Simon Jordan has suggested Gary O’Neil and other Premier League managers are hypocrites for expressing their anger over VAR decisions that go against them.
The former Crystal Palace owner-turned-pundit was speaking on talkSPORT earlier today, following the controversial match between Fulham and Wolves.
Wolves lost 3-2 at Craven Cottage and were on the end of several bad decisions from referee Michael Salisbury and VAR Stuart Attwell.
There were four big calls that went against Wolves, with the officials admitting to three of them being incorrect after the game. Despite this, both officials have been selected by the PGMOL for Premier League fixtures this weekend.
Gary O’Neil has received a lot of sympathy since the game, but Simon Jordan was typically controversial today with his thoughts about the situation…
Simon Jordan suggests Gary O’Neil is a hypocrite after reaction to controversy in Fulham vs Wolves
Inevitably, last night’s game was going to be spoken about on talkSPORT today.
Perhaps expectedly, Jordan was on hand to provide a rather controversial take on Wolves getting done over.
In his eyes, O’Neil and other managers are hypocrites in the way they react to decisions going against their sides, because they don’t say anything when they benefit from incorrect calls.
He said: “It would appear that Wolves have had quite a few dubious decisions aided and abetted by players diving in penalty boxes and potentially the subjectivity of VAR intervening. Again it goes back to the on-field decision. They can’t argue about the first penalty because the referee would’ve given it on-field and that would be the end of discussion. So what’s the point of bringing VAR into the conversation? VAR is now the whipping boy for the conversation.
“I would love to know what Gary O’Neil would have said, with respect to Gary, if those decisions had been in favour of Wolves. Would he have come on camera and said VAR isn’t working? They (managers) do not, there is a lacking of integrity. If it goes your way you’re silent, if it goes against you, you’re vociferous. That can’t be the way.
“If you want to advance the game, if you want to be in this camp of suggesting you need to have VAR working at a high level, when it goes your way and you know it’s gone your way and you still think it’s flawed, then why don’t you say it? Because they won’t.”
An arrogant take from Jordan
Jordan’s comments here are very provocative, because he does not seem to consider the sheer magnitude of what Wolves have gone through this season.
It is not just the odd decision here and there, it has been absolutely incessant for Wanderers and O’Neil is well within his rights to voice his displeasure. It is to his credit that he has been so measured, because many others would be giving the PGMOL both barrels. Pretty much all of the decisions have caused massive controversy due to how obviously wrong they were. It isn’t like they were grey-area calls.
Regarding Jordan’s comment about O’Neil reacting if the shoe was on the other foot – surely he is one of the likeliest Premier League managers to admit benefitting from a dodgy decision.
O’Neil has shown since he came in at Wolves that he is a very honest man and he calls things as they are.