The Joe Edwards debrief – Liverpool 1 Wolves 0
VAR reared its ugly head again as Wolves were edged out at Liverpool.
It was a fantastic performance against the league leaders, though, with all of Nuno Espirito Santo’s players at it.
VAR Ridiculousness
But I must start with the controversial technology which once again affected Wolves.
Adam Lallana did not control the ball with his hand in the build-up to Sadio Mane’s goal – it was his shoulder, so that was right to be rectified.
However, Wolves had a very similar goal disallowed by VAR at Leicester on the opening day - the ball going off Willy Boly's shoulder before Leander Dendoncker finished - so you cannot help but feel hard done by.
And if that is not bad enough, Pedro Neto thought he had scored a huge leveller at Anfield – his first in the Premier League – only to have it chalked off because Jonny Castro Otto’s toe was offside.
Some will say ‘offside is offside’, but a toe, really?
It is sickening stuff. If a player is half a yard behind the last defender, that is fair enough – no argument.
But penalising a toe after getting those comical lines out on grainy, zoomed-in images is ludicrous. The graphics are better on my old Sega Mega Drive.
And again, there was a distinct lack of communication to everyone in the stadium.
It was announced 'goal ruled out for offside', but nobody knew it was Otto who was offside – and the fact it was splitting hairs.
Anfield not having big screens made the situation even more unclear than usual as well.
Wolves – yet to have a decision overturned in their favour – are not the only ones who have been blighted by VAR, of course. They certainly will not be the last side either, so something must be done.
VAR has the potential to make things very hostile – and it is putting the referee on the pitch in such an awkward spot.
They are bearing the brunt, when it is actually a person in a studio who is intervening and overturning decisions.
Surely, the Premier League will be doing a serious review of the technology at the end of the season – if not before.
Things are getting completely out of hand, and it is sucking the life out of football.
Captain Conor
Getting back to the positives, which there were a lot of for Wolves, skipper Conor Coady's performance was exceptional.
Fired up against his former club, he truly led by example – organising his fellow defenders throughout.
Ryan Bennett and Max Kilman slotted in seamlessly and both played very well too.
Coady, though, was the standout in defence, bringing the ball out with such calmness.
His defensive prowess was epitomised towards the end too, when he raced across to deny Mo Salah – who was at full-flow – a clear scoring opportunity with a perfectly-timed sliding tackle.
Roberto Firmino, one of the best strikers around, was mainly having to drop deep to get on the ball as Coady did such a good job on him in the final third.
He always wears his heart on the sleeve, but, given he supported Liverpool as a boy and rose through their ranks, he was playing with a lot of emotion.
But he did not let that boil over at any point. He channelled it in exactly the right way.
The record books will show he was on the losing side, but Coady & Co defended valiantly. He was brilliant.
Then, post-match, Coady expressed his frustration over VAR and how it has left players in the dark.
He said he was asking questions to referee Anthony Taylor, but getting no response, and went on to say 'VAR is not working'.
Coady was speaking with passion. He loves the club and is an amazing ambassador – and a quality defender.
Neto and Vinagre
Young Portuguese pair Neto and Ruben Vinagre were sensational, too.
They came into the starting line-up amid four changes – Bennett and Kilman the other two to come in – after each putting in some promising showings as substitutes in recent weeks.
And, blimey, they both made the most of the opportunity.
Vinagre was a livewire. The left-wing-back got at Trent Alexander-Arnold whenever he could, and also kept the England star quiet on the back foot.
Adama Traore – we all know – is such a speedy player who can tear through defences and make it look effortless.
Vinagre, though, is not far off in terms of pure pace, and is also a joy to watch when at his best, which he was at Anfield.
Neto, meanwhile, is really starting to show why Wolves brought him in over the summer.
It seemed a fairly left-field signing given his lack of game-time at Lazio, but he got the better of a top-drawer Reds backline on plenty of occasions.
It was so cruel that his goal was chalked off, as you could see how much it meant to him when the ball nestled in the bottom corner – Alisson with no chance of making the save.
But if he carries on anything like this for Wolves over the coming weeks, that first top-flight goal will come.
New Year
So, 2019 did not end with a win for Wolves – but it was another stellar display in what has been a magnificent year for the club.
Reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup, finishing seventh in the top flight, getting into the Europa League, and then making it to the Europa's last 32 – it has been a delight.
Wolves have also done the double (triple counting pre-season) over Manchester City, and beaten Manchester United and Arsenal.
And while this was, ultimately, a defeat, it was another example of Wolves mixing it up against the big boys.
They worked their socks off against the Reds and matched them all the way in terms of quality.
The future appears to be very bright for Nuno and his players.
As the year, and the decade, comes to a close, we can all be very excited as what Wolves may go on to achieve in 2020 and beyond.
The next step on this thrilling journey is at Watford on New Year's Day.
Bring it on, and, hopefully, the new year begins with a bang!
