was a surprise. “It was a significant blow to Jeff’s face with a closed fist by the look of it. So I’m disappointed something wasn’t done.” Asked if he will speak to PGMOL about the decision, as he has done in recent weeks about various decisions, O’Neil said: “It’s an interesting one. I speak to Howard Webb most Sundays at the moment! “I’ll speak to him tomorrow, because I feel like this one is an important one. “Jeff’s obviously not happy about it. I’ll speak to him, as we have done even with the penalty decision last week (in defeat to Chelsea) on Dom (Solanke). “It didn’t go our way. It’s important we discuss it, because it’s a significant blow to the face and Jeff has injured and broken his nose from it.” Meanwhile, Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson played down the incident. Asked if he was concerned Andersen may be in trouble at the time, Hodgson told the Daily Echo: “I don’t know, I haven’t seen it. “The penalty box is 65 to 70 yards away from me. My eyesight is not bad, but it’s not an eagle eyesight. “All I know is I was watching the corner kick and trying to assess our organisation and suddenly the game was stopped and there’s a player on the ground. “I have no idea what happened or how he landed on the ground, but I have to trust the referee, who at the time did not see any reason to give a free-kick. “And that was backed up by VAR, so that’s perfectly good enough for me.”
Roberto De Zerbi
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Roberto De Zerbi welcomes acceptance of referee mistake from Howard Webb #BHAFC

February 18, 2023
Albion’s head coach has again declined to criticise the VAR error which cost his side a goal at Crystal Palace. He said he appreciated Webb fronting up after the mistake by John Brooks which saw Pervis Estupinan’s strike incorrectly ruled out. De Zerbi’s approach when asked about the VAR fall-out at his press conference today was in contrast to that taken by his Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta, whose side fell foul of a poor decision in their 1-1 draw with Brentford. The Albion boss said: “For me, sincerely it is not a problem. “Referees are human like other people and can make mistakes. “I don’t like if I have to criticise them because it is not my job. I’m sorry for the mistakes, for sure. “I think we lost four or five points, not only Palace but with Aston Villa at home there was a clear, clear, clear penalty. And the same at Leicester. “But it can happen, some mistakes. “At the end of the season, I think the mistakes are not so important in terms of the table because there is a balance of mistakes. “MY problem is my team to play with a quality, a style and to try to win the game, only this.” He added: “Referees are humans, VAR is technology, it is different. We hope football can improve through this technology. “But I don’t want to speak too much about referees. “There are other people who want to take advantage about this. “I don’t like this in Italy, I don’t like this in Ukraine, in the UK the same." Webb was pro-active after a bad day for match officials in the Prem. De Zerbi said: “He is a good guy, he’s an honest person and I appreciate that he showed his face. “When there is a mistake, it’s not easy to show your face. “I told him there is no problem for me, my players, or my club. “We don’t want to put any pressure on referees.” De Zerbi believes VAR should be a tool which improves the game. He said: “It should be better, no? “The technology can and has to help the referee. “At Palace it was like this and we can’t change the result. “Maybe if Pervis’s goal had been allowed, we could still have lost the game. “We don’t know the other possibilities during the game.”
antonio conte happy
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Antonio Conte raging on VAR ahead of trip to Cherries #THFC

October 28, 2022
TOTTENHAM boss Antonio Conte was angry at the decision by VAR to rule out Harry Kane’s stoppage-time strike against Sporting Lisbon and accused the technology of being dishonest against his team. Kane fired home in the fifth minute of added time last night to spark wild celebrations with the hosts believing the effort had sent them through to the last 16 of the Champions League. Dutch official Pol van Boekel, who was in charge of VAR, ruled Kane had been ahead of the ball when Emerson Royal’s header hit Flavio Nazinho and ricocheted into the path of the striker, who smashed in with aplomb to briefly make the score 2-1. Sporting players and staff celebrated the decision to rule out the goal, which meant Marcus Edwards’ first-half strike – cancelled out by Rodrigo Bentancur’s 81st-minute header – left all four teams in Group D with a chance of making the knockout stage going into the last game. “I think there are moments that maybe you can be a bit intelligent to understand you have just disallowed a regular goal because the goal was regular. The ball is in front of Kane,” Conte insisted in his press conference before he walked out after one question. “And then the VAR. I repeat you know I don’t comment on referee decisions but the VAR, this season, I don’t know why between Premier League and Champions League, we are not so lucky. “I don’t know why until now we are also the only team who repeated the penalty and every penalty I go to see, if the keeper move on line, I see a lot of the time. I want to see repetition of a penalty in Premier League. “I think we are not so lucky with VAR but I think they create big damage. I would like to see if this type of decision you can take with a top team, in an important game, yeah I would like to see if VAR is so brave to take this decision. “I repeat this unfair decision because the ball is in front of Kane. Sorry, but I am really upset because sometimes you can accept this situation and sometimes I think it is not good because I don’t see honesty in this type of situation and when I see this I become really, really upset.” Spurs head to Vitality Stadium to face Cherries this weekend, another side who feel hard done by regarding VAR decisions in recent weeks. Speaking after Monday night's 2-0 defeat at West Ham United, interim head coach Gary O'Neil said: "It's getting a little bit ridiculous now as I think we've had about 10 VAR decisions go against us since I took over. “I’m obviously disappointed with the first goal. I thought it was a terrible decision."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil rages at ‘terrible decision’ leading to West Ham opener #AFCB #Controversy

