The FA has asked Wolves manager Gary O'Neil to explain his refereeing comments following the defeat to Manchester City, according to the Mail.
O'Neill questioned the referee's decision-making after the Wolves-Manchester City game. He said, "My senses are sharper when we face a City team, so are the referees doing the same? Is there some sort of factor that inadvertently influences their decision making when facing opponents like Harland and City?"
O'Neill further mentioned, "The referees assured me that they were not influenced in any way, but they are human beings. City scoring in the last minute is a big deal, something that gets a lot more attention than Wolves scoring against West Ham United at the same time."
Additionally, O'Neal used an analogy to express his possible bias against referees, "If I have to piss somebody off on the street and there's a big guy and a little guy on the street, I'm naturally going to choose to piss off the little guy because there's a greater risk of getting into a confrontation with the big guy."
The FA are concerned about the matter and have contacted Wolves FC to ask for their views on these comments made by the manager. O'Neill has been formally asked to explain his claims about the referee and the Wolves manager could face punishment if the governing body deems his comments to have crossed the line.
Both Wolves and the FA are currently awaiting O'Neill's official response to these queries and allegations. The incident has also sparked a wide-ranging discussion among fans and the media about the impartiality of referees in soccer.
