‘Armpits again is it? Armpits are becoming quite the rage at the moment’: Wolves captain Conor Coady in passionate rant against VAR after equaliser is chalked off in 1-0 defeat at Anfield as he claims Virgil van Dijk handled in build-up to Liverpool goal
- Conor Coady is not happy with the way VAR is being implemented right now
- Wolves felt frustrated after two VAR decisions went against them on Sunday
- The decisions were correct, but the players don’t enjoy being left in the dark
- Coady was angry at what he felt was handball by Virgil van Dijk before their goal
He had just been to the referee’s room at Anfield in search of answers, but Wolves captain Conor Coady felt no happier for what he had heard.
Liverpool-born Coady was still fuming about the two decisions that went against Wolves in the defeat to his boyhood club, and what he saw as the injustice of VAR.
Liverpool’s winning goal by Sadio Mane in the 42nd minute was allowed to stand following a two-minute review after referee Anthony Taylor had initially disallowed it for handball against Adam Lallana.
Wolves’ Conor Coady is not happy with the way VAR is being used in the Premier League
The Wolves captain pointed to what he felt was a handball from Virgil van Dijk in the build-up to Sadio Mane’s goal, which was all that separated the two sides at Anfield on Sunday afternoon
It was the correct decision because Lallana controlled Virgil Van Dijk’s pass with his shoulder, but Wolves also claimed that the ball had brushed Van Dijk’s arm in the build-up.
They were still smarting from that decision when Pedro Neto equalised in time added on for the first VAR decision, only for the goal to be chalked off for another of those marginal offside calls before Jonny crossed for Neto.
‘What is it, an armpit or a toe?’ said Coady, who also saw two VAR decisions go against Wolves in Friday’s win over Manchester City.
‘I spoke to [referee] Anthony Taylor during the game, he’s a great fella to speak to but you ask questions and don’t really get an answer. We thought Van Dijk handballed it as well in the lead up to the goal. Then he tells me Van Dijk’s too far away, I can’t get my head around it.
Wolves players celebrate before learning their goal had been ruled out due to an offside
Jonny was judged to have been marginally offside before he crossed for Pedro Neto to score
‘Van Dijk plays the pass for the goal. Brilliant player, unbelievable pass, but by the sounds of it he handballs it.
‘It’s horrible for me and so tough to take. It has happened twice to us in the last two games against probably the best two sides in the world.
‘We feel massively hard done by. I can’t get my head around it. It’s ridiculous.
‘For me it is not working. Some people are saying it gets the right decision, but we’re the players on the pitch and it doesn’t feel right to me.’
Coady went to see the referee with a member of the Wolves coaching staff afterwards but didn’t get what he wanted.
‘VAR is affecting the game,’ he added. ‘It is still confusing. I can’t get my head around it, and you don’t get answers on the pitch.
‘They tell us “we’re checking for a penalty, we’re checking for handball, we’re checking for offside.” Okay so he’s offside, wow far offside? Don’t know, we don’t get told.
‘Armpits again is it? Armpits are becoming quite the rage in the Premier League at the moment.’
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was booked for protesting to fourth official Mike Dean over the first decision, and afterwards called for VAR to stop interfering.
The referee overturned his decision that Adam Lallana had handled in the build up to a goal
‘The referees should sustain their decisions,’ he said. ‘There’s a referee miles away that’s taking decisions about a lot of things that are happening here.
‘Who is inside the game? Who feels the flow of the game and the intensity of the action? It’s the referee.’
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted that lengthy delays for a VAR review is not good for the players.
He said: ‘We are in December and coming into January. Players standing around that long waiting is not good. I would prefer if referees going to the screen.
‘I can imagine Wolves were not happy with the VAR decisions. These things happen, nobody likes it.’ Victory put Liverpool 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand, but Klopp is still refusing to take anything for granted.
He added: ‘There’s a long way to go for all of us – 2019 was brilliant but it’s not important. We count seasons not years. The 2019-20 season is only halfway.
‘To say ‘it’s done’ would be crazy. It’s not done.’
Liverpool players surround the referee after he wrongly disallows their goal in the first half