October 25, 2022
GARY O’NEIL pulled no punches in his assessment of West Ham’s controversial opener during Cherries’ 2-0 defeat and insisted: “I can’t understand how that would be given.” Kurt Zouma’s first goal since November 2021 was allowed to stand by VAR Mike Dean, despite a handball by Thilo Kehrer aiding the Irons to go one goal up at London Stadium. Kehrer scooped Jarrod Bowen’s corner into the air before the ball was headed clear by Chris Mepham, nodded back by Tomas Soucek and eventually over the line via the top of Zouma’s head. The word from Stockley Park was that because the handball was not deliberate, and had not led directly to the goal, it was allowed to stand. Interim boss O’Neil was booked for his protests just before half-time and made his feelings clear to referee David Coote at full-time. He told the Daily Echo: “I’m doing that every game at the minute. In with the referee discussing decisions. “I’m obviously disappointed with the first goal. I thought it was a terrible decision. “The first goal cannot stand. It’s impossible for me that that is a goal. His arm moved towards the ball, it impacted where the ball was going. “I can’t understand how that would be given. Talk about hands in a natural or unnatural position. His hands are in front of his stomach and they move towards the ball in the build-up to the goal. “I also think there was a foul in the build-up to the goal as well. I think, more subtle but I expect it to be looked at. “I went in (to see the referee) to find out about the Jefferson Lerma foul on (Aleksandar) Mitrovic at Fulham. The information I received was that Jefferson Lerma impeded Mitrovic without looking at the ball. “If you watch Flynn Downes in the build-up (on Monday). He affects Marcos Senesi by putting his arm over him while looking in the complete opposite direction of the ball. I expect that to be looked at. “The handball for the first goal, I just can’t even believe we have to discuss it. It’s a handball 100 times out of 100. Really, really surprised.” O’Neil was left further frustrated after Cherries full-back Jordan Zemura was judged to have handled in the box when blocking Vladimir Coufal’s cross in the latter stages, with Said Benrahma converting the penalty for 2-0. Hammers boss David Moyes has complained recently that too many calls were going against his side – but the Scot insisted he had not seen enough of the incidents against Cherries to make a comment. “I’ve genuinely not seen any of the incidents,” he said. “Obviously Bournemouth are disappointed with how it went. But what I would say is our performance merited better goals than we scored.”
Scott Parker Fulham
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s owner Maxim Demin issues controversial statement on Scott Parker’s departure #AFCB

August 30, 2022
CHERRIES owner Maxim Demin shared that the decision to part ways with head coach Scott Parker stemmed from a difference in views on the "strategy to run the club sustainably." This morning Cherries announced that Parker would be departing the Vitality Stadium just over a year after his appointment, after three losses from the club's first four Premier League games. In numerous interviews, Parker repeatedly stressed that his side needed further reinforcements, citing that there were a "million different reasons" Cherries had not strengthened over the summer. Demin also seemed to suggest that Parker did not "show belief in and respect for one another". Speaking to the club's website, Demin shared: “I would like to place on record my gratitude to Scott and his team for their efforts during their time with us. “Our promotion back to the Premier League last season under his tenure will always be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in our history. “However, in order for us to keep progressing as a team and a Club as a whole, it is unconditional that we are aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably. “We must also show belief in and respect for one another. “That is the approach that has brought this club so much success in recent history, and one that we will not veer from now. Our search for a new head coach will begin immediately.” Gary O'Neil has stepped into the breach to serve as interim manager, with development squad coaches Shaun Cooper and Tommy Elphick assisting. Cherries are next in action tomorrow, when they host Wolves at the Vitality Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm).
Brendan Rodgers
Posted in2021-2022-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Brendan Rodgers responds to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s comments on controversial opener #LEIFC #SAINTSFC

May 23, 2022
BRENDAN Rodgers responded “if the centre-half doesn’t make a mistake there is no drama” after Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed Saints asked Leicester to gift an equaliser. The Saints bench asked the Foxes to let the visitors run and score after James Maddison opened soon after the half-time break. During the eventual 4-1 defeat, referee Jon Moss had stopped play for an injury while Saints were on the ball, but gave the drop ball back to the Foxes in error. Leicester then attacked immediately and scored after Lyanco errors at the back let them in from a long-ball forward. Hasenhuttl says Saints asked Leicester to allow the concession of a goal in the interest of sportsmanship, but that did not transpire. Rodgers was asked for his view on Hasenhuttl’s comments, and responded: "It was a lack of clarity on what actually happened. Was it a bounce-ball, was it a free-kick to us? "The ball was obviously bounced and we played it back to Kasper (Schmeichel). If the centre-half doesn't make a mistake there is no drama, he heads it back and Southampton has the ball. "But he doesn’t. Then I think if there is any issue Jon Moss will blow up, but pretty soon after he points to the centre-sport. "Clearly the Southampton players are unhappy. I understand the frustration, and they will be disappointed they didn’t defend it better, but all we can do is play to the whistle." Asked why his side did not accept the request from the Saints bench, Rodgers added: “Only because of the side when where we speak to the fourth official, I called some of the players over to see what Jon Moss was saying. "Jon Moss said it was a goal and it was a fair goal. It is disappointing for Ralph, there was a bit of confusion but we scored and went on to score another three goals." A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more. Don't take my word for it - subscribe here to see for yourself. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by joining our Facebook group - Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated Facebook group - Hampshire Court and Crime News