FAB’S IN FRONT
It’s ref justice for Wolves but keeper Lukasz is all smiles
LUKASZ FABIANSKI is a fully paid-up, 20-year, rank-and-file member of the goalkeeper’s union.
But even he had a smile on his lips when describing why referee Tony Harrington was right to disallow Max Kilman’s 99th-minute header after the latest VAR decision went against Wolves.
Sub Tawanda Chirewa was standing in front of Fabianski, but the 38-yearold Pole would have needed long arms and the foresight of Nostradamus to have got across to make a save (above right).
“I believed it was a clear offside, so I think the referee made the right decision,” said Fabianski.
“He was right in front of me, so I think in some way he’s affecting the reaction time that I have.
“I’m not the ref. I’m not the guy who’s responsible for doing all the offside rules and everything, either. So that’s it.” Except it wasn’t it. Not for Gary O’neil (inset), at least, who knocked on Harrington’s dressing-room door, demanding an explanation. VAR officials have become O’neil’s nuisance neighbours from hell.
But rather than catalogue the incidents against him – dating back to the season opener against Manchester United – O’neil would do well to follow the course now being taken by David Moyes.
The Hammers manager seems to have adopted a sage acceptance VAR is best got rid of, not by railing any more against its individual horrors, but by developing a broad consensus among managers and fans that football was actually more enjoyable without it.
The frequent long stoppages, the endless hair-splitting, and worst of all, the cautious self-restraint on goal celebrations – it should all be binned, says Moyes.
“I am disappointed by VAR, but I think everyone in the game is now disappointed by it,” was his summing up.
Moyes felt the VAR call against Emerson on the penalty that gave Wolves the lead through Pablo Sarabia was also a poor judgement.
West Ham recovered to level through a penalty of their own from Lucas Paqueta, before James Ward-prowse scored direct from a corner late on for what proved the winner.
Fabianski also stuck out a big hand now and again, and the keeper reckons his team-mates’ turnaround proves they are in good nick ahead of their Europa League quarter-final first leg at Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday. “I think it says a lot about the team, about this group of boys, that we all knew we had a really poor first half and wanted to respond, we wanted to react,” said the former Arsenal keeper. Furious Mario Lemina has demanded Wolves stop their season from fizzling out.
“We were fantastic in the first half but the way we didn’t control the second half, I feel really disappointed by that,” said the midfielder. “The second half is not acceptable for us as a group. We need to be honest with ourselves.
“We need to understand what we’ve been missing in the second half and try to work on it even harder. We cannot play a first half like that against a really top team and then show a really bad second half.”
Wolves have slid from an unexpected tilt at Europe to mid-table, following one win in their last five league games. WOLVES (3-4-2-1): Sa 5, S Bueno 6, Kilman 6, Toti 6, Gomes 6, Semedo 7, Doyle 7 (Chirewa 87), Ait-nouri 8 (Cunha 56, 6), Doherty 7(H Bueno 87), M Lemina 6 (Traore 76), Sarabia 7 (Chiwome 76) WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6, Coufal 5 (Antonio 46, 7), Zouma 7, Mavropanos 6, Emerson 8, Alvarez 6, Soucek 5 (Johnson 46, 7), Ward-prowse 7, Kudus 7, Paqueta 6, Bowen 6 (Cresswell 55, 6)